Commission on the Status of Women to Honor Local Women at Women’s Achievement Celebration

The Commission on the Status of Women proudly celebrates the outstanding women shaping Bloomington with the 2026  Women’s Achievement Awards. The ceremony recognizes female leaders making a difference in education, community leadership, youth empowerment, and advocacy. These honorees will be recognized at the Women’s History Month Luncheon on Wednesday, March 25, at the Monroe Convention Center.

Woman of the Year: Dr. Kirstin Milks

Dr. Kirstin Milks teaches AP Biology and introductory science at Bloomington High School South, where she also serves as a STEM team coach and mentor.

Dr. Milks has helped support nearly a generation of Bloomington's high schoolers as they change the world through science, including the seven young women named 2025 National Winners in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM innovation competition, whose project was featured at the 2026 Winter Olympics.  Dr. Milks also currently serves as head coach of Bloomington South's Science Olympiad team, where she and her volunteer coaching staff create welcoming, high-access extracurricular opportunities in STEM.

When she's not at school, Dr. Milks is an enthusiastic Girl Scout volunteer. She loves leading an intentionally inclusive multiage troop, trying new things at summer camp, and coordinating adult volunteers in Monroe and Owen counties as a Service Unit Manager. In 2024, she was named Girl Scouts of Central Indiana's Leader of the Year.

Toby Strout Lifetime Contribution: Cindy Chavez

Cindy Chavez was the Girl Scout Leader of troop 69-279 that started Pantry 279 on Nov 2, 2015, after two years of research, other pantry visits, and LOTS of cookie money. Originally intended to feed around 35 families a week, Pantry 279 has experienced explosive growth over the past decade, currently feeding over 11,000 people each month from 39 counties.

In addition to being the Executive Director of Pantry 279, Cindy wears many hats as a mom of four, a wife, Head Elf during the ELF Dispatch Christmas program, and a new grandmother.

She believes everyone deserves food, kindness, and dignity, and works hard to provide them to all who patronize Pantry 279.

Young Woman of the Year: Ayla Sohrabi-Nia

Ayla Sohrabi-Nia is a senior at Bloomington High School North (BHSN), and is passionate about community service and giving back to her community. Ayla is an intern at Amplify Bloomington, co-president of Project Middle Way, president of BHSN Habitat for Humanity Club, president of BHSN Cougar Care Meals, and co-president of her graduating class. She plans to study Informatics at Indiana University in the fall.

Tickets for the Women’s History Month Luncheon are available at bton.in/WHM2026 until March 17, 2026. Individual tickets are $45, and a reservation for a table of eight with preferred seating is $425.

For more information, please contact Marissa Parr-Scott at [email protected] or 812-349-3468.