The Bradford Branch of the American Association of University Women marked a milestone anniversary in a lively gathering that brought members, award recipients and guests together to celebrate a century-plus of service. President Isabella Champlin opened the program in Bradford and paid tribute to the branch’s long record of civic engagement. Holly Spittler handed the AAUW Bradford Branch Outstanding Woman Award to Faye Parisella, spotlighting dedicated local leadership and a year of steady growth.
The room buzzed with appreciation for the branch’s work in education and equal opportunity, as people from across the community came to recognize contributions large and small. Conversations ranged from program highlights to plans for outreach and fundraising, all threaded by a shared passion for impact. The anniversary felt less like a look back and more like a springboard for new projects and partnerships.
Isabella Champlin’s remarks threaded tradition with urgency, reminding listeners that legacy only matters when it’s paired with action. She acknowledged volunteers, committee chairs and longtime members who keep the branch’s engine running. Those remarks set the tone for an evening focused on recognition and renewal rather than nostalgia.
Holly Spittler presented the highlight of the evening, the AAUW Bradford Branch Outstanding Woman Award, to Faye Parisella. The award recognizes a member for meritorious service to the branch… and in Parisella’s case it honored years of steady commitment to programs, events and mentorship. The presentation emphasized how consistent, often behind-the-scenes work builds the kind of community impact people notice when it’s time to celebrate.
Faye Parisella accepted the award with modesty, taking time to credit volunteers and younger members who have stepped up in recent seasons. Her efforts have been a reminder that effective local work is rarely flashy; it is organized, patient and aimed at creating opportunities for others. Those qualities were reflected in the projects she helped shepherd and in the small, practical improvements to how the branch runs programs.
The Bradford Branch’s 110th year has been marked by a focus on advocacy and tangible community service, from literacy initiatives to support for educational pathways. Members pushed initiatives that aim to remove barriers to learning and lift up local women and girls through scholarships and mentoring. These efforts mirror AAUW’s broader mission, but the local tone is distinctly practical and person-to-person.
Program leaders described how they are forging partnerships with schools, libraries and other nonprofits to scale programs without losing local flavor. That pragmatic collaboration lets small groups do big things by leveraging trusted relationships and shared resources. Attendees described these alliances as one of the clearest signs of the branch’s adaptability and relevance after more than a century.
Recognition nights like this do more than hand out trophies; they make service visible and contagious, encouraging newer members to take on roles they might otherwise hesitate to try. Multiple guests said they left the event inspired to volunteer or to propose new local programs, and several attendees exchanged ideas about next season’s calendar. That ripple effect is exactly what the Bradford Branch aims for when it invests in people as much as projects.
Looking ahead, the branch plans to keep building programs that marry advocacy with practical support, while inviting fresh voices into leadership roles. There was clear interest in expanding outreach and diversifying funding streams to keep the work sustainable. For now, the anniversary celebration stood as a public thank-you to members like Faye Parisella and a prompt to keep doing the steady work that powers community change.
