Welfare to Corporate Leadership

I was born in a small rural town 7 days after my mother’s 16th birthday. I never met my father (I’m sure that he felt that his entire life was over), and I was raised on welfare with my two half sisters, two step sisters and two adopted brothers after my mother was injured working in a factory.

Where I grew up, most of my friends either went into the military or ran their family farm. Unlike them, my vision for escaping my economic situation was the fact that I was a standout athlete. Those dreams were eventually crushed when, in high school, I began having shoulder issues which resulted in 27 dislocated shoulders and 3 rotator cuff surgeries. To make it worst, once I did try to attend a small community college, I then also tore my ACL & MCL which delayed my education for another year.

Despite these, and several other set backs, I have been able to build my career to eventually become Vice President of a technology company where I develop successful products and teams. I use my experiences to lead with empathy and compassion while also mentoring others to succeed in life.