2022 De Mujer a Mujer Award Recipients: EliAnna Bermudez, Edna Garcia-Dipini and Rosa Julia Parra

On June 9, the 4th Annual De Mujer a Mujer Awards brought women and men together to celebrate the accomplishments of three impactful women in the Greater Reading area.

L to R: EliAnna Bermudez, Rosa Julia Parra, Edna Garcia-Dipini

Recipient EliAnna Bermudez is a freshman nursing student at Messiah University who graduated from Oley Valley High School in June. She was nominated for the award by Christi Terefenko, Executive Director of VOiCEup Berks/Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading. EliAnna’s passion for equity and justice helped propel the Stand Together Against Racism (STAR) project from a county-wide initiative to a budding national youth movement. In her role as a STAR leader, she led discussions about equity and diversity with her peers in Berks County as well as with students from other YVC groups across the country. EliAnna even arranged for US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Monica Rainge, to speak to students at a monthly STAR meeting about her career as an African American female civil rights attorney. Recipient Edna Garcia-Dipini is the CEO and Founder of RIZE, a youth-focused arts nonprofit that plans events and programs centered around dealing with children and nonviolence. She was nominated for the award by RIZE Board Member Diana Singh. Edna’s work often goes beyond the boundaries of Berks County and in 2020, she was part of the Reading Cares group who travelled to Puerto Rico to assist victims of the earthquakes. Locally, during National Youth Violence Prevention Week, Edna organized a walk called BERKS4PEACE, which hosted over 300 walkers from the City of Reading and surrounding areas for a walk to the Peace Dove in City Park. Recipient Rosa Julia Parra is CEO, Editor and Founder of Palo Magazine, a bilingual publication aiming to bridge the gap between local English and Spanish language speakers. Rosa has produced Palo Magazine for over 12 years and it remains the only bilingual magazine in our area. Additionally, she also gives back to communities beyond the Berks borders. In 2018 she helped to collect funds for Hurricane Maria victims, and in 2020, she helped victims in Puerto Rico after the earthquakes as part of the Reading Cares group.