Team Everest!

Welcome!

A wise person once said, “If you're looking at the obstacle, you've taken your eyes off the path.” In elementary school, life handed me an obstacle that was nearly impossible to ignore. Up until then, I was just another child—playing games, dreaming big, and imagining a future full of possibility. But everything changed overnight with the diagnosis of a progressive eye disease that would eventually take most of my sight.

At first, it felt like the path ahead had vanished. Each year, as my vision faded, so did the light that once illuminated my direction. But then I met adults who were also blind—mentors whose empathy and resilience revealed a truth I carry with me to this day: the human spirit is not defined by what we see, but by how we live.

One of those mentors was Eric Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest. His story taught me that there are no prophecies about what people with disabilities can or cannot achieve. Statistics may reflect yesterday’s limitations, but every new day offers a chance to rewrite the narrative.

When I graduated high school with honors, I felt as though I had reached my own Everest. At a scholarship banquet hosted for Team Everest and myself, I looked out at the audience and thought, “Whatever lies ahead cannot be more daunting than what I’ve already overcome.” That moment marked the beginning of a lifelong climb—one that has demanded the same persistence, strength, and grit that Eric needed on the mountain.

Today, I bring that same spirit to my work in geriatric social services. My life experience has shaped my ability to see beyond physical limitations to the character, wisdom, and dignity of each individual. I believe in working hard, advocating fiercely, and walking alongside others as they navigate their own paths—especially when the terrain is steep.

“Honoring service, empowering strength—walking beside veterans and their families with heart and grit."