by Judy York | Mar 25, 2021 | Leadership Development Stories
Growing up, Michelle Mitchell often felt she was living in the shadow of her older siblings. The youngest of seven, “It was a full house,” Michelle remembers, even before her mom adopted her two first cousins, bringing the total number of children to nine. “My older sisters were very, very smart,” she recalls. “When I was in high school, they were always in the school newspaper… they could sing, they were in school plays, they lettered in sports—they could do everything.” Michelle’s family, led by a single mother, was marked by inspiringly strong and resilient women. And while Michelle aspired to outshine her sisters’ talents, she often felt like her own gifts would never live up to theirs.
by Judy York | Feb 23, 2021 | Leadership Development Stories
When Amy Childers enrolled in the art school as a recent high school grad, her family wondered “What the hell is she going to do with her life?”
Riding a wild child streak in her youth, she often found herself in trouble, mixing with what others might deem the wrong crowd. Artistic and athletic, Amy was more interested in activities like diving, cheerleading, and gymnastics than academic pursuits. Over time she found herself most connected with other creatives who embodied her sense of adventure. This contrasted—sharply at times—with the values of her Jewish immigrant heritage.
by Judy York | Jan 4, 2021 | Leadership Development Stories
With the television blaring, ten-year-old Daryl Boffman wedged between his sisters on the couch to eat his Thanksgiving dinner… a warm bowl of grits. As his mom sat down to join them, she began to openly pray over her bowl. With each outwardly expressive word of praise to God for this meager meal, Daryl’s inner confusion began to rise. “I grew up in a family of poverty, in the ghettos of…
by Judy York | Oct 22, 2020 | Leadership Development Stories
One of the truest gifts in Sue Hough’s life has been family, in all its many forms. Born in Seoul, Korea, Sue was abandoned as a baby. “My adoption form said I was given up because I had “double lids” which signified that I wasn’t full-blooded Korean. This meant my only future in Korea would have been as a prostitute.”Sue’s fortune shifted at the age of three. “I was very lucky to be adopted by a loving and supportive family that had two kids of their own… Growing up in the Midwest, however, she experienced few children of…
by Judy York | Jul 6, 2020 | Leadership Development Stories
With dreams of being an astronaut, Lori Mercer was a STEM Girl from an early age. When her father brought a computer home from his job moonlighting at the local computer store Lori, as a self-motivated and academically gifted seven-year-old, taught herself to program. “He put a BASIC programming book in my hand and let me run.”
“Growing up in rural Ohio, with not a lot of money, my parents wanted the best for us.” Lori’s father, born in South Eastern Kentucky, worked his way through college to…
by Judy York | May 6, 2020 | Leadership Development Stories
It was a hot summer afternoon of running errands. Seven-year-old Laura was sitting in the backseat of her mom’s car when a familiar Bon Jovi song came on the radio. This Romeo is bleeding / But you can’t see his blood / It’s nothing but some feelings / That this old dog kicked up / It’s been raining since you left me / Now I’m drowning in the flood You see, I’ve always been a fighter…
