Q. What did you want to be when you were small? A. I set out to be a math teacher and I originally focused on a math degree in college. That plan shifted when I discovered I/O Psychology, a field that blends statistics and psychology. I even got to live out a piece of the original dream along the way, spending a few years in graduate school as a statistics instructor for undergraduates, teaching quantitative methods. I loved every minute of it (except for grading assignments!).
Q. What’s your favorite family tradition? A. Every year around Christmas, my family comes together to make hundreds of tamales by hand. My grandmother passed that tradition down to me, and now I’m the one who hosts it. Carrying it forward means the world to me.
Q. What was a moment from your childhood that made you feel especially proud of yourself? A. This wouldn’t happen these days, but about 30 years ago, my second-grade teacher showed up at my house to tell my parents what a nice student I was. She was known for being strict, and I remember running up from the basement, stunned to see her standing there, and watching my parents’ faces light up with pride.
Q. Who was a leader you admired growing up, and what’s one thing you learned from them? A. My brother Barry was two years older than me, and he had a knack for standing up for kids who were getting bullied. Watching him taught me how to be an ally and to never judge a person that looked or acted differently.
Q. What is the best gift you have been given? A. The same month I earned my Ph.D., my mother-in-law gave me a bracelet with real pearls, something I’d always wanted. It meant more than jewelry, because even though she and I have very different personalities, our value around advanced education has always been our strongest bond, and that gift felt like her way of saying, woman to woman, that she deeply respected what I’d accomplished.
Q. If you had a warning label, what would yours say? A. Warning: Subject may spontaneously discuss horses, show photos of children unprompted, or both simultaneously.
Q. What’s a skill or habit you’ve picked up recently that you’re proud of? A. I recently bought a fixer-upper ranch home with a horse barn on the property, and it’s turned me into a DIY construction enthusiast. I started with small, low-risk projects in the basement and garage. Most recently I flipped a small, unused room into a walk in closet and it has been life changing!
Q. What’s one piece of leadership advice you would give to your younger self? A. Be curious about your own opinions, not just the opinions of others.
Q. What’s your secret talent or something you’re good at that people might not know? A. I have been training horses since I was four years old. 19 years ago, I bought a “green”, untrained horse. You never know what you’re going to get with a young horse, but he ended up being very talented. He was a life-changing project and partner.
Q. What’s a small win you’re celebrating this week? A. My oldest son is braving his first week of elementary school.