My main influences are:

Dr. K – She is a philosophy professor. Brilliant woman. She served as my mentor in my undergraduate studies and as a makeshift parent (whilst my parents were stationed in Europe). She taught me much about basic human decency, kindness, Catholicism, humility, confidence, respect, and bravery. She helped me navigate all the chaos involved with teen years and early 20s. She’s one of the primary voices that encouraged me to grow, develop, and seek new challenges (graduate school & therapy).

C – She is a therapist herself. A bit older than me. I met her back in my churchy days. She mentored me in many ways professionally – even though she has always felt more like the older sister I always wanted. I consider her one of my most valued friends. She works with teens and kids. She has taught me how to be authentic and firm with that age group. She’s taught me much about boundaries and balance. She is one of my greatest supporters and one of the few people I have trusted with my life. I wouldn’t be here without her. She’s made me a better person and therapist.

My dad – He’s the best basketball coach I’ve ever played for and coached alongside. He has the strategy down – but more so, he builds a culture and family atmosphere. He is the one who has really shown me that you can take something as simple & silly as a game and apply it to have lifelong value. We teach kids how to play together and put a ball through a hoop – but more than that, we build love and support in our program. We let kids be kids. We support them through something we all love. He’s helped me embrace achieving beautiful things through unconventional means. I’m forever grateful for that man.

Spider-Man – I know this one’s a bit wild, but it also isn’t. I didn’t grow up with comics – but I did grow up with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s on-screen Spider-Men. Most importantly, I grew up with Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock. The iconic quote is iconic for a reason… “With great power there must also come great responsibility.” That short statement highlighted a need for high moral accountability and a hunger to always pursue what is right. It drove many of my decisions until I grew to understand ethics from a less superhero-y framework. Similarly, Doc Ock states: “Intelligence is not a privilege. It’s a gift. And you use it for the good of mankind.” I was 8 years old when I heard this for the time – even then, I embraced that powerful phrase. Intelligence should not be something taken for granted or abused for personal gain. Ever. The goal is to always make the world a better place. There truly is a hero in all of us – Spider-Man has always championed that to its fullest potential.