Meet The Honorees

Bette LaPenta is a woman whose life reflects extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and resilience. In her early years, Bette endured severe physical and emotional abuse in her first two marriages.

Overcoming sexual assault for me has been a journey no human should endure. When it comes to being an overcomer it is not just losing my virginity at fourteen years old to a grown man who groomed me, stocked me, introduced porn to me and instilled fear into me. 

“I was planted, not buried. And now, I’m growing, blooming, and helping others do the same.”
There are stories that shake you. Stories that lift you.
And some, like Lynn Harvey’s, do both.

My name is China McClellan , I was born and raised in the Philippines, where I learned early the values of resilience, humility, and family. I later moved to the United States, bringing with me not only her cultural roots but also y faith and a deep sense of purpose shaped by my life experiences.

Traci Klein’s story is one of darkness transformed through restoration in Christ. From her earliest memories, her childhood was marked by betrayal and abuse. She was sexually abused and exploited by her father, the person she should have been safest with.

Shantisha Williams was born in Landover, Maryland, and raised in a military family which instilled in her a deep sense of service and resilience. Shantisha has been married to David Williams, Jr. (USMC, RET) for 25 years. They have six children and 4 grandchildren.