“When something tragic happens, it's a rude awakening that life doesn't go exactly the way we plan. You grow up faster and realize part of life's beauty is that it isn't all planned, that there are many unknowns. Nothing's guaranteed, but you have to live. You can't just walk through life, you have to actually embrace it and go after it.”
“Community service has taught me all kinds of skills and increased my confidence. You go out there and think on your feet, work with others and create something from nothing. That's what life's all about.”
“The most important role models should and could be parents and teachers. But that said, once you're a teenager you've probably gotten as much of an example from your parents as you're going to.”
“A good balance of winning and losing is important. If you just win all the time, you won't get anything out of it; having some tough losses can be really important.”
“It's easy to say young people should believe in themselves, but the number one thing is recognizing that it's a journey, that you have to build confidence in yourself.”
“The biggest lesson from Africa was that life's joys come mostly from relationships and friendships, not from material things. I saw time and again how much fun Africans had with their families and friends and on the sports fields; they laughed all the time.”
“With my new venture, Club Mom, we want to empower moms to feel their value and also build their collective power to make their lives better and easier. We want to bring them together as a community to share experiences and information.”
“Teenagers too often have to deal with loss and death. You had to cope with the untimely death of your brother; how can young people deal with such tragedies?”
