Nurturing Growth

I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee, which was both challenging and rewarding. Mountain people live off of the land, and while that offers harvest, hope, and bounty, it also brings hardship and struggles.

Due to rugged terrain and social norms, we were isolated, which meant that we looked alike, spoke alike, and dressed alike. There weren’t many opportunities to venture beyond our rural community. Not being exposed to places, people, and cultures different than our own limited perceptions of how others live.

Because my dad worked for an airline, our family had the opportunity to travel, and I was able to catch glimpses of a great big world full of all kinds of possibilities. That early exposure was