Jill Entis, RECIPIENT OF THE 2008 ZIG AWARD

NOMINATOR'S STATEMENT
I have known Jill for over twenty years and have admired her ability to cope in difficult situations while also maintaining a sense of humor and her compassion towards others. In the 1990s Jill was a single mom in New York City. She worked in the art field, but was unable to make enough money to sustain her life with her daughter. With great effort and stamina Jill managed to put herself through school and earned a social work degree. Since then Jill has been working successfully as a therapist.  When Jill’s daughter Emma was still a very young child Jill discovered and fell in love with Vermont, and decided that it would be a better place to raise Emma. With several years of careful financial and career planning and figuring Jill and Emma eventually moved up to a beautiful cottage near the banks of Lake Champlain. Emma is now college age and Jill has been working long hours as a therapist to sustain their good life and to ensure that Emma can go to school without running up huge loan debts. Jill’s commitment to her daughter, her steadfast and tenacious pursuit of what she feels is best for her and her family and her ability to adjust to the expected and unexpected rigors of life make her an excellent Zig award candidate. Jill was also, for me, part of the reason for my own return to school later in life to pursue a social work degree.  I am very grateful for her inspiring example.

2007 The Zig Award Recipient

2006 The Zig Award Recipient

2005 The Zig Award Recipient

2004 The Zig Award Recipient