“I grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska, and an interesting fact about my hometown is that the book and movie adaptation “Night of the Twisters” is based on the June 3rd, 1980, tornadoes that devastated Grand Island. These tornadoes, which wreaked havoc on the third-largest town in Nebraska, debunked several old wives’ tales about tornadoes. I was just six years old at the time and survived the June 3rd tornadoes.”

“Three books have profoundly inspired me and changed my life forever: “Passing” by Nella Larsen, “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” by Mary Wollstonecraft, and “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf. These books opened my eyes to the true history of the female struggle, shattering any illusions I had about gender equality. They revealed that women have been advocating for their rights since the dawn of time. The messages within these works impressed upon me that the struggle is an inherited trauma, a part of my journey, and that I have a responsibility to be a voice for the next generation.”

“I would instantly master the ability to speak, read, understand, and write all world languages including the dead ones. 🙂”

“During some of the hardest times in my life, my children, family and friends were the ones who helped me move from hopelessness to hope. The best advice I received was, “Never underestimate your opponent, but never underestimate yourself.” The biggest lessons I learned were to never be too proud to ask for help, to understand that asking for help is not a weakness, and to recognize that every experience, whether good or bad, is an opportunity to learn and grow.”