Empowering Women as Leaders was the vision of Carolyn Bondy, who has an extraordinary passion to leave a legacy for women who are financially unable to complete their college educations. She also has a strong desire to demonstrate that one woman with a dream can make a difference.
Carolyn’s dream was to provide scholarships to 50 women by the time she was 80. Within twelve years that goal was exceeded, and new goals have been established in order to touch more women’s lives. Those new goals are to establish EWL Chapters throughout the US and to grant 250 scholarships.
Carolyn’s motivation comes from her roots in East Texas. Carolyn grew up in Beaumont, Texas, raised by a supportive and loving family. Her parents wanted her to go to college. Unfortunately, at age 19, she got married and by age 25, she admitted to her parents that she had made a terrible mistake and was getting a divorce.
At that time, Carolyn’s parents suggested that she move back home to go to college and that they would pay for her education. That was a major turning point in Carolyn’s life. It took her seven years to complete college, but at age 32 she graduated from Lamar University with a 3.7 GPA and a job offer from Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas. With education and a desire to achieve, Carolyn’s career excelled through the years. She later worked for Sabre Airline Solutions where within seven short years she rose to the position of Vice President.
As Carolyn approached age 50, she began to reflect on her life and what she could do to leave a legacy and to make a difference. She wanted to give back and give other women the second chance her parents gave to her.
After considerable research, in October 2004 Carolyn founded EWL with nine other women, all from the corporate world and all who shared her desire to help other women achieve. They met with the Dean of Texas Woman’s University and told him of their newly established 501(C)3. He was so impressed that he helped EWL establish our STAR program that continues to this day.
