BY KAREN BOSSICK
A Wood River Valley woman has been named one of NewsNation’s “Remarkable Women of 2026” for making positive change in her community.
Sonya Wilander, who founded MSCL, or Men’s Second Chance Living, was one of 125 “everyday women” nominated for their selflessness, accomplishments and community impact.
She is in Nashville today, having received an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to Music City, a $1,000 donation for her nonprofit organization and the potential opportunity for a feature on the TV stations The CW and News Nation.
Five regional finalists will also receive an additional $5,000 each for their chosen charity, plus a $125,000 media package to promote their charity. And one woman will be crowned the “Remarkable Woman of the Year,” earning $25,000 for her preferred nonprofit plus a a$125,000 media package for the charity.
“I was honored to be picked, and I think it is great publicity for our town and the work I do for Men’s Second Chance Living,” said Wilander.
Sonya Wilander was praised by NewsNation for having transformed reentry support in Blaine County by founding Men’s Second Chance Living. After seeing men cycle back into jail due to a lack of stable housing, she opened the valley’s first sober living home in 2018, creating a safe structured environment for recovery that includes financial literacy classes, health care access, educational and job support and sober recreation.
The men are also encouraged to volunteer with community events, such as the Turkey Trot.
The group, which has served more than a hundred men, has grown to two homes and two transitional apartments
“Her hands-on mentorship and unwavering belief in second chances help residents rebuild family relationships, achieve stability and reclaim their lives,” NewsNation said.
Other nominees spotlighted by NewsNation incude a Seattle woman who provides equine-assisted therapy at Horses Guiding Humans; a Baltimore woman who trains professionals in therapeutic interventions that support well-being for older adults, and a Jacksonville, Fla., woman who serves at weekly Masses and funerals, cooks for parish events, delivers communion to the sick and works at the food pantry in her Catholic parish.
Others include a Boston maternal-infant care professional; a West Palm Beach, Fla., woman who started a nonprofit providing medical equipment, financial support and education to families facing asthma and allergies after losing her daughter to an undiagnosed asthma attack; a Spokane woman who teaches students with severe medical or emotional challenges in their homes; an Atlanta woman who is building a sober-community app, and a Tupelo, Miss., woman who provides an inclusive classroom, while collaborating with families and specialists to ensure their academic and emotional growth.