2023 Phenomenal Woman Of The Year Recipient
Racquel henderson
Racquel Henderson was born and raised in North Omaha, a proud mother of two, a mentor to many, and a strong advocate for personal, career, and educational growth and development.
Racquel Henderson has spent more than 10 years serving her community by providing second chances in reentry programs and uplifting youth in higher education opportunities. Racquel currently serves as the Pathway Coordinator for the Walter Scott Jr. Career Pathway Scholarship at Metropolitan Community College where she works with the Walter Scott Scholars while focusing on the retention of first-generation and underrepresented students by providing intrusive academic support and guidance while guiding them to Career Placement. Racquel also serves as the employment and education coordinator for Black and Pink — the nation's largest prison abolitionist organization. Additionally, Racquel works with the TerraLuna Collaborative on the Lived Experience Project which seeks to assist youth and families who have been impacted by the juvenile justice system in providing resources and workshops that facilitate healing with a focus on gathering their voices and stories. Racquel serves as a mentor for Sacred Heart School where she works to improve academic achievement, self-esteem, social competence and avoidance of problem/high-risk behavior by providing a relationship with youth.
Racquel is a 2023 ICAN Women Leadership Award Recipient, 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fulfill the Dream Award Recipient, 2022 Own the Pond Big Fish Award Recipient, a 2022 Community Focused Award Recipient, a 2021 Greater Omaha Chamber Changemaker Award Recipient, a 2021 Ten Outstanding Young Omahan Award Recipient, 2018 Young Professional of the Year Urban League of Nebraska Award Recipient, a 2017 Young Black and Influential Award recipient, a 2018 MORE Women Award Recipient, and Founder of #TheBeProject — a movement based on bringing awareness to various jobs and resources to community members. Racquel most recently completed a fellowship with the Youth Justice Leadership Institute and was inducted into Women’s Fund Circles 9, where she looks forward to growing personally and professionally while assisting in improving the lives of women and girls in the community.
Join us in congratulating and honoring Racquel for the amazing work that she has done and continues to do within the Omaha Community! Racquel is also a part of our amazing, dynamic 2023 Phenomenal Woman Conference Speaker lineup and will be presenting an amazing breakout session at the conference titled: From Surviving To Thriving!
2023 Phenomenal Woman Game Changer Award Recipient
Jackie Alba
Jackie has been described by those closest to her as a catalyst for change in the Greater Omaha Community. Jackie is an Omaha native and is currently serving as the Senior Outreach Coordinator for the Nebraska Oxford House, a peer-run, substance-free housing program for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.
Jackie puts in countless hours of mentorship for others in the community because she has personally experienced how one person can make a life-changing impact on another. Before Jackie became a mentor, she had her own mentors that played very important and critical roles in her life and she faced her own personal challenges and hurdles with the very thing she now mentors others on. As a public servant in the nonprofit world of addiction recovery for more than seven years, Jackie has become a well-known advocate and inspiration in the sober community. She's a certified recovery coach and certified peer support through the National Association of Addiction Professionals.
In 2018, Jackie was received the Community Star Award from the Heartland Family Services Prevention Means program and has been recognized nationally, winning the Reggie Midget Award from Oxford House Inc. for starting the first ever Oxford Houses in South Dakota. Jackie's story is a true testament to turning trauma into triumph. Her resiliency and perseverance has given her the tools to become a game changer for those she comes in contact with throughout the community.
Join us in congratulating and honoring Jackie for the amazing work that she has done and continues to do within the Omaha Community!
2023 Phenomenal Woman Inspiration Award Recipients
Dr. Marquisha Frost
Dr. Marquisha Frost is an ambitious and creative woman, wife, mother, and agent of change. Her journey started a few decades ago, in Omaha, Nebraska, born to a teen mom and raised on the north side of Omaha where she spent her formative years alongside her two siblings.
Dr. Frost is a two-time University of Nebraska at Omaha alumnus. She has a B.A. in Multidisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Black Studies, a M.S. in Counseling with an endorsement in Mental Health and Student Affairs, a M.A. in Education, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Claremont Graduate University. Currently, Dr. Frost serves as the Vice President of Strategic Engagement at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and serves as a Graduate Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in the Counseling Program. Further, she manages her own consultancy, Marquisha&Co., which offers life-coaching and counseling services for those aspiring to lead happier, healthier, and more balanced lives. An extension of Marquisha&Co., The Sanctuary Collective, serves as a paid, members-only, refuge for women working collaboratively to push, pray, and prepare for the life they’re manifesting.
Dr. Frost has received countless awards and honors for her work, both professional and charitable to include: Who’s Who Among Professionals (2022), Young Professional of the Year Award (2021), Winifred-Hausam Fisk Award for Excellence in Higher Education (2020), and Professional Achievement Award (2019).
When she’s not working in official capacities, she enjoys spending time with family, particularly her three children: Ma’Kye, Myles, and Delaney, who are known to be her greatest inspiration, joy, and accomplishments to date, mentoring young women, serving her church, Hope and Refuge Ministries Inc., and pouring into others. She is a lover of alignment, and woman of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
Join us in congratulating and honoring Dr. Frost for the amazing work that she has done and continues to do within the Omaha Community! Dr. Marquisha Frost will join the 2023 Phenomenal Woman Conference as our special Awards Luncheon Keynote!
SAndy Spady
Sandy Spady is the Founder/CEO of Power Up Your Business and Live, a Professional Leadership Coaching where she leans into her 30+ years of experience building teams and inspiring leaders, to quickly and intuitively identify where organizations can improve, and strategically build a roadmap to help them produce results.
A pillar in the Omaha community and an advocate for women, Sandy founded Women With Voices an Omaha-based empowerment and networking group that gives women a platform to share stories of overcoming their toughest challenges and sharing their greatest successes and empower others.
Sandy is described as a woman who inspires and lifts other women, who inspires women to speak their truth while promoting camaraderie and providing a safe space for women to share and connect. Her love for community can be seen in the many endeavors that she continues selflessly give to. Most recently she said "yes" to Omaha's "Dance For A Chance" fundraiser in which she helped raise $10,000 for Omaha's homeless youth. Sandy is also instrumental in creating awareness about the practice and prevalence of sex trafficking, helping to give a voice to the voiceless.
Join us in congratulating and honoring Sandy for the amazing work that she has done and continues to do within the Omaha Community!
2023 Phenomenal Woman Rising Star Award Recipients
LEa Hanson
Lea Hanson is a junior at Harry A. Burke High School. Lea always wanted to be an Educator and quickly became a young lady who embraced her self-worth, self-esteem, and self-confidence while creating a clear vision at an early age. While in middle school, she took it upon herself to reach out to educators and administrators, letting them know of her plans to become an educator. She took the information she gathered from those individuals and created a blueprint for how she planned to make the most of high school and use it to catapult her into her dreams. Upon entering high school, she jumped into Educators Rising, where she is learning teaching techniques and getting clinical experience as an accomplished teacher before college while also learning how to become an advocate for education.
Being intentional is a part of Lea's character! She carrying several AP classes while maintaining over a 4.0 GPA, taking dual-enrollment classes for college credit, participates on the Student Council, plays on the Burke Girls Volleyball team, and has applied for the Congressman's Youth Advisory Academy. She has been described by seasoned educators and administrators as someone who is not afraid to stand firm in what she believes in, advocate for others and someone whom other students admire and look up to. She has also been described as having passion and teaching skills that far surpass her years which allows her to be an impactful and engaging educator even while still in high school. Her passion for education has given her the platform to become a well respected mentor and tutor for students around her. She is quoted as being "what we are hoping to get from our future educators. She has already reached a place that many educators fail to reach in their careers. A rising star indeed that is much needed in our schools."
Join us in congratulating and honoring Lea for the amazing work that she has done and continues to do as she continues to rise and soar!
Ryleigh Eckles
Ryleigh Eckles is a student at Millard North High School, who will be entering her senior year Fall 2023. A young lady who embraced her self-worth, self-esteem and self-confidence, while creating a clear vision at an early age, Ryleigh found her passion and jumped in with both feet! Inspired by her father, Nathan Eckles, she followed his footsteps into real estate investment and learned the ins and outs of the business.
At the age of 14, she spoke in front of 150 local real estate investors about how to get your kids into real estate. After having been seen on the Facebook stream of her presentation, she was invited to give that same presentation to 700 investors from around the country in Orlando, at a national conference - Flip Hacking Live. She has appeared on six national real estate podcasts and was featured in Omaha Magazine about her career path choice.
At the age of 16, she took on a major project and successfully flipped her first house! While her dad had to sign all the legal documentation (due to her age), Ryleigh did the hard work of finding the house, finding the money to purchase and rehab the house, negotiating with a contractor to do the work, picked out the finishes and made the decisions about what to fix and what to leave based on expected return on investment. A savvy entrepreneur, she also excels as a student managing a heavy load of classes and fulfilling her duties as team captain on the girls wrestling team!
Join us in congratulating and honoring Ryleigh for the amazing work that she has done and continues to do as she continues to rise and soar!
Phenomenal Woman Award Categories
Phenomenal Woman Rising Star
Phenomenal woman game changer
Phenomenal Woman Rising Star
The Phenomenal Woman Rising Star Award recognizes a high-school aged girl who is a phenomenal woman in the making! She has learned how to embrace and address her self-worth, self-esteem, self-confidence and create a clear vision of herself. The recipient of this award will have a proven record of personal growth, challenging the status quo, and success in her own right.
Phenomenal Woman Inspiration
Phenomenal woman game changer
Phenomenal Woman Rising Star
The Phenomenal Woman Inspiration Award recognizes a woman who is a bold and courageous leader whom others choose to emulate. She exemplifies confidence and inspires others to walk boldly in who they are. The recipient of this award will have a proven record of personal growth, success and influence in her profession, her community, and those around her.
Phenomenal woman game changer
Phenomenal woman game changer
Phenomenal woman game changer
The Phenomenal Woman Game Changer Award recognizes a woman who is comfortable stepping out and breaking the mold. She exemplifies moving beyond the status quo and forging unchartered territories. The recipient of this award will have a proven record of stepping out of her comfort zone, breaking barriers, and pushing forth positive change that have influenced her profession, her community, and those around her.