Education became my way forward.
My college experiences include earning a master's degree in working with individuals with disabilities and another master's degree in education leadership.
Determined to break the cycle of working in the fields, I took my younger siblings into my home and guided them toward earning college degrees.
I helped my mother leave the fields, and she lived in my home while she pursued education and new opportunities.
I am a mother, a grandmother, and a fierce advocate.
After 40 years of working full time in education— teaching, mentoring, and leading —I chose to embrace a more flexible lifestyle and to deepen my commitment to community service.
My professional and volunteer work includes devoting countless hours working with others to navigate systems to improve the quality of life for individuals who had been impacted by disabling conditions.
My mantra had been, “Help is available, one has to be diligent, and one has to keep knocking on doors.”
However, when I became a caregiver for an aging loved one, who was chronically ill; and a younger sibling who had suffered a stroke, I found that being a family caregiver was a daunting task.
My concern was that I had knocked on a lot of doors and I wasn’t getting much help.
I was introduced to Palm Health Foundation through its Healthier Boynton Beach initiative; The focus of Healthier Boynton Beach is to support and improve the lives of family caregivers.
I had a lot of questions.
I quickly realized that there were other family caregivers in my community who needed supports.
I became a steering committee member of Healthier Boynton Beach.
My involvement with Palm Health Foundation expanded to include my appointment to the Community Investment Committee and I currently serve on the Board of Trustees.
As a member of the Board of Trustees, I am committed to our mission—to lead change, strengthen communities, and build a healthier future for Palm Beach County.
We influence systems, convene decision-makers, fund cutting-edge brain research, and are actively supporting the building of resilient communities.
We embrace neuroscience and scholarships for the nursing profession as we strive to make a difference toward health equity.
Also, we remain thoughtful stewards of the resources entrusted to us.
Our organization’s impact is local, national, and global.
To some our aspirations may seem as vast as the ocean and sometimes everything flows as planned.
However, we don’t always experience smooth sailing; sometimes, we have rocky seas.
The waters may become choppy. Conditions over which we have little or no control sometimes impact us. During such times, we refocus, if needed. We might even examine our strategies. But, we hold on to the dream. We allow it guide us as we do the work.
As I draw my reflection to a close, I use some more words from Langston Hughes:
“Hold fast to dreams,
For when dreams go,
Life is a barren field,
Frozen with snow."
I remain engaged because I believe in the power and the possibilities that live within of our dreams.
The vision, the strategizing, and the realization.
