Elizabeth Contreras, joined by Principal Brown and Mr.Tanaka, is honored for being the Soroptimist International Young Woman of the Month for October. Photo courtesy of Soroptimist International of Dixon

DIXON, CA (MPG) - Elizabeth Contreras is Soroptimist International Dixon’s Young Woman of the Month. She was nominated by Ryan Nguyen, an English teacher at Dixon High School. Mr. Nguyen attended our celebration event along with Principal Angela Brown. 

“Elizabeth is a remarkable woman with a remarkable background,” Nguyen said. “She brings a light and positivity to every place that she is in and she lifts others around her up in small interactions and in large interactions. She is a pleasure and a joy to be with.”

Contreras is the daughter of Juan Contreras and Elizabeth Moreno. Contreras has two brothers, Juan Jose and Miguel and a sister Sheila.

Contreras moved to Dixon five years ago from La Garita, Mexico and started attending Dixon High School as a Freshman. She is proud of learning to speak English through school, and in ELD.  She is most proud, however, of her parents; because her parents wanted to give their children as much as possible, they made the decision to move to the United States. Contreras is proud of the fact that her parents sacrificed so much for her and her siblings, so much so, that she dedicated her award to her mother. 

According to Contreras, her mother is the “hardest working and strongest woman she will ever meet.” Her mother is her role model.  

Contreras expressed that being awarded Young Woman of the Month guarantees that she is on the right path to fulfill one of her dreams – to be a great woman. Her mother never attended high school, but always had the desire, intelligence, and mental strength needed to pursue a career. The dream of studying lives inside of her. Her mom now goes to school in the afternoons to learn English. By helping other students learn English, Contreras uses her mother as an example of how to follow one's dreams.

Contrera’s contributions to her school include helping with the school garden by planting flowers and maintaining the garden to beautify the school. She participates in floral design through FFA at school along with helping other students to learn English.

Contreras has discovered that her Ag Mechanics class and her teacher, Mr. Tanaka, have had an impact on her in a way she hadn’t expected. It has prepared her for life. This last year she created a system for a sprinkler and entered it into a competition at Dixon May Fair and earned second place. That class helped her earn awards in agriculture classes and AG Mechanics recognition as well.

Contreras’s hobbies include spending time with her family and writing stories in Spanish.

Contrera’s future plans are to attend CSU Sacramento and get into the nursing program with a focus on dermatology.

After listening to Elizabeth Contreras, it is very clear that she doesn’t take anything for granted. She is hard-working and appreciative of all that the world offers. We wish you, Elizabeth, the best in the next steps of your life. You are an amazing young woman.