As a child, I watched the images of the 1985 Ethiopia famine on television, intuitively sensing the randomness by which someone could be born into starvation or relative luxury. After studying psychology at Georgetown University, I embarked as a public health volunteer with the Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa. There, I felt a strong fulfillment of many of my core spiritual needs: connection, community, love, belonging, identity, and purpose. Upon returning to the US, I completed a dual Master’s in Development Management and MBA at American University in 2001.

 

Over the next two decades, I worked in the field of international development, humanitarian assistance, and corporate sustainability. Engaging across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors taught me how challenging it can be to maintain one’s unique sense of purpose amid challenging circumstances.

In 2013, my older brother died from a glioblastoma brain tumor. This period opened me up to deep exploration of questions about childhood, death, and the many things that happen in between. During this time of intense meaning-making, I sought grounding in Buddhist philosophy, yoga, meditation, and 12-Step recovery.