Quarter 4: HerStory in Action
Written by : Yumi Willett
On October 18, 2025, the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) held its Fourth Quarter HerStory Award in Action celebration, honoring three phenomenal women leaders whose journeys exemplify resilience, compassion, and collaborative spirit. These remarkable awardees have demonstrated unwavering commitment to creating transformative change within their communities and professional fields, inspiring others through their leadership and dedication to peace-building and empowerment. The event was warmly hosted by Adia Lancaster, Marketing Manager for WFWP-GWPN, who graciously welcomed all attendees and set a tone of celebration and inspiration.
Dr. Katarina Connery, President of WFWP USA, was then introduced and delivered a heartfelt address congratulating the awardees. In her remarks, she quoted Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Co-Founder of WFWP: “The world of the future can be a world of reconciliation and peace, but only if it is based on the maternal love and affection of women.” Reflecting on the current state of the world, Dr. Connery acknowledged the prevalence of divisive thinking and actions that can leave us feeling disheartened. She reminded everyone that it is precisely the maternal love within women—a love that nurtures, listens, and uplifts—that has the power to unite, heal, and transform. She explained that the HerStory Award honors the stories of women whose hearts, love, and transformative impact often go unrecognized, encouraging them to continue being change-makers.
Following these remarks, the awardees were introduced by their nominators and invited to share their stories.
The first speaker, Peggy O’Neill—an award-winning speaker, author, and coach—opened by sharing the profound personal challenges she faced growing up. Standing at just three feet tall, she often received messages that “something was wrong” with her. Over time, Peggy realized a powerful truth: we can only love others when we truly learn to love ourselves. Through self-acceptance, she explained, we can navigate life’s challenges, allowing our inner light to shine and inspire the world around us.
Peggy reflected on the difficulties her parents faced in coming to terms with having another short-statured child and the challenges of school, where peers often made her feel excluded. Later, while pursuing her second college degree in commercial photography, she encountered both triumph and heartbreak. Despite excelling in her studies—even mastering a large field camera—a newly appointed dean told her that, although she had succeeded academically, “in the real world, no one would hire her because she was a little person.” Peggy internalized these words, which made her path forward incredibly difficult. She went through a searching phase, learning to overcome her inner critical voice and embracing her identity as an expression of divine intelligence. Today, her mission is to encourage others to discover their true selves, emphasizing that every person is precious, beautiful, and valuable, and that embracing this truth allows one’s inner light to shine and positively impact the world.
Following Peggy’s inspiring journey, Inga Faison-Cavitt, CEO and founder of IngaFay UnPlugged LLC shared her story. Inga discussed the FIO Approach and reflected on her experience as a freshman engineering student navigating notoriously difficult “weed-out” classes. Realizing she wasn’t performing as well as she wanted, she sought out a study group. By attending all classes together and supporting each other, the group successfully graduated. After graduation, jobs were scarce, so she pursued a master’s degree, which eventually allowed her to work for a Fortune 500 company and earn her professional engineering license. Inga emphasized that taking action doesn’t always mean immediate success—sometimes you “suck at it.” Failures, she explained, are critical learning experiences that build confidence and mastery over time.
Inga shared a personal story of when her husband was hospitalized for six weeks. During that time, her church family supported them in unexpected ways, demonstrating the power of collaboration and relationship-building. During the 2020 pandemic, she was let go from her job, which fueled her desire to become a full-time entrepreneur. With in-person networking largely unavailable, she learned to network virtually, gaining confidence in presenting herself—even as an introvert. Her goal became creating a platform for female entrepreneurs—especially introverts—helping them step out of their comfort zones while supporting others in scaling their businesses. She concluded by reminding the audience that they have what it takes to grow their business and go the extra mile, and that everything happening in their lives is happening for them, not to them.
Finally, Carol Witt, Founder of Young Entrepreneurs Alliance (Y.E.A) Global, reflected on her 30-year journey as an entrepreneur. In the beginning, she had limited resources and often felt like quitting. However, because she didn’t quit, her dream of creating a space where entrepreneurs could thrive became a reality. Her mother’s words guided her throughout the journey: “Quitting is not an option, and when quitting is not an option, you look for the next action to take.” Carol emphasized, “The juice of life is finding and living your passion and having that drive guide you.” Today, she loves her life and cherishes the opportunity to empower many students. She often asks them, “Where is the richest place on the planet?” The answer, she explains, is the cemetery—because so many ideas never came to fruition. “We should not make the cemetery any richer,” she said, inspiring everyone to pursue their dreams and find a supportive community to motivate them toward success. With a vision of empowering one million people, she admitted that her knees shake at the thought of her goals. “If your knees don’t shake when you think of your goals and dreams, then your dreams and goals are not big enough,” she reminded the audience, encouraging them to aim higher and pursue their passions fearlessly.
The Fourth Quarter HerStory Award celebrated women whose courage, resilience, and vision inspire change. Peggy O’Neill, Inga Faison-Cavitt, and Carol Witt showed that self-belief, collaboration, and perseverance can turn challenges into triumphs. Their stories remind us that when women lead with heart and purpose, they transform not only their own lives but the world around them. We celebrate these three remarkable women for sharing their journeys and inspiring us all.