# EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: Marjorie Graham

/ Published June 15, 2018
PHILADELPHIA, 
****

**EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: Marjorie Graham**

****

**Organization:** Industrial Hardware

****

**Years of service:** Two and a half

****

**What is your job?**Post-award purchasing agent

****

**What do you like most about your job?**  I like that I am always busy, that it is challenging, and that no two days are the same. Working quality notifications is like being a detective. Some are open and shut, and others require a lot of digging and researching. 

**Who is your personal hero and why?**My mom is my hero. She is my mentor, my rock, support system and best friend. She is the one person in the world who will always be there for me.

**What was your first job?**My first job was when I was 12. I had a paper route.

**If you had to pick a personal motto, what would it be?** "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain." This is a reminder to not allow anything that is work or a struggle to deter me from reaching my full potential.

**What advice would you give yourself of 10 years ago?**To not allow fear of failure to hold me back. Be bold, be brave, have confidence and invest time in being the best me I can be. 

**What five things can you absolutely not live without?**Faith, Family, friends, my dog and a good cup of coffee. 

**What is your greatest strength or weakness?**I am a problem solver. I love taking a problem and looking at it from every angle until the problem is solved. To my detriment, I will be working on a QN and look up at the clock and it will be way past the time to go home!

**What strange thing have you eaten?**Emu. I was not impressed. 

**What are some small things that make your day better?**A smile, a thank you and cuddles from my dog.

**Who has impressed you most with what they’ve accomplished?**Bill Gates. Despite dropping out of college, he became a business magnate, investor, author, philanthropist, humanitarian, and the principal holder of Microsoft.  What is impresses me most about him is that he gives 95% of his wealth away to charities. 

**If you were dictator of a small island nation, what crazy dictator stuff would you do?**Outlaw shoes! 

**What fad or trend do you hope comes back?**Kids playing outside.  

**What unusual accomplishment are you most proud of?**Selling 318 boxes of Girl Scout cookies!

**What small gesture from a stranger made a big impact on you?**I stopped at the post office one night after work. It was closed, dark and nobody was around. I went inside to mail a package and forgot my pen. I went back out to the car, grabbed the pen and as I was going back in, a car drove up. A woman rolled down her window and said “I hope you don't mind, but I am going to wait here and make sure you get back to your car safely.”  I thanked her, went inside, mailed the package and came back out to thank her again. Her reply was that we have to look out for each other. She has probably forgotten that night. I never will.  Her gesture made me slow down, take the time, and pay it forward as often as I can.

**What are the top three things you want to accomplish?**I would love to travel the world, immerse myself in diverse cultures across the world, maybe start a non-profit and make the time to re-cultivate old friendships.

**If you could speak directly to the warfighters you support, what would you say?** Thank you for your bravery, hard work, and dedication to our country. Words cannot express the infinite gratitude I have for you.