Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you work?
What do you do for fun?
Work: I am a lawyer for the League of California Cities. The
League (as we like to call it) is an association of 477
California cities who work together to enhance the knowledge
and skills of city officials, exchange information, and combine
resources so that they may influence policy decisions that
affect cities, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the quality
of life for all Californians.
Fun: In my free time I love to hike, camp, garden, cook and
eat. Exploring new places and restaurants is my favorite
pastime.
What motivated you to join United Way’s Young Leaders
Society?
I moved back to Sacramento in 2015 after being away at law
school for 3 years and started seeking opportunities to meet
like-minded, service-oriented people. I volunteered for
different organizations, but never quite found the community of
peers that I was looking for until I discovered United Way. In
YLS, I found an incredible group of young professionals excited
about making an impact on the community they love. Not only do
YLS members do great work in the community and raise money to
support the Square One Project, they have fun while doing
it.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever
received?
I’m sure someone has better life advice than I do, but one
piece of advice that has always stuck with me is this: When you
are on vacation or outliving your life, take pictures of all
the amazing places you see, sure, but make sure you or your
friends/family are in the photos, too. In 20 years when you
look back at them, you are not going to care about the scenery,
you are going to care about the people you love standing in
front of it.
What would you say to other young professionals looking
to get involved in the community?
Join the movement! Not only will you meet and help some amazing
people; you will feel great doing it. To quote the musical
Avenue Q, “When you help others, you can’t help helping
yourself!”
If you could change one thing about our community, what
would it be and why?
If I could change one thing about our community, I would make
it easier for people to learn about issues affecting the
community and how to connect with the nonprofits addressing
those issues. Sacramento has one of the highest numbers of
non-profit organizations in the country, but one of the lowest
philanthropy rates. This belies my understanding of
Sacramentans, who I think are far and away some of the most
compassionate, empathetic, and generous people around. If it
were easier for people to learn about the great work Sacramento
nonprofits are doing and how to get involved, I think
Sacramentans would step up to the task in a big way.
Favorite Book and TV Show:
My favorite book is probably The Great Gatsby, but this is a
tough question. I also really love Eleanor Oliphant is
Completely Fine, The Year of Magical Thinking, The Alchemist,
and Catch-22. My favorite TV show is Parks & Recreation.
Little known fact:
I love horses. I used to horseback ride as a kid, but gave it
up when it became too much to balance with my high school
obligations. My boyfriend recently bought me a gift certificate
to start riding lessons again, though, so I am looking forward
to getting back in the saddle!
