“Hope is knowing that the current situation is not the only situation. Hope is knowing that there is something better on the other side of the challenge and that you have the strength and ability to get to that other side, but sometimes need help with the tools to get there. Hope is the realization that people around you want you to succeed in life because success is not finite. Meaning, I don’t lose my success in life when those around me gain it, too. When we all succeed in living a full life, society itself succeeds and flourishes.”

“Really all of the elements are important in my everyday life. The PassageWay Elements are a huge part of what drew me to NWP because I believe these elements to be important parts of living a well-balanced, healthy life. I believe that relationships, specifically stable, healthy relationships are the basis for good mental and physical health. I credit the love and support of those around me as a major contributing factor to my current success. I am also a firm believer that everyone enters each other's lives with a purpose even if we don’t always know that purpose right away. Nutrition is another element that is important to me. I believe that a diet based on eating plant-based, whole foods allows me to feel both physically and mentally well. I think our bodies and brains react to what we put in them so it is of great importance to put good in to get good out. I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, but as is true with all of life, it’s about progress and not perfection. I also do yoga almost every day and credit my yoga practice with helping me through the stress of completing graduate school during the start of a pandemic. Yoga to me is a form of exercise as well as relaxation and recreation and the time I spend on my mat often gives me time to reflect and give thanks to God for the ability both physically and mentally maintain my yoga practice.”