I was born and raised in the liberal-leaning suburbs of a red state. My hometown has a troubling racial history, the echoes of which are still felt today as it continues to be one of the most segregated cities in the country. As a middle-class white girl, born to liberal parents and attending (somewhat) racially diverse public schools, I grew into my teens largely unaware that racism still existed. A privileged upbringing, to be sure. These days, I am confronted constantly with how woefully naïve I was, but I still remember what it was like to believe that the people of the world saw each other as equals.
My father’s favorite saying is “If you could just roll out of bed and do it, then everyone would be doing it.” He taught me that the effort required to do hard things was worth it. Also, that it was rare. This and other life lessons were imparted through the context of sports. “Athlete” was my first identity, and perhaps the most enduring. Sports provided me the opportunity to love my body – its strength and its ability – and the absolute confidence that I could overcome obstacles and change outcomes. Exceptional gifts for a teenage girl. I call upon that capacity for perseverance and knowledge of my strength every day.
My love of the ocean, cherries, and walking among trees I got from my mother and summers spent in the Pacific Northwest. She also gave me her life-long passion for learning and discovery. A teacher, traveler, and believer in the good in all things, my mother is the foundation in which my best self is rooted.
I am a millennial, and proud of my generation’s refusal to accept the status quo. I challenge the world around me and champion bold social, cultural, and environmental change. Necessary change. Though the means have often varied, I have committed my adult life to making a positive impact on this world in a meaningful way.
I am a millennial, and proud of my generation’s refusal to accept the status quo. I challenge the world around me and champion bold social, cultural, and environmental change. Necessary change.
My husband and young daughter are my motivation and the sun around which my universe turns. It is my greatest hope that we can fix the problems of today and pass on a world worthy of the fierce light of the next generations.