My professional career in both the private and public sectors has provided many opportunities to discuss the evolving role of women in our society, and to think about the influences that helped me reach my goals.
Women are justifiably proud of their traditional roles as wives, mothers and caregivers.
But, in reaching for a fuller participation in the workings of our society, we encountered challenges that were tremendously daunting and would have been insurmountable, I suspect, without the encouragement of certain mentors who believed that women's aspirations should be as unlimited as men's. Initially, I found those mentors in my parents, teachers and community leaders. My parents taught me to believe in myself, to value education and the rewards of hard work, and to preserve my integrity at all costs. Teachers taught me the job of learning as a lifetime pursuit, the empowerment of gaining and employing skills, and the enrichment we bring to our lives by setting high standards and striving to achieve them. Community leaders showed me by their actions the importance of giving back to the community and taught me that no society can prosper without the selfless contributions of volunteers.