The 15th annual Harford County Leading Women Awards were held this past weekend to recognize 14 women around the county for their participation in the community, and four of those participants were our very own Cougars.
Amanda Dorsey, Grace Donovan, Sydney Grafton, and Natalie Wirth were all nominated by Mrs. Canatella as deserving young women who have made a difference in their school and/or community while also having a positive impact on lives around them. Although none of them won, they were still honored to have been nominated and recognized for their hard work, and they still each got $100!
Leading Women was formed by the acts of Elizabeth Hamilton Chew Forbes who was socially and politically active to raise awareness for suffrage and eventually was selected as a Maryland representative to the 1916 National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). She also joined the National Woman’s Party and was one of 20 women who were arrested in February 1919 in part of the Watchfire demonstration. She is only one of many women that this award was formed around. Now, let’s meet some of the nominees from Fallston!
Grace Donovan
Grace is a senior at Fallston who plans to get a degree in advertising with hopes of a career as the creative director for a professional sports team. Grace says how she has “always looked for leadership opportunities in everything that [she does].” She is the social media manager for the Future Business Leaders of America, the historian for the National Honor Society, the women’s basketball team manager, and a leader for her school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Outside of school she organizes holiday food drives for Anna’s House, she’s a senior guide to new freshmen at back-to-school nights, sponsors underprivileged children, and donates gifts with personal cards to residents of a local homeless shelter. Aside from all she does for the community, she has had lots of success on her own with her sports photography business. Grace is attending the University of Georgia where she “will be interning with the Dawgs athletics media team, applying to the UGA Sports Media Institute, and joining clubs like Ad club which correlates with [her] advertising major.” Way to go Grace!
Amanda Dorsey
Amanda is a senior at Fallston and plans on majoring in biology and attending medical school to become a doctor. Her involvement around the community includes being an intern with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical and Biological Center, being a member of the Lutheran Youth Organization as well as being involved in her church, and she recently earned her Gold Award for Girl Scouts.
At school she is a member of the National, Science National, Tri-M Music, French, and Math honor societies as well as being on the executive board of the Student Government Association and finally, being a section leader in the band and marching band. She “plan[s] to continue [her] involvement in the community through different clubs and community service” while she is in college. Amanda is quite the busy gal, but the hard work pays off when you’re given opportunities such as this one!
Sydney Grafton
Sydney is a senior as well and plans on attending Grand Valley State University as a Division 2 lacrosse player, despite many injuries she’s had in her high school career. Sydney thought it was an “incredible honor and opportunity” to be nominated for this award as her older sister won this award in 2022 and she “always look[s] up to her.”
Sydney is a member of the National Honor Society, she served 3 years as vice president for the Student Government Association, she’s a member of the OneLove club, and she’s an ambassador for Morgan’s Message. Alongside that she volunteers at the Fallston Rec Council’s Little Laxers Lacrosse team to assist with coaching and clinics. Sydney plans to “join the Student Athlete Association at Grand Valley State and make sure to bring [her] leadership skills to the classroom and different opportunities.”
Natalie Wirth
Natalie is a senior who plans on attending Virginia Commonwealth University to play lacrosse and earn a master’s degree in psychology. She plays on the women’s lacrosse team along with being the captain of the varsity women’s basketball team. Natalie “take[s] pride of how [she] help[s] our school” as she is a member of Morgan’s Message and OneLove; she’s a part of the pep squad, yearbook, varsity club, Cougars Care, and morning announcements; and she does social media for athletics and events. Outside of school, she donates Christmas gift bags to the homeless, organizes Stockings for Soldiers drives, cleans the school stadium and the local recreation center, and delivers mulch for the Cougar Boosters program.
