お陰様で, “I am what I am because of you,” has guided me from my grandparents’ small family candy store in Hawai‘i to my life’s calling to help my students and families feel seen, valued, and empowered to realize their purpose. Through NACAC, I have found my chosen family – colleagues, mentors, and friends – united in education, advocacy, and community to expand opportunity, remove barriers, and ensure that the life-changing promise of postsecondary education is accessible to all. I give because NACAC has given so much to me as a counselor, leader, advocate, and person, and because I want future generations of professionals to experience the same friendship, mentorship, courage, and hope that have sustained me as we serve our students, families, and communities together to create a brighter future.