What is your passion?
People and culture together are my passions. Culture helps build bridges between people and makes us realize we are better collectively than individually. People bring diversity of thoughts, intensity of passions and an innate desire for progress.
Why do you love this community?
Because this community believes, invests and reinvests in its own. I have seen this throughout my 28 years in Gainesville. We nurture our own, develop, contribute and progress as a whole. With all the diversity present within, we usually speak with one, strong voice. What’s not to love about this?
Why go the extra mile for it?
Because SO MANY have gone the extra mile for me. I have lived my life in two countries, between cultures, between academic and artistic disciplines, between generations…and through all these personal passages, Gainesville has just felt like HOME. I am home proud and want to spend by efforts giving manifold, what I have been fortunate to receive from this community/family.
How in the world do you juggle family and pandemic and still find that fire to serve?
I am an eternal optimist. We have to make the very best of our times and this is achieved by stoking our internal fires…for the sake of our children, our elderly and all in between. I am a firm believer in the power of energy. What we think, say and do have a way of finding their way back to us and our environment. It is with intention that we must step-up to challenges…it is with intention that we must create an environment for people to be their best selves, even in the face of adversities. Those of us privileged to do so have a responsibility to serve our community. I am blessed to be in such a position.
Where does the fire come from?
The energy of past and present fires…those that burn fiercely amongst those influence me…my school principal, my paternal great aunt, my maternal grandmother, my parents/immediate family, and today, most intensely my two sons. Then there are those I haven’t met but whose fires and personal triumphs allow for me to have a valid voice. Here I think of WOMEN – the collective, who have carried society with dignity, grace and courage, having to overcome hurdles men don’t have to think about. I am also blessed to work with the antidote to human suffering…the ARTS. They feed me, continuously reaffirming that humans are wonderful and capable of limitless creativity, profound thoughts and words and mostly importantly resilience.
Who inspires you and why?
I seem to stay inspired and curious thanks to so many. Just in Gainesville, there are tremendous leaders, both men and women. I have had mentorship from some of the best, starting with professors/advisors at Brenau. As a young adult, I have had the opportunity to learn from great minds and tremendous hearts amongst us. A recent example comes to mind. Last year, I approached an individual to sponsor a table at a charity event. Not only did this individual write a generous check within a few minutes of me entering his office, he went further and thanked me for offering him this opportunity to GIVE. I carry this experience with me and pray I respond with the same grace and selflessness, when called upon to be of service.
Courageous people inspire me. People who act upon their convictions inspire me. People who speak up for those less privileged inspire me. People who share things they need, inspire me. Humanity inspires me and we have such a wealth of it right here, at home, in Gainesville/Hall County.
Thank you Women’s Source for this opportunity. I pray this is a financial success for you. You work is MOST IMPORTANT in our community. Thank you for all you do to empower women.
EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN!
Support WomenSource and our mission to empower women by purchasing raffle tickets and a POP shop and dine card here: POP Raffle 2020