My Nonprofit Origin Story: Where my Path Began

I left Michigan in 1998 for the University of South Carolina on a full-ride scholarship. I had achieved everything I had worked for up until that point. All my dreams were about to come true.

Except, there’s the dream, and then there’s reality.

When you’re a Division I athlete, that’s your life. There isn’t much time for anything else. Your schedule, your identity, your entire existence is tied to your sport. I made wonderful friendships in that world, but I knew I wasn’t going to become a professional discus thrower. And even if I did achieve my Olympic dream and win gold, it would not tell me what to do with the rest of my life. I would still need to find a way to earn a living and build a future.

I realized I needed to find a path and an identity outside of athletics. But between training every day, traveling most weekends, and keeping up with classes, I did not have the time or energy to figure out what came next.

After three years as a student-athlete, I found myself lost. Graduation was not far away, and I had no plan.

Then came what I call my crash. It was not pretty, and I could have handled it better, but I left school, stayed in South Carolina, and started working full-time at Applebee’s. For two years, I worked, lived, enjoyed my youth with the man who would become my husband, and slowly began to figure out who I was outside of sports.

I learned a lot about myself in those years. Eventually, I knew I wanted to finish what I had started. I re-enrolled, took out student loans, changed my major from broadcast journalism to public relations, worked full-time to pay my bills, and earned my degree.

Through a few key internships, I discovered the nonprofit sector, and it felt like I had found my purpose.

My first was with Volunteers of America of the Carolinas, where I saw firsthand the impact of connecting people in need with resources that could change their lives. I stuffed a lot of envelopes, worked on community outreach projects, supported events, and learned how even the smallest role could contribute to a much bigger mission. That experience planted the seed that my skills could be used to serve others in a meaningful way.

After that, I went on to work for a small communications consulting agency that specialized in nonprofit clients. I worked on everything from fundraising campaigns to community festivals, including St. Pat’s in Five Points, one of the largest celebrations in the Southeast. That role taught me how storytelling, events, and strategic communication could bring people together, raise awareness, and generate real impact for causes that mattered.

I realized I would never be fulfilled working for a company that prioritized profits over people. I was not motivated by money. I was motivated by the desire to help make this world a more tolerable place to live.

That is when I began to find my purpose, my why. It would still take years to get where I wanted to be, but I had reset my course and found a path forward.

Inch by inch.