From left: Jimena Sainz (3rd place), Esmeralda Mojica Orozco (5th place), Anisaa Abdullah (1st place), Kennedy Davis (2nd place), Josephine Okunlade (4th place)
Dedicated to cultivating local women leaders who serve our community across myriad causes, Junior League of Dallas (JLD) is one of the largest Junior League organizations in the world. On March 28, JLD hosted the 13th annual Women LEAD Speech Competition and Awards Ceremony at its headquarters on Inwood Road at Lovers Lane. The event gathered ten finalists from Dallas-area high schools to present original speeches based on a prompt: “Share a time in your lives when you encountered a challenge, what you learned, and how you overcame that personal obstacle to become the leader you are today.”
The 2026 Women LEAD finalists included Aide Castelan, Kiara Jefferson, and Jimena Sainz from Thomas Jefferson High School, and Anisaa Abdullah, Arezoo Baqiri, Kennedy Davis, Isabel Franco, Jocelynn Martinez, Josephine Okunlade, and Esmeralda Mojica Orozco from Emmett J. Conrad High School. Each was selected following a rigorous application process which required students to have at least a 3.0 GPA, plans to attend a two- or four-year accredited college, university, or vocational school, and a record of service to their school and community.
Women LEAD Committee: Robyne Jones, Ashley Early, Connie Chea, Bianca Teer, Christina Conway, Jessica Shipp, Dorothy Jones, Ana Elie, Crystian Lloyd, Cierra Carter, Samantha Barakat
This year’s judges included Tiffanie Rice, vice president and regional external affairs manager at Comerica Bank; Dulari Mehta, social impact manager at Hilti; Calvert Collins-Bratton, chief relationship officer at Communities Foundation of Texas; and Ashley O’Neill, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas director of development. Jessica Shipp served as Project Chair, and JLD President, Dr. Lindsay Davis, emceed the event.
“The dedication, curiosity, and determination these young women have shown throughout the Women LEAD program has been genuinely inspiring,” said Davis. “Since I have spent my career in higher education, I see every day how transformative a scholarship can be, not just financially but in the confidence and opportunity it creates. As these remarkable students begin their college journeys, we are incredibly proud to support them and excited to see the impact they will make.”
After careful deliberation, the judges announced Anissa Abdullah from Emmett J. Conrad High School as first place winner; she will receive a $15,000 scholarship. Second place winner Kennedy Davis received a $10,000 scholarship, and third place winner Jimena Sainz received a $5,000 scholarship. Additional places four and five, as well as honorable mentions, allowed each speaker to receive a scholarship. All finalists also received a laptop, courtesy of Hilti North America.
In total, JLD provides 100,000 hours of volunteer service and more than $1 million in funding to area nonprofits each year. For more information, visit www.jldallas.org.
