Bloomington, Indiana – In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Commission on the Status of Women will soon gather community members to celebrate a group of local leaders whose work has left a lasting mark on Bloomington. The 2026 Women’s Achievement Awards will spotlight women whose dedication spans classrooms, food pantries, youth organizations, and service initiatives across the city.
The honorees will be formally recognized during the Women’s History Month Luncheon on Wednesday, March 25, at the Monroe Convention Center. The annual event highlights women who lead not for recognition, but because they believe their communities can be stronger, fairer, and more inclusive.
This year’s Woman of the Year is Dr. Kirstin Milks, a longtime educator at Bloomington High School South. Dr. Milks teaches Advanced Placement Biology and introductory science courses while also serving as a STEM team coach and mentor. Over the years, she has guided nearly a generation of students through hands-on science learning, encouraging them to see research and innovation as tools for real-world change.
Her impact recently reached a national stage. Seven young women mentored through her STEM programming were named 2025 National Winners in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM innovation competition.
Their project was later featured at the 2026 Winter Olympics, underscoring the reach of student-led innovation rooted in Bloomington classrooms. Dr. Milks also leads Bloomington South’s Science Olympiad team, working alongside volunteer coaches to ensure STEM activities remain welcoming and accessible to a broad range of students.
Outside the classroom, she devotes her time to Girl Scouts. She leads a multiage troop designed to be intentionally inclusive and serves as a Service Unit Manager coordinating adult volunteers across Monroe and Owen counties. In 2024, she was named Girl Scouts of Central Indiana’s Leader of the Year.
The Toby Strout Lifetime Contribution Award will be presented to Cindy Chavez, whose decade-long commitment to fighting food insecurity has transformed countless lives. As a Girl Scout leader, Chavez helped launch Pantry 279 on November 2, 2015, following two years of research and visits to other pantries. What began as a project aimed at assisting about 35 families each week has grown dramatically.
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Today, Pantry 279 serves more than 11,000 people every month across 39 counties. Chavez, now the organization’s Executive Director, continues to guide its expansion while balancing family life as a mother of four, a wife, and a new grandmother. She also leads the ELF Dispatch Christmas program. At the heart of her work is a simple belief: everyone deserves access to food, dignity, and kindness.
The Young Woman of the Year honor will go to Ayla Sohrabi-Nia, a senior at Bloomington High School North. Ayla has built a strong record of leadership and service during her high school years. She interns at Amplify Bloomington and holds leadership roles in multiple student organizations, including serving as co-president of Project Middle Way, president of the 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 this fall.
Tickets for the luncheon are available through March 17, 2026, at this link. Individual tickets cost $45, while a reserved table for eight with preferred seating is $425. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Marissa Parr-Scott at [email protected] or 812-349-3468.
