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NEWPORT — Soroptimist International of Newport named Danielle Waggoner as the recipient of the 2026 Live Your Dream Award: Education and Training Award for Women.
The award recognizes women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families and are working to improve their lives through additional education and skills training.
Waggoner’s journey reflects determination, compassion, and a deep commitment to serving others through healthcare. After earning her high school diploma through an alternative education program, she discovered her passion for patient care while completing a medical assistant program. That experience inspired her to pursue nursing and a career dedicated to supporting patients and families.
Waggoner relocated to northern Idaho to attend North Idaho College where she graduated with honors. She has since built a meaningful nursing career that has taken her into complex and demanding healthcare environments, including serving a community recovering from a devastating Category 5 hurricane. These experiences strengthened her skills in crisis response, interdisciplinary teamwork, and providing compassionate care in challenging circumstances.
As both a healthcare professional and a mother, Waggoner is passionate about improving resources for children and families navigating autism and behavioral health challenges. She plans to continue her education to become a Nurse Practitioner, with the long-term goal of establishing a resource center in northern Idaho—ideally in Bonner County—that will provide comprehensive support for autism, behavior management, and adolescent mental health.
Waggoner will receive a $1,000 cash award from the Newport club and will advance to the regional level of competition through Soroptimist International of the Americas, where recipients may receive additional funding.
Waggoner says she carries a small reminder of confidence into her work each day.
“My secret superpower is my superhero socks,” she said. “They peek out from under my scrubs and remind me that I can face whatever the day brings and be the best nurse I can be.”
Founded in 1946, Soroptimist International of Newport serves the Pend Oreille Valley area and is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas, a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment.
For more information about the Live Your Dream Award or the Soroptimist of Newport club, visit www.siofnewport.com.
