Inspiring Women Magazine May 2023

Excerpt from the original article.
I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, as an only child.
As a young teenager, I loved being around
younger children and started babysitting. I did
a training to babysit for special needs kids in
high school and volunteered in a hospital in the
summers and thought I might want to become
a pediatrician. My grandfather was a dentist but
there were no doctors in my family; my dad is
a chemical engineer and my mom is an English
professor. I loved ballet, reading and going on
outdoor adventure trips.
I went to college at Stanford, where I was
pre-med, majoring in psychology and biology.
I volunteered in a low-income school, teaching
health and movement classes, and
participated in Best Buddies all 4 years,
developing a close relationship with a girl
with Down Syndrome and her family. I worked
as a counselor at a summer camp for kids and
adults with disabilities and then as a part-time
caretaker in a group home for adults
with disabilities.
I currently live in Charlotte, NC; we moved
here nearly two years ago for my husband’s job.
His career has brought us to live in many
places, including Amsterdam and most
recently Washington, DC.
I am not really sure where my desire to get
involved in medicine came from, but I
remember always having a strong desire to
help others, especially children who had
health problems, which led me to my
profession. When I was in medical school
and residency, I found that the education I
received was intensive for diagnosing and
treating illnesses but did not have as much
focus on developing healthy lifestyles. I worked
long hours as a resident and though I tried to
make sure to eat well and get exercise, it was
often difficult and I struggled to keep a
positive attitude.
Read more/rest of original article by clicking here:
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/
read/62776601/inspiring-women-fall-2019/16
2023 update
I did get to meet Lissa Rankin, in her virtual
“Memoir as Medicine” workshop last year!
“Goodbyes and New Beginnings”
Of all the people and situations you have said
goodbye to in your life, tell us about two that
you miss the most. Why is that?
My paternal grandmother loved me
unconditionally, even from afar. Until age three,
I had spent countless hours and weekends
with my grandparents, and missed her after we
moved away. She was always so excited to see
me and so supportive of me through many ups
and downs. I was heartbroken when she died
when I was 14, but her energy and love continue
to inspire me in my everyday life.
My husband, Kevin, and I moved to Amsterdam
in August, 2001. On September 11, I was on a
walking tour with the AWCA during the
horrific events of that day. This group provided
a great community through my years there. Our
daughters, Saskia and Anneke, became
regulars at AWCA events, and I volunteered in
many roles. In March 2008, at the FAWCO
conference in Seoul, Korea, My-Linh Kunst and I
petitioned for the formation of the Ending
Violence against Women and Children
Committee, which evolved into the Human
Rights Task Force. I was sad to leave
Amsterdam that summer, but also grateful for
the development it brought me.
Of all the “new beginnings” in your life, tell
us about two that you really remember/that
turned out to be unexpectedly important.
After leaving Amsterdam, we lived briefly in
Corvallis, Oregon, with my in-laws, as Kevin
looked for his next job. Coincidentally, Paula
Lucas, the founder and executive director of
Pathways to Safety International, lived in nearby
Portland. I had been advocating for her
organization within FAWCO, and I was thrilled
to meet her in person. Through deepening
our friendship, training as a call volunteer and
continuing advocacy work, I found meaning and
connection during those uncertain days and laid
the foundation for serving as President of the
Board of Pathways over the next several years.
Daughters Saskia and Anneke at Blowing Rock
32 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 33