3. Hometown
Wadsworth, Ohio.
At one point, I lived in Riceville,
Tennessee, for a short time but moved
back (and the accent is completely
gone!)
4. My first job was
A receptionist at Jack Sommer Chevrolet
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
I was 17 when I started, and on my
second day, a woman paying for her car
service tried to scam me into believing
that she paid with a $100 bill. Thankfully,
my boss had seen that before!
5. The word that best
describes me
Learner; though, it doesn’t stop there. It’s
exciting to share new things or new
revelations.
6. Non-profit
organizations I am
involved in are
The Akron BBB (Better Business Bureau)
because I work here, MicroMentor, and
my local church with choir and various
special music projects.
7. My all-time favorite
book is
Ecclesiastes. It’s all about perspective—a
great lesson and encouragement to me
when my father passed away.
8. A great leader is
An active listener and one who seeks to
understand between the lines.
9. My biggest
accomplishment is
Graduating with a bachelor’s degree at
53.
I thought it was too late for me; but my
dad, astonished at my comment said,
“Your grandmother went back to school
to get her teaching degree when she was
60. She taught until she was over 70!”
I signed up the next day.
10. If I had a super
power, it would be
Always having the right words for those
who need encouragement or inspiration.
11. The greatest
inventions of the last
10 years are
YouTube and TED Talks. It’s exciting what
has been shared visually ever since their
inception—life moments, learning
modules, and amazing speeches.
My favorite TED Talk was on thinking inside
the box.
12. If I weren’t doing this,
I would be
Teaching senior adults any and everything
about how to use software and the
internet.
13. I’m most proud of
My son, Tyler, who is serving in the U.S. Air
Force.
He’s not been on any battlefields or front
lines, but his dedication and how far he’s
grown through giving these years of his life
for our country outright inspires me.
14. My favorite place in
the world is
Sitting across the table from any one of
my children hearing them recount their
day or what they think on a particular
topic.
15. The best piece of
advice I’ve received
is
Listening is over-talked and under-used.
Learn how to actively listen, and you
won’t ever have to worry about success.
18. I’m inspired by
Music—right now it’s the Black Keys.
Before that, it was Kid President singing,
“The World Can Be Better.”
19. My attitude towards
change is
That a day doesn’t go by without it. Jump
on the train and go for the ride … I always
learn through changes!
20. The business
leader I admire
most was
My dad. He exemplified growth and
creative thinking through learning and
humor.
21. My next goal is
Working on a new program on first
impressions.
22. If Michael Jordan had quit—He would’ve
never made Space Jam. What will be
your Space Jam? What will you create
that will make the world awesome?
The World Can Be Better … Kid President
“
”