Congratulations to Lincoln's 'Women of Substance' Winner!

–Submitted by Lutera Jenkins, Fredricksburg, Va.
I cannot even begin to list the wonderful things that Durussia Jenkins has done in her lifetime. From an early age, Dee has been tested to prove her worth and courage. For most people birth into this world is a joyous occasion, while for Durussia it was a fight, as the doctor believed her to be and had convinced her mother that she was a tumor not human. So you can see how a natural fight from an early age developed in this wonderful woman. I can clearly remember the story of her birth recounted often, with the special details of her shooting out of her mother’s womb feet first like a bullet. And since that day she has been shooting across this planet with an unstoppable force and unfaltering dedication to do and achieve something good. Durussia is the ultimate jack of all trades, imbued with so many talents one cannot see where one ends and another begins. She is an ordained minister of the gospel who has dedicated her life to seeing people well and changed. She is also an artist with a similar mission to provide the world with a snapshot of beauty seen through a different set of eyes and perspective. For years she successfully ran an interior decorating business and worked as a labor and delivery nurse. But her true heart is in seeing children loved and nurtured. She has written several children’s novels and works with different children’s organizations across the world, from an orphanage in Mexico to a school in Africa. If anyone deserves to be recognized for her unwavering dedication to others, it is Durussia.

The Lincoln 'Women of Substance' Essay Contest is now closed. Thank you for your entries and congratulations to our winner!