When I was a child, I was full of curiosity. Like many kids, I wanted to be a part of everything and I wanted to understand the world around me. Filled with exuberance, I wanted to learn all about the world and its complexities, and so I was constantly asking big questions and trying to understand, “Why is the world the way it is?,” “Why do we do things a certain way?,” and “Why do certain problems exist?”. Armed with my curiosity, I developed a growing awareness of the world's many problems and the challenges my community was facing.
Even with the limited perspective of a child, it was clear to me that the future was uncertain. I was only eight when the housing recession hit and a growing sense of economic uncertainty took hold. Even after the economy had recovered, there was a constant sense of insecurity. I can remember many of the adults in my life worrying about what the future would look like for them and for future generations. And as I got older, I remember growing warnings about climate change and the risks it posed to our futures. Growing up in the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River, I was already feeling the effects of climate change as the weather became less consistent and floods occurred more often.
But I have never been afraid of a challenge and it has never been enough for me to simply learn about a problem – I have always wanted to be a part of the solution. I’ve always been told to leave things better than I found them, and that became the foundation for a lifelong commitment to serve my community and contribute to solutions to the many challenges we would face.
After I graduated high school, I attended Goshen College and majored in Sustainability Studies because I wanted the skills and the knowledge to be a part of the change that our world is facing. Through the sustainability program at Goshen College, I developed a greater understanding of the ways the individuals, businesses, and local organizations can be a source of positive change in their local environments. I was and continue to be constantly amazed at the ways I see people across the Michiana region investing in their communities and pursuing unique solutions to meet the area’s needs.
At enFocus, I look forward to investing in local talent and supporting innovative and sustainable change throughout the region. I am excited to have the opportunity to leverage my own skills in service to a community that has taught me so much.