To start my story of how I knew I wanted to make a difference I will first begin at the end. I currently get to help other people every single day being in charge of Charity Relations at Pura Vida Bracelets. Working for a company that has the capability and drive to share with the world our drive to support over 150 different causes and organization, support over 30 local artisans in Costa Rica and a 1 percent for the Planet Member is one of the most rewarding ways to make a living. To explain how I got here, I'll go back to the beginning.
As a child, I was always a go-getter who had a drive to help others. Volunteering has always been a fun activity for me. To give credit where due, my parents were absolutely the people who shaped this mind set. My mother and father are one of the most compassionate and caring people I know! However, that instrumental moment, where my passion fully developed and my goals were really set, came to me when I entered college.
From day one, when I got to San Diego State University, I wanted to get involved on campus. I had heard of the Professional Studies and Fine Arts College Council and was intrigued, so I went to a meeting. This is where I met Assistant Dean Randi McKenzie. Randi is and will be the most influential person I have ever had a pleasure of getting to know. She is the number one reason why I have been able to lead the way I have, take on the opportunities I come across the way I do and follow my passions, no matter how outrageous they may be. Randi was not just my advisor on the council, she was not just the Assistant Dean of the college, she was my mentor, and she became my family. When an educator puts that much energy, passion, care and love into the students she meets, that is when difference are made, people are brought out of their shell and students shine. This is what Randi did for me, although I already had a drive to do and not just watch from the beginning, Randi made me feel supported. It was her who allowed me to be able to take risks, knowing if I fell, she'd help me stand. I'm sure if you ask her, she would never take credit for my successes, but that just shows the type of person she is.
I can go on and on about how instrumental Randi has been in my journey but I'll now bring the story full circle. Graduating as a Kinesiology major with a minor in International Studies I have taken a different route to pursue service and fashion. This was a huge decision that I made to head down a path where there was not a light at the end of the tunnel. It was a shot in the dark, and I would like to give credit to Randi, because I would not be the person I am today without her. Randi, as my mentor, helped me along my path. That is what brings me to Pura Vida Bracelets and allows me to hear life-changing, heartfelt stories every single day about the causes and organizations that we strive to make a difference for.
This story about my journey is one I wanted to share with you all so that you could relate. We can all relate somewhere in our lives to feeling empowered as women, to having an instrumental woman in our lives help us along our journey and having the strength to conquer our obstacles as women. Use this story, not as your own, but to help you share your own story, so that the world knows all about the strength of women!