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GOOD MORNING.

[00:00:01]

I'M DR. EDDIE TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF DALLAS COLLEGE EASTFIELD CAMPUS.

[Dallas College Walking in Her Shoes: Embracing Equity]

I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO TODAY'S EVENT.

IT IS A GREAT EVENT AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT CONVERSATION THIS MORNING.

WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE EVERYONE HERE.

THE NAME OF THIS EVENT, OF COURSE, IS EMBRACING WOMEN'S HISTORY, WALKING IN HER SHOES, CELEBRATING WOMEN WHO TELL OUR STORIES.

THIS YEAR'S THEME IS EMBRACING EQUITY.

WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE TO HAVE EVERYONE HERE, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON OR ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.

AND IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO HOST ONE OF THE MANY DALLAS COLLEGE EVENTS CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

NOW, IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE OUR DALLAS COLLEGE CHANCELLOR, DR.

JUSTIN LENNON.

WELL, THANK YOU, DR. TAYLOR.

I APPRECIATE THAT AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE AND BEING WITH US ONLINE.

WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TODAY.

YOU KNOW, ABOUT 60% OF DALLAS COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE WOMEN AND 56% OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN.

53% OF OUR FACULTY ARE WOMEN.

AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE STOCK AND REFLECT TODAY AND SHARE A LITTLE BIT AS YOU'LL HEAR FROM THIS AMAZING GROUP, THESE PANELISTS, THEIR THEIR JOURNEYS.

AND WE'RE ALSO REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE LEADERSHIP THAT WE HAVE ON OUR BOARD.

THE MAJORITY OF OUR BOARD IS FEMALE AND OUR BOARD CHAIR, MONICA LIRA BRAVO, WHO IS HOSTING US TODAY AND PUT THIS TOGETHER AND IS HELPING LEAD THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN ON OUR BOARD FOR FOR SEVEN YEARS AND HAS SERVED AS AND CONTINUES TO SERVE AS OUR BOARD CHAIR. SHE'S INCREDIBLY ACCOMPLISHED.

YOU MAY HAVE READ ABOUT HER AND HER SISTER AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEIR JOURNEYS WITH DIFFERENT STORIES IN THE MORNING NEWS AND ELSEWHERE.

AND SHE'S AN ACCOMPLISHED ATTORNEY AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNER THAT GIVES OF HER TIME AND IS A REAL COMMUNITY SERVANT AND CARES DEEPLY ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR JOURNEY.

SO WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER HERE TO LEAD THIS CONVERSATION.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CHAIR.

MONICA LIRA. BRAVO.

THEN AND IF YOU'RE IN YOUR OFFICE OR AT HOME STREAMING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING TODAY.

WE HOPE THAT YOU ARE INSPIRED BY THE THE WORDS OF THESE WONDERFUL WOMEN NEXT TO ME.

WE HAVE WE WILL BE HAVING A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH PRE-SELECTED QUESTIONS THAT CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE A FEW TIDBITS ABOUT WHAT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022 AND SOME STATISTICS FOR WOMEN. SO AS OF 2022, MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF THE ACTIVE PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE IN THE UNITED STATES WAS FEMALE.

THREE STATES ELECTED THEIR FIRST WOMAN GOVERNOR, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WOMEN GOVERNORS IN THE US TO 12.

DINA BALUARTE BECAME PERU'S FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT IN DECEMBER 2022.

KETANJI BROWN.

JACKSON WAS CONFIRMED AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE US SUPREME COURT.

BUT EVEN AS GREAT AS THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE, THERE IS STILL SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE.

ACCORDING TO THE MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY, EQUITY IS DEFINED AS JUSTICE ACCORDING TO NATURAL LAW OR RIGHT.

AS WE SPEND TODAY EMBRACING EQUITY, I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO PONDER THESE FACTS.

TO 10% OF WOMEN OR 10% OF GIRLS AGED 15 TO 24 ARE ILLITERATE.

ONE THIRD OF WOMEN WORLDWIDE HAVE EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL AND OR SEXUAL VIOLENCE BY AN INTIMATE PARTNER.

FEMALE STEM GRADUATES MAKE UP JUST SLIGHTLY OVER 35% OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GRADUATES.

AND IN 2020, ONLY 18% OF BUSINESSES SURVEYED HAD A FEMALE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

SO PONDER THOSE IN RECONCILIATE.

ALL THESE FACTS DO THESE.

DOES THIS SOUND RIGHT TO YOU? THIS IS SOMETHING WE'LL EXPLORE TODAY ON THE PANEL.

I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MY PERSONAL STORY BEFORE I INTRODUCE THE PANELIST.

JUST VERY QUICK.

I AM A NATIVE OF DALLAS, BUT I AM THE DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS FROM MEXICO.

I GREW UP IN THIS COMMUNITY.

I WENT TO SMU FOR UNDERGRAD.

TEXAS TECH FOR LAW SCHOOL, HAVE BEEN PRACTICING IMMIGRATION LAW FOR 15 YEARS.

[00:05:05]

12 YEARS.

12 OF THOSE 15 YEARS AS A BUSINESS OWNER AND HAVE BEEN SERVING DALLAS COLLEGE FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.

WE ARE AT EASTFIELD COLLEGE BECAUSE EASTVALE JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE IN MY DISTRICT.

THERE ARE SEVEN TRUSTEES ON OUR BOARD, FOUR WHO ARE WOMEN OUT OF SEVEN, SO YAY US.

BUT I JUST HAVE TO SAY, IF YOU JUST IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, IF YOU LIVE IN MY DISTRICT, MY DISTRICT GOES ALL THE WAY FROM EAST DALLAS, MOCKINGBIRD ABRAMS AREA, ALL THE WAY SOUTH DOWN TO SEAGOVILLE.

IF YOU LIVE IN PLEASANT GROVE, MESQUITE, BALCH SPRINGS, SEAGOVILLE, YOU'RE IN MY DISTRICT.

BUT AS BOARD CHAIR, I REPRESENT ALL OF DALLAS COUNTY.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I'M VERY HAPPY THAT Y'ALL JOINED US TODAY AND THAT I HOPE THAT YOU LEARN SOMETHING FROM OUR AMAZING PANELISTS.

OKAY. AND SO TO MY LEFT, WE HAVE JUSTICE DENISE GARCIA, WHO HAS BEEN A TEXAS JUDGE FOR OVER 18 YEARS.

SHE WAS ELECTED TO THE FIFTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS IN NOVEMBER 2020.

JUSTICE GARCIA IS A DALLAS NATIVE WHO GRADUATED FROM IRVING NIMITZ HIGH SCHOOL, SMU AND SMU DEDMAN SCHOOL OF LAW.

AND I DO BELIEVE SHE WAS THE FIRST LATINA ELECTED IN DALLAS COUNTY AS A JUDGE.

IS THAT RIGHT? AS DISTRICT? YES. YES.

SHE IS DOUBLE BOARD CERTIFIED IN FAMILY LAW AND CHILD WELFARE LAW AND SERVES ON THE STATE BAR PATTERN JURY CHARGE COMMITTEE.

SHE HAS A LONG HISTORY OF CONTRIBUTING TO LEGAL EDUCATION.

OVER THE YEARS, SHE HAS WRITTEN AND TAUGHT ON TOPICS SUCH AS FAMILY LAW, CHILD WELFARE, LEGAL ETHICS, LITIGATION, STRATEGY, DISCOVERY, EVIDENCE, JUDGMENTS, MENTAL HEALTH AND THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND DOCKET MANAGEMENT.

SHE HAS WON MANY AWARDS, SOME OF THEM INCLUDING THE OUTSTANDING JURIST BY THE TEXAS CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF MATRIMONIAL LAWYERS.

SHE HAS BEEN TWICE AWARDED THE MERRILL HARTMAN JUDICIAL PRO BONO SERVICE AWARD, AND SHE WAS NAMED BEST JUDGE BY THE DALLAS OBSERVER.

SHE IS ALSO CURRENTLY RUNNING TO BE THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR DALLAS.

AND SO LOOK FOR HER ON THE BALLOT IN 2024.

PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME JUSTICE GARCIA.

OKAY. AND THEN TO HER LEFT, WE HAVE CHERYL RICHARDS, WHO SERVES AS THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER AT VISIT DALLAS. IN THIS POSITION, SHE HER DUTIES INCLUDE CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING.

A STRATEGIC PLAN TO ELEVATE VISIT DALLAS AS A LEADER IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT THE LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.

MS.. RICHARDS, WHO HAS BEEN WITH VISIT DALLAS FOR 30 YEARS, SERVED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING THE MEMBERSHIP, SALES AND SERVICE STANDARD FOR VISIT DALLAS, OVERSEEING CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS, MEMBER BASED PUBLICATIONS AND DAILY OPERATIONS OF THE MEMBERS SALES AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT.

SHE HAS ALSO RECEIVED MANY AWARDS, INCLUDING THE 2017 DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL MINORITY BUSINESS LEADER AWARD, THE BLACK MEETING AND TOURISM APEX AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE, THE FRAZIER NET CORPORATE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD AND THE HIGH TEA WITH HIGH HEELS CRYSTAL STILETTO AWARD FROM THE ATLANTA BASED TRUMPET AWARDS FOUNDATION, WHICH SPOTLIGHTS WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE A MARK AND BREAK BARRIERS AS A WAY OF LIFE.

AND MOST RECENTLY WAS FEATURED IN SAVOY AS ONE OF THE 2019 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN CORPORATE AMERICA.

MS.. RICHARDS IS A GRADUATE OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, WHERE SHE EARNED A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE IN JOURNALISM, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND A MINOR IN BUSINESS MARKETING. PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME SHERYL RICHARDS.

AND TO HER LEFT WE HAVE DR.

VERONIQUE TRAN, WHICH MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW BECAUSE SHE DOES SERVE AS THE FOUNDING VICE PROVOST FOR DALLAS COLLEGE'S SCHOOL OF MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY, OR WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL MIT AS A SERVANT LEADER.

SHE SEEKS TO HELP OTHERS THROUGH OPENING DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY TO ALL WHO COME SEEKING LIFE CHANGING CAREERS BY DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN AREAS SUCH AS AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, CONSTRUCTION SCIENCES, APPLIED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCES AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.

SHE HAS MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING.

PRIOR TO JOINING DALLAS COLLEGE, SHE HELD LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, RICE UNIVERSITY, LONE STAR COLLEGE AND LEE COLLEGE.

[00:10:04]

DR. TRAN EARNED HER BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HER PHD IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING FROM UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER AT DALLAS AND UTA.

DR. TRAN IS A VIETNAMESE AMERICAN IMMIGRANT, CHILD, REFUGEE, BILINGUAL FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATE WIFE TO HER HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART, MOTHER OF TWO ADULT SON AND A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR.

PLEASE WELCOME DR.

TRAN. OKAY.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THEIR BIOS, WE HAVE SOME PRETTY AMAZING WOMEN JOINING US HERE TODAY.

AND WE TRY TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN SELECTING PANELISTS WITH DIFFERENT SKILL SETS, DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS, SO THAT HOPEFULLY ONE OF THEIR STORIES WILL RESONATE WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL.

OKAY. SO WE WILL START WITH A VERY EASY QUESTION, HOPEFULLY FOR EACH OF YOU.

IF YOU COULD EACH START START TALKING ABOUT WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE THE CAREER THAT YOU HAVE AND WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR WORK.

AND WE'LL START WITH JUSTICE GARCIA.

INSPIRATION. INSPIRATION COMES FROM A NUMBER OF PLACES, RIGHT? AND YOU'LL HEAR ME. YEAH, I'LL TRY THIS.

INSPIRATION COMES FROM A NUMBER OF PLACES.

I THINK THE FIRST TIME I DECIDED THAT MAYBE I MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN AN AREA IN THE LAW.

THE AREA OF THE LAW IS WHEN I SAW RONALD REAGAN GET ELECTED PRESIDENT AND I THOUGHT, AN ACTOR CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT RIGHT.

AND SO I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FIGURED OUT MOST PEOPLE WHO BECAME PRESIDENT WERE LAWYERS FIRST.

AND AT THAT POINT, I JUST KIND OF SEEMED LIKE A FARAWAY DREAM.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE SO THE STORY AT OUR DINNER TABLE WAS, YOU KNOW, I WAS ARGUING.

MY MOM SAID, YOU ARGUE A LOT, YOU OUGHT TO BE A LAWYER.

AND MY EVERYBODY LAUGHED BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, A RIDICULOUS THING.

RIGHT. THIS WAS A HILARIOUS, RIDICULOUS THING TO SAY.

YOU CAN BECOME A LAWYER.

AND MY DAD SAID, DON'T LAUGH.

DON'T LAUGH AT THE LAWYER WHO'S A LAWYER.

YOU CAN BE A LAWYER, TOO.

AND SO THE ALL THE ALL OF THOSE LITTLE THINGS STARTED FORMING IN MY HEAD ABOUT WHY I COULD DO THIS THING, INCLUDING WATCHING MY AUNT GO THROUGH SOME LITIGATION AND UNDERSTAND THAT SHE HAD A LAWYER WHO WASN'T HELPING HER.

AND I THOUGHT, THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT.

SHE PAID ALL THE MONEY SHE HAD AND SHE DIDN'T GET ANY HELP FROM HER LAWYER.

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO STEP IN AND FIX THAT AND DO DO A BETTER JOB.

AND THAT'S THAT'S LIKE ALL THE LITTLE PLACES WHERE MY STORY OF, YOU KNOW, MY ORIGIN STORY OF WANTING TO BE A LAWYER SOMEDAY.

AND THEN APPARENTLY I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BEING A JUDGE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

PEOPLE FROM COLLEGE WERE SAYING, WELL, YOU'RE FOLLOWING YOUR DREAM.

YOU SAID IN COLLEGE YOU WANTED TO BE A JUDGE.

SO IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, PICKING UP THOSE LITTLE PIECES AS YOU GO ALONG AND HANGING ON TO THEM AND MOVING FORWARD.

THE THING THAT I'M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT, I THINK, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WAS UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A GAP, A GAP IN SERVICES IN THE LEGAL COMMUNITY FROM PEOPLE WHO NEED LEGAL SERVICES AND CAN'T AFFORD THEM AND THE PLACES WHERE THEY CAN GET HELP TO SOLVE THEIR LEGAL PROBLEMS. AND THAT GAP SEEMING TO BE VERY, VERY WIDE.

AND I, I REMEMBER SITTING IN COURT ONE DAY WAITING TO GET SOME ORDERS SIGNED AND WATCH A JUDGE.

YOU KNOW, HELPING PEOPLE PROCESS THEIR DIVORCES AND PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE LAWYERS.

SHE HAD A DOCKET CALLED THE PRO SE DOCKET SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANTS DOCKET.

AND A GENTLEMAN WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF HER AND HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH WITH ENGLISH AND HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH HIS PAPERWORK.

AND SHE LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID, SHE'S A VERY NICE LADY.

SHE WASN'T SHE WASN'T A PARTICULARLY MEAN LADY.

BUT SHE SAID, WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET A LAWYER? AND I COULD SEE THE LOOK IN HIS FACE OF KIND OF LIKE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.

I MEAN, YOU DON'T YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT DIFFICULTY I HAD GETTING HERE.

AND I REMEMBER THINKING, THAT'S JUST SUCH A SHAME.

SOMEBODY SHOULD BRIDGE THAT GAP.

AND THEN A LIGHT BULB WENT OFF AND I WAS LIKE, I COULD BRIDGE THAT GAP.

I COULD BRIDGE THAT GAP BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I WENT IN AS A JUDGE THE FIRST TIME, I REMEMBER THINKING, I WANT TO TREAT LITIGANTS WHO COME IN FRONT OF ME THE WAY THAT I WOULD EXPECT MY MOTHER TO BE TREATED IN COURT.

AND THAT WOULD NOT INVOLVE THE QUESTION WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET A LAWYER KNOWING HOW DIFFICULT THAT THAT WOULD BE FOR HER AND KNOWING THAT WHAT SHE WANTS IS A DIGNIFIED WAY TO GET THE THING DONE THAT SHE WANTS TO GET DONE.

AND SO THAT THAT'S PART OF WHAT I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT AND PART OF WHAT ALSO INSPIRES ME AND CONTINUES TO INSPIRE ME IN MY WORK.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR.

BRAVO. AND AND LET ME JUST THANK DALLAS COLLEGE FOR INVITING ME TO TO COME OUT TO TO SPEAK TO TO YOU TODAY.

AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WOMEN IN THE ROOM.

YOU SHOULD CELEBRATE YOURSELVES DURING THAT NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MONTH.

[00:15:02]

YOU KNOW, INSPIRATION COMES FROM, LIKE YOU SAID, SO MANY, SO MANY, SO MANY AREAS.

AND I THINK MINE STARTED AS AS AS WELL AS A AS A CHILD.

AND YOU CAN TELL BY MY BIO THAT I'VE HAD SEVERAL ROLES AT AT AT VISIT DALLAS AND STARTED OUT IN JUST VERY AS A LITTLE GIRL BEING VERY CURIOUS.

I WAS THE KID THAT WAS THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH DOG.

IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON IN THE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I WAS RIGHT THERE TO SEE IT.

IF AN AMBULANCE WOULD COME DOWN THE STREET, I WAS RIGHT THERE.

I WAS RIGHT OUT FRONT. AND SO I WAS ALWAYS THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH DOG.

AND SO SO THE CURIOSITY WAS IN ME TO TO TO BEGIN WITH.

AND SO AS I DECIDED TO GO INTO AS I AS I GREW UP AND GOT INTO JUNIOR HIGH IN HIGH SCHOOL, I IMMEDIATELY DECIDED TO GO INTO JOURNALISM.

AND SO THAT'S HOW I GOT MY CAREER STARTED OUT IN IN THE FIELD OF JOURNALISM.

AND THERE WERE TWO AREAS THAT THAT I WAS FOCUSED ON THAT I WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND ONE WAS JOURNALISM.

AND I WORKED ON THE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER.

I WORKED ON THE SCHOOL YEARBOOK AND WAS ONE OF THE BEAT REPORTERS IN MY IN MY SCHOOL.

AND SO NEWS WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND WHAT WAS GOING ON IN OUR IN OUR SCHOOL, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN OUR CITY, WHAT WAS GOING ON OUR COUNTRY.

AND I GREW UP IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BY THE BY THE WAY, SO GREW UP HERE IN TEXAS.

SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW I GOT MY PASSION FOR FOR FOR FOR JOURNALISM.

A FEW YEARS LATER, I GOT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS AND THEN REALIZED THAT THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO PURSUE WAS A WAS A WAS AN AREA IN JOURNALISM, IN COMMUNICATIONS.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY THEY WENT INTO PUBLIC RELATIONS.

SO SO FOR 16.5 YEARS AT VISIT DALLAS, I WAS THE I DID I DID PUBLIC RELATIONS IN JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATIONS.

AND BUT I CAME INTO AN AREA THAT I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT AND THAT WAS THE TRAVEL, TOURISM, HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.

WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR WAS A WAS A WAS A WAS A JOB IN JOURNALISM AND IN PR AND THEN ONCE I GOT INTO THIS AREA, MY PASSION GREW BECAUSE I WAS SO CURIOUS ABOUT THE DESTINATION AND WHAT DALLAS HAD TO OFFER AS A AS A DESTINATION AND THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP OUR DESTINATION AND HOW WE PROMOTE IT AS A AS A AS AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION OR A GLOBAL DESTINATION.

AND SO I STARTED GETTING VERY CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO BRING DALLAS? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE DALLAS THE SUCCESSFUL DESTINATION THAT IT IS? WE STARTED GOING TO OTHER DESTINATIONS AROUND AROUND THE COUNTRY AND SEEING WHAT THEY HAD OFFERED, AND THEN I BECAME A SALESPERSON, ALSO A SALESPERSON FOR FOR OUR FOR OUR ORGANIZATION, WHICH REALLY I KNEW I ALWAYS HAD THE SALES EXPERIENCE TO, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT SO SO I WAS OUT THERE SELLING THE DESTINATION.

AND SO WHILE I WAS WORKING WITH TRAVEL WRITERS AND AND, AND INFLUENCERS AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, I WAS ALSO SELLING OUR DESTINATION. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I STARTED GETTING MY PASSION FROM IN IN THE FIELD OF JOURNALISM AND MOVING FROM AND MOVING FROM MOVING FROM THERE.

SO AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER HATS.

BUT I GOT MY I ALSO GOT MY PASSION FROM MY STARTED WITH MY GRANDMOTHER, MY GRANDMOTHER.

AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WITH VISIT DALLAS FOR 35 YEARS, CELEBRATED MY 35TH YEAR LAST LAST MONTH.

AND SO I GOT MY RESILIENCE AND MY WORK ETHICS FROM MY GRANDMOTHER.

I WATCHED MY GRANDMOTHER GROWING UP ON A DAILY BASIS WORKING HARD.

SHE WAS A SHE WAS A HOUSEKEEPER.

SHE WAS A HOUSEKEEPER FOR A FOR A VERY WONDERFUL FAMILY THAT LIVED HERE IN HOLLAND PARK FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

AND AND I WATCHED HER GET UP AT 5 A.M.

EVERY SINGLE MORNING AND GET TO WHERE SHE NEEDED TO BE, WORKED ALL DAY, CAME HOME, TOOK CARE OF FAMILY AND MADE IT SPECIAL FOR FOR EVERYBODY.

SO I REALLY GOT MY MY WORK ETHICS FROM MY FROM MY GRANDMOTHER.

YOU KNOW. SO MINE IS A LONG AND WINDING JOURNEY, BUT I'LL SHORTEN IT.

I THINK FOR ME, GROWING UP AS A KID, I ALWAYS WANTED TO.

MY DREAM WAS TO BE A PEDIATRICIAN.

I WHAT DROVE ME WAS WANTING TO HELP PEOPLE.

AND SO WHEN I GOT TO COLLEGE, I WAS LIKE, OH, I BETTER HAVE A BACKUP PLAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY GETS INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL.

SO I TOOK I CHOSE THE MOST CHALLENGING BACKUP PLAN, WHICH IS TO MAJOR IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND MINOR IN PRE-MED.

SO THAT'S WHAT I DID.

IT WAS CRAZY. I HAD TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE DEAN EACH SEMESTER TO TAKE LIKE, YOU KNOW, 1921 CREDITS IN ORDER TO GET IT ALL DONE, BECAUSE I WAS DOING ALL THE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PRE-MED. AND WHEN I GRADUATED, I HAD JOB OFFERS FROM THE OIL COMPANIES BECAUSE I HAD INTERNED FOR FOR EXXON, YOU KNOW, AND THEN I ALSO HAD MY ACCEPTANCE LETTER TO MEDICAL SCHOOL.

AND IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT AT THAT TIME I MY SISTER HAD JUST GOTTEN MARRIED RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE.

AND IT'S JUST MY SISTER AND I THAT I TOLD MYSELF, WELL, I'M GOING TO GO WORK AND HELP MY PARENTS AND MY FAMILY VERSUS GOING INTO DEBT, YOU

[00:20:04]

KNOW, AND PURSUING THAT.

IF I GOT IN ONCE, I CAN GET IN AGAIN.

SO I KEPT THAT LETTER PROBABLY FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS IN A DRAWER.

SO I WENT TO WORK FOR SHELL AS AN ENGINEER AND TALKING ABOUT THE STEM FIELDS.

YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW 28% OF STEM WORKFORCE ARE WOMEN.

AND I FELT THAT IT WAS LESS THEN.

THIS IS BACK IN 91 BEING LIKE THE FIRST WOMEN ENGINEER THEY'VE EVER SEEN OUT IN THE FIELD, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, ARE YOU, ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, SECRETARY? I'M LIKE, NO, I'M YOUR ENGINEER.

AND THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHOCKED.

AND, AND BUT ANYWAY, SO I REALLY ENJOYED THAT BECAUSE WE WERE APPLYING WHAT WE LEARNED IN COLLEGE AND I WAS SOLVING PROBLEMS AND HELPING, YOU KNOW, THEIR MAIN GOALS WERE INCREASE REVENUE, REDUCE EXPENSES, RIGHT? I WAS LIKE, WE CAN DO THAT. SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATING, DOING ALL THAT WORK.

AND AND I THINK SOMETIMES AS AS WELL, OFTENTIMES WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH LIFE, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAPPEN THAT CAUSE YOU TO PAUSE AND REFLECT. AND SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.

LIKE AT THIS FIVE YEAR MARK FOR ME AFTER WORKING FOR SHELL WAS THAT MY UNCLE PASSED AWAY WITH AFTER BEING GOING THROUGH EMERGENCY HEART BYPASS SURGERY. AND I WAS A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE FAMILY TRANSLATING FOR EVERYONE AND SO FORTH.

AND THEY SAID THAT THE REASON WHY WAS THAT IT WAS A BIOCOMPATIBILITY PROBLEM OF HIS BLOOD WITH THE TUBING THAT WAS IN THE HEART LUNG BYPASS MACHINE.

AND THAT WAS LIKE AN AHA MOMENT FOR ME.

I WAS LIKE, OH, I CAN BE AN ENGINEER IN MEDICINE.

AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I CAN SOLVE PROBLEMS IN MEDICINE AND THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED.

SO, SO THEN BY THAT TIME I HAD INVESTED IN ENGINEERING, SO I APPLIED AND GOT INTO THE THIS IS MY SECOND STINT IN DALLAS BECAUSE I WAS HERE IN THE MID 90 SECONDS TO EARLY 2000 AT THE UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER.

THEY HAVE A JOINT PROGRAM WITH UT ARLINGTON AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING DID RESEARCH IN BIOARTIFICIAL PANCREAS FOR DIABETES TREATMENT AND WAS THEN FROM THERE AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS LATER WAS PRIVILEGED TO TO DO A POSTDOC AND THEN BECAME A FACULTY MEMBER AND RESEARCHER BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I WAS TRAINED TO DO, RIGHT? SO I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK TO MY ALMA MATER AT UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HELP BUILD THAT PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THAT THAT IT WASN'T MY OWN RESEARCH PROGRAM THAT WAS FULFILLING.

I WAS SPENDING MY TIME HELPING STUDENTS AND BUILDING PROGRAMS AND BUILDING CURRICULUM AND BUILDING LABS.

AND THAT WAS THEN MY TRANSITION TO HIGHER ED ADMINISTRATION.

SO FROM THERE IT JUST KIND OF BUILT.

BUT I SEE MY ROLE NOW IN HIGHER ED POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THOSE EARLIER EXPERIENCES AS AN ENGINEER, AS A RESEARCHER, BECAUSE I AM HELPING STUDENTS EVERY DAY, BUT I'M ALSO I ALSO HAVE THE PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS THAT THAT I LEARNED THROUGH THOSE EARLY INDUSTRY YEARS.

SO I FEEL VERY BLESSED TO BE IN HIGHER ED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR.

TRAN. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S SUCH AN INSPIRATION.

YOU HAVE SUCH AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY SHARING THAT AND THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH WOMEN IN THE STEM FIELD.

AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR STUDENTS WATCHING WILL WILL SEE YOU AND MAYBE REACH OUT TO YOU IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE EITHER ONE OF THOSE AMAZING FIELDS THAT I COULD NEVER DO IT.

PROBABLY NOT GET INTO ENGINEERING OR MEDICAL SCHOOL.

BUT LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT QUESTION AND WE'LL MOVE WE'LL START WITH MISS RICHARDS ON THIS ONE.

AND LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INEQUITIES THAT WE AS WOMEN SOMETIMES HAVE HAVE HAD TO FACE OR ARE MAYBE CURRENTLY STILL FACING. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU HAVE HAD TO HAD TO FACE INEQUITY? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT CHALLENGE AND HOW YOU OVERCAME IT? YEAH. THANK YOU.

SO, YES, AND WE ARE STILL FACING INEQUITIES.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT THAT THAT HERE AT DALLAS COLLEGE THERE IS WHAT I HEAR 60% WOMEN.

AND SO THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S GREAT.

BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.

YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT LOOK AT OUR INDUSTRY ALONE AND I LOOK AT THE FACT THAT WE YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY 70% WOMEN IN OUR INDUSTRY.

BUT HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE CEOS OF ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS AND HOTELIERS? AND SO THERE'S STILL THERE'S STILL THERE'S STILL A CHALLENGE AND THERE'S STILL WORK TO WORK TO DO.

AND WE HAVE TO KEEP.

AND WHAT I ALWAYS SAY IS WE HAVE TO KEEP KEEP OUR SKILL SET, ALWAYS POLISHED, KEEP, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP, KEEP LEARNING, KEEP, KEEP, YOU KNOW, KEEP KNOWLEDGE AND KEEP THE KNOWLEDGE OF OF OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR IN YOUR PARTICULAR AREAS.

AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN ABOUT HAVING A SEAT AT THE TABLE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THIS PERSON THAT IF IF I DIDN'T BECAUSE OF MY CURIOSITY, BECAUSE IF I DIDN'T HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, I PULLED IT UP TO THE TABLE.

AND AND SO I TRIED TO SIT IN ON EVERYBODY'S EVERYBODY'S MEETING AND EVERYBODY'S PLANNING PROCESS SO THAT I COULD SO THAT I COULD HEAR FOR MYSELF WHAT WAS GOING ON, BECAUSE THAT'S

[00:25:03]

WHAT'S GOING TO INSPIRE US AND GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

SO IT IS A SO YOU REALLY DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE HAVING THESE THESE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH WITH YOUR WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF YOUR EXECUTIVES WITH YOUR BUT YOU AND AND HERE'S THE THING AND I ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THAT I PRIDE MYSELF ON IS THAT I, I LISTEN AND AND I LISTEN.

I LISTEN. AND BECAUSE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO LISTEN SO THAT I CAN LEARN AND SO THAT I CAN GAIN THE KNOWLEDGE FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN FRONT OF ME SO THAT I CAN ALSO HELP PROMOTE THOSE PEOPLE IN AND PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY WOMEN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE STILL HAVE SOME CHALLENGES TO GO.

SO WE HAVE GOT TO BE A YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SALARIES, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INEQUITIES, WHETHER IT'S IT'S IT'S SALARIES.

AND WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE.

WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE WHERE THE MALES IN THE ROOM PROBABLY MAKE MAYBE IN THE SAME, YOU KNOW, SAME LEVEL POSITION LEVEL BUT MAYBE MAKING MORE THAN THAN THAN THAN YOU. AND I'VE BEEN AND I'VE BEEN THERE AND SO AND THAT'S WHY I KEEP PUSHING.

I KEEP PUSHING. I KEEP LEARNING MORE AND AND MAKING SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, MY SKILL SET AND WHAT EMPOWERS ME TO DO MY JOB BETTER SO THAT I CAN BE SO THAT I CAN BE IN THE ROOM WHEN THESE HARD DISCUSSIONS ARE HAPPENING.

YEAH. DR.

CHEN, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THIS FROM THE JUST THE PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW OF AS A WOMAN LEADER THAT I THINK OFTENTIMES WHEN WE THINK OF EQUITY, WE THINK OF LIKE THE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOCIETY, EVERYTHING THAT'S EXTERNAL TO US.

BUT I THINK ONE THING FOR ME THAT THAT I LEARNED FROM A MENTOR THAT WAS VERY POWERFUL, I STILL CARRY WITH ME AND IT'S THE POSTDOC JOURNEY THAT I WAS REFERRED TO EARLIER IS THAT WHEN I WAS FINISHING UP MY PHD, IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO APPLY FOR MY POSTDOC RESEARCH.

THAT'S WHAT YOU DO, RIGHT? SO I WAS LIKE, OH GREAT, I'LL APPLY FOR RICE BECAUSE THAT'S BACK HOME ON MY FAMILY'S IN HOUSTON.

I WENT, I WAS SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS WITH MY PROFESSOR, MY MENTOR, MY GRADUATE ADVISOR, AND HE'S LIKE, WHY ARE YOU LIMITING YOURSELF? AND I'M LIKE, I'M LIMITING MYSELF, BUT IT'S RICE AND IT'S HOUSTON, YOU KNOW? AND HE SAID, WELL, WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO? WELL, I WANT TO DO DRUG DELIVERY AND TISSUE ENGINEERING RESEARCH.

WELL, WHO ARE THE TOP RESEARCHERS? AND SO HE SENT ME ON A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT TO FIND THE TOP RESEARCHERS.

I EMAILED EACH OF THEM COLD, EMAILED AND SAID, I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH.

YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING FOR A POSTDOC OPPORTUNITY THEY INVITED ME TO INTERVIEW.

SO I WAS ON THIS MARATHON THROUGH RUTGERS, CORNELL, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, YALE, AND THEN ME, YOU KNOW, BORN IN VIETNAM, CHILD REFUGEE WAS OFFERED THIS POSTDOC FELLOWSHIP AT YALE UNIVERSITY, YOU KNOW, AND AND THAT TO ME, IT SPEAKS TO THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME, TOO, BECAUSE HE WAS SAYING, WHY ARE YOU LIMITING YOURSELF? AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT TO MYSELF, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE, WHY AM I LIMITING MYSELF? DON'T BLAME ALL THE I MEAN, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE OUT THERE, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATISTIC IS, BUT SOMEBODY SHARED WITH ME IS THAT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, FOR A PARTICULAR JOB, YOU WILL SEE MALES APPLY FOR IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS WHERE FEMALES WILL WILL HOLD THEMSELVES BACK BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, OH, I DON'T I DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

WHY ARE YOU LIMITING YOURSELF? RIGHT. AND I THINK IF YOU COULD JUST REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE WE ARE OUR WORST ENEMIES WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT EQUITY BECAUSE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

YEAH. THAT THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.

NOT NOT JUST THINKING ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH THERE ARE INEQUITABLE SITUATIONS OUT IN THE WORLD, BUT THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU CREATE INEQUITABLE SOLUTIONS FOR YOURSELF.

AND THAT THAT DOES HAPPEN.

AND SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN YOU FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME THAT AND YOU THINK, I'M GOING TO GO DO THIS THING, YOU STILL GET PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING, OH, THAT'S NOT FOR PEOPLE LIKE US, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, I REMEMBER GETTING THAT KIND OF THAT KIND OF RESPONSE IN TERMS OF BEING FACED WITH INEQUITY.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THE STANDARD SITTING IN THE ROOM AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PERSON WHO'S ACROSS FROM YOU HAS LESS EXPERIENCE AND WORKS FEWER HOURS THAN YOU GETS PAID MORE THAN YOU, AND THEN BEING TOLD, WELL, HE'S GOT A FAMILY.

YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I HEARD THAT IT WAS LIKE A SLAP IN THE FACE.

IT WAS LIKE. THIS IS REAL.

THIS REALLY HAPPENS.

IT WAS MY FIRST JOB AS A LAWYER, AND THEN IT THINKING THAT SOMEDAY IT'LL GO AWAY, RIGHT? IT'LL GO AWAY BECAUSE NOW I'M A JUDGE AND I WEAR A ROBE.

AND. AND THE THING THAT'S BEEN MOST INTERESTING TO ME IS TO UNDERSTAND THE TREATMENT THAT I GET FROM PEOPLE IN THE COURTROOM WHO UNDERSTAND THAT I'M THE JUDGE AND AND ACT A CERTAIN WAY.

AND THEN GOING OUT INTO THE WORLD WHERE NOBODY KNOWS WHAT MY POSITION IS AND BEING TREATED ANOTHER WAY AND UNDERSTANDING THAT

[00:30:07]

THAT DIFFERENCE AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, JUDGES DON'T GET TREATED LIKE JUDGES EVERYWHERE.

BUT THE STEPS AWAY FROM IT ARE ARE ARE MORE VAST.

AND AN EXAMPLE HAPPENED JUST THIS WEEKEND WHERE I WAS AT MY AT OUR LAKE HOUSE AND THE GATE BROKE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS PUSHING MY CARD AND FOR NO LESS THAN FOUR PEOPLE CAME UP TO ME AND WERE SAYING, WELL, YOU CAN'T GET IN THERE WITHOUT A CARD. DO YOU LIVE HERE? DO YOU OWN PROPERTY? I'VE LIVED HERE 27 YEARS.

I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU AND WE'VE HAD IT FOR 26 YEARS.

AND SO IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, FEELING THIS DEFENSIVENESS ALL OF A SUDDEN WHERE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT HOME AND PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMING UP AND SAYING IT'S THE GATE ACTING UP AGAIN BECAUSE IT ACTS UP AND THEN GOING TO A CONFERENCE WHERE, YOU KNOW, FOR SECURITY REASONS, THEY DIDN'T PUT ANY TITLES ON THE NAME TAGS AND GETTING APPROACHED AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND THEN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THESE MISCONCEPTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.

THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, HOW DO YOU DO THAT THING? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT.

AND I'M LIKE, WELL, I HAVE HELP FROM MY LAWYERS AND THEY'RE LIKE, LAWYERS, DO YOU SUPERVISE LAWYERS FOR A JUSTICE? AND I'M LIKE, I'M THE JUSTICE.

AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, MY GOSH.

AND THEN REALLY PROFUSELY APOLOGETIC.

I'M LIKE, IT'S IT'S OKAY.

YOU WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT I WAS A JUSTICE.

BUT NOW THEY'RE REALLY EMBARRASSED AND UNDERSTANDING THAT IN THEIR MINDS THEY WERE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.

AND IT TOOK MULTIPLE STEPS AND IGNORING CLUES BEFORE THEY GOT TO THE REALIZATION AND THE WAYS TO OVERCOME IT ARE, FIRST, YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

GET A GOOD THERAPIST BECAUSE BECAUSE YOU WILL BE IN PLACES WHERE YOU BELONG, WHERE YOU ULTIMATELY BELONG.

YOU KNOW YOU BELONG. AND PEOPLE DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU BELONG.

AND THAT CAN BE DAMAGING TO YOUR SOUL IF YOU TAKE THEM PERSONALLY.

SO THE FIRST THING IS TO GET SOME HELP A FRIEND, A MENTOR, BE A MENTOR TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THAT.

AND TOGETHER WE CAN ALL KIND OF CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THE LANDSCAPE AND, YOU KNOW, LITTLE CIRCLES.

BUT THEN WE CAN ALSO SURVIVE IT, HOPEFULLY IN A HEALTHY WAY.

WOW. JUSTICE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S STILL HAPPENING TO YOU AT YOUR LAKE HOUSE.

YEAH. TO PIGGYBACK ON ON ON THAT AND YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, IF IT'S IF IT'S A THERAPIST THAT YOU NEED, THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE WE ALL NEED THOSE EVERY NOW AND THEN.

BUT IT'S ALSO A, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME IS THAT I'VE GOT MY OWN BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT AND I CALL THEM MY PERSONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THEY'RE THERE TO ASSIST ME WITH THERAPY.

THEY'RE THERE TO ASSIST ME WITH, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

I MEAN, WHATEVER I NEED TO, TO HAVE, I GO TO THE I GO TO THOSE, THOSE, THOSE THAT THOSE THOSE BOARD MEMBERS AND SAY, I NEED HELP WITH THIS.

AND THE REASON THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADVANCE IN EACH EACH JOB THAT I THAT I'VE THAT I'VE THAT I'VE HAD IS BECAUSE I SPOKE UP AND SAID, I'LL TAKE IT.

I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

AND THAT'S WHERE YOU WERE SAYING THE MEN USUALLY SPEAK UP VERY EARLY AND THEY HAVE NOT A CLUE AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT POSITION, BUT THEY WILL TAKE IT NO MATTER WHAT.

AND I LEARNED THAT EARLY ON AND I STARTED.

AND SO I HAVE BUILT TWO, TWO ACTUALLY TWO DIVISIONS FOR TWO DEPARTMENTS FOR FOR MY COMPANY SIMPLY BECAUSE AND I DIDN'T HAVE I DIDN'T I DID NOT KNOW WHEN I CAME INTO THE DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION SPACE, I HAD ONE OF MY BOARD, MY ONE OF MY MENTORS AND ONE OF MY SPONSORS SAY, I WILL HELP YOU WITH THE TACTICS BEHIND TAKE THIS JOB.

I'LL HELP YOU WITH THE TACTICS BEHIND AND THE BEST PRACTICES BEHIND DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION.

I'LL HELP YOU BECOME A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP PROFESSIONAL.

TAKE THIS, TAKE THIS JOB.

AND SO YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE AND THESE HAVE ALL BEEN WOMEN ON MY BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT HAVE PUSHED ME TO TO NEW HEIGHTS.

AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR HAVE HAVE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S THERE TO SUPPORT YOU.

GREAT. I LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ON THIS QUESTION.

SO I WAS LICENSED AS AN ATTORNEY WHEN I WAS ABOUT 25 YEARS OLD.

AND AND I'VE BEEN PRACTICING, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OVER 15 YEARS SO YOU CAN FIGURE OUT MY AGE.

BUT I WAS I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED YOUNG.

SO IMAGINE IF I'M YOUR ATTORNEY, LIKE YOU'RE LIKE, WHO'S THIS LITTLE GIRL REPRESENTING ME? SO I HAVE HAD TO MY ISSUE HAS BEEN, I'M YOUNG, I'M LATINA.

AND SO THERE'S AND THERE'S ALL THESE UP.

ASSUMPTIONS MADE RIGHT.

AND SO I DO IMMIGRATION LAW.

I GO TO IMMIGRATION COURT.

AND WHO DO THEY THINK I AM? YOU KNOW, LIKE, ARE YOU THE ASSISTANT? ARE YOU THE CLIENT? LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE YOU? SO FOR ME, THANKFULLY, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY CONFIDENT.

AND BUT I BUT I AND I WAS ALSO A VERY YOUNG BUSINESS OWNER.

I WAS 29 WHEN I OPENED MY LAW FIRM.

AND SO THEN I DEALT WITH THE MY CLIENTS.

[00:35:02]

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF MY CLIENTS ARE MALE, THEY'RE OLDER.

UM, AND I REMEMBER DOING ONE CONSULTATION PROBABLY MORE, BUT I REMEMBER ONE SPECIFICALLY WHERE THE CLIENT ASKED ME, OH, IS THIS YOUR FATHER'S LAW FIRM? I WAS LIKE, NO, THIS IS NOT MY FATHER'S LAW FIRM.

IS THIS YOUR HUSBAND'S LAW FIRM? NO, THIS IS NOT MY HUSBAND'S LAW FIRM.

THIS IS MY LAW FIRM.

AND HAVING TO DEAL WITH HISPANIC MEN WHO WON'T EVEN MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH ME.

SO LOTS OF.

YEAH. BARRIERS I'VE OVERCOME.

FOR ME, ONE OF THE THINGS I DID TO OVERCOMPENSATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL SUFFER FROM IMPOSTER SYNDROME WAS I GOT BOARD CERTIFIED AS SOON AS I COULD.

SO BOARD CERTIFICATION IS SOMETHING THAT WHAT IS IT, LIKE 6% LESS THAN 6% OF OF LAWYERS IN TEXAS ARE.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU SIT FOR AN EXAM THAT YOU HAVE TO BE VETTED TO EVEN SIT FOR THE EXAM AND THEN YOU HAVE TO PASS IT.

AND BASICALLY YOU CAN CALL YOURSELF AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD, JUST AS GARCIA, I BELIEVE, IS BOARD CERTIFIED IN TWO DIFFERENT AREAS, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE EVEN LIKE IN A SMALLER PERCENTAGE.

I'M BOARD CERTIFIED IN IMMIGRATION LAW.

I COULD SAY THAT WHEN I WAS ABOUT I THINK YOU CAN FIRST SIT FOR IT AFTER FIVE YEARS OF PRACTICE.

I GOT IT ON MY SIXTH YEAR.

AND SO I'M EVEN IN A SMALLER HANDFUL OF OF PEOPLE.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT? MOST OF MY CLIENTS DON'T CARE.

LIKE THEY HAVE. NO, THEY THEY DO NOT CARE IF I'M BOARD CERTIFIED OR NOT, BUT I CARE.

RIGHT. AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SAY I TRULY AM AN EXPERT.

SO WE ALL UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE IN THE LEGAL FIELD, THERE'S STILL MANY THINGS THAT WE NEED TO OVERCOME.

BUT I'M THANKFUL THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE JUSTICE GARCIA WHO HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE AND WHO CAN WHO CAN SHARE WORDS OF INSPIRATION.

SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS AND BEING THERE FOR ME.

OKAY. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION, AND WE WILL START WITH DR.

TRAN ON THIS ONE.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION TO SUCCEED AND HOW DO YOU DEFINE RESILIENCE AS A LEADER? SO FOR THE INSPIRATION TO SUCCEED, IT WOULD BE MY PARENTS, YOU KNOW? LIKE A LOT OF IMMIGRANT PARENTS, THEY SACRIFICE A LOT FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

RIGHT? AND ONE THING WITH MY PARENTS IS THEY'RE BOTH THE OLDEST SIBLING OF THEIR FAMILY.

SO THEY TOOK CARE OF ALL THE YOU KNOW, EACH OF THEM ARE ONE OF SIX, SO THEY NEVER GOT TO GO TO SCHOOL.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE KIDS WENT TO SCHOOL AND BUT DESPITE THAT, THEY INSTILLED IN MY SISTER AND I THE VALUE OF EDUCATION, YOU KNOW. THE THEY SACRIFICED SO THAT MY SISTER AND I COULD HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THAT WE WERE FARMERS IN VIETNAM.

SORRY. AND THANK YOU.

I WASN'T EXPECTING THIS, BUT.

AND SO THE VALUE OF EDUCATION AND THEY INSTILLED IN US EDUCATION WILL OPEN DOORS FOR YOU.

YOU KNOW, AND TO THIS DAY, THAT IS MY DAILY MANTRA.

THE THE MY MOTIVATION IS THAT I'M HERE TO OPEN DOORS FOR STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE DOORS WERE OPEN FOR FOR ME THROUGH EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, AND ONE REALLY, YOU KNOW, THOSE MOMENTS OF REFLECTION THAT HAPPEN RIGHT HERE I AM DRIVING TO MY FIRST DAY AS DEAN OF MATH AND SCIENCE AT LONE STAR AND WHICH IS IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF HOUSTON.

I GET I'M STOPPING AT A STOPLIGHT AND I LOOK TO MY LEFT AND IT'S HEARTS CRISPY CHICKEN.

AND TO MY RIGHT IS DAIRY QUEEN, WHERE I WAS CASHIER AT BOTH AT THE SAME TIME, IN COLLEGE, IN HIGH SCHOOL.

AND THAT'S WHEN I REALLY FELT THE THE POWER AND THE VALUE OF EDUCATION THAT NOW I'M GOING TO BE MY FIRST DAY AS DEAN, YOU KNOW.

AND HAD I NOT HAD ALL THOSE MY EDUCATION JOURNEY, I WOULD STILL I WOULD PROBABLY BE A MANAGER AT HEART SQUARE SPEED CHICKEN.

YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS JOKE THAT I HAD DINNER AND DESSERT SO YOU KNOW BUT ANYWAY, SO SO SO MY PARENTS ARE MY INSPIRATION REGARDING RESILIENCE.

I THINK THERE'S. MY BREAST CANCER JOURNEY WAS ONE THAT LIKE WAS OUT OF THE BLUE AND UNEXPECTED.

AND AND I MEAN, I WAS GOING 150 MILES AN HOUR.

I WAS LIKE, OKAY, LET'S DO THIS, THIS, THIS.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, LIKE THE DIAGNOSIS, YOU KNOW, STAGE TWO BREAST CANCER PROBABLY BEEN THE TUMOR BEEN GROWING FOR TEN YEARS, BUT UNDETECTED.

[00:40:05]

SO I ENCOURAGE MAMMOGRAMS AND EARLY DETECTION, ESPECIALLY THE THREE D MAMMOGRAM, I FEEL IS WHAT CAUGHT, YOU KNOW, THE TUMOR.

BUT BECAUSE OF TESTING AND SO FORTH, I ELECTED TO DO, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE FULL TREATMENT OF DOUBLE MASTECTOMY, TOTAL HYSTERECTOMY, THEN CHEMO AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

AND IT WAS JUST THIS LIKE RELENTLESS, YOU KNOW, LIKE JUST GET IT OUT, YOU KNOW? AND FOR ME, WHAT WAS THE DRIVING FORCE IS THAT I JUST.

THAT DRIVE TO HELP PEOPLE.

AND I HAVE MORE TO GIVE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I SEE MY WORK AS REALLY A HIGHER CALLING.

YOU KNOW, I FEEL SO BLESSED THAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME THE GIFTS AND THE TALENTS AND THE EXPERIENCES FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I DO.

AND SO I DON'T SEE MY WORK AS WORK.

AND I'M SURE WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER AND HOW THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR ME FOR WORK LIFE BALANCE, YOU KNOW, SO BUT BUT THAT, THAT AND OF COURSE MY MY FAMILY BECAUSE I WANT TO BE THERE FOR THEM.

RIGHT. I WANTED TO WATCH THE BOYS GROW UP.

AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TWO BOYS THAT I HAD IN GRADUATE SCHOOL.

AND SO, LIKE WHEN WE WERE GOING UP TO YALE, IT WAS LIKE TWO TODDLERS IN TOW, YOU KNOW, OUR FAMILY OF FOUR.

BUT ANYWAYS, THAT RESILIENCE PIECE, I THINK BEING BEING A CANCER SURVIVOR PUTS YOU THROUGH THIS, THIS FIGHT AND THIS JOURNEY.

AND THIS WILL TO PERSIST THAT THAT LIKE NO OTHER RIGHT.

BECAUSE IT IS SURVIVING.

SO I'M SO HAPPY TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT I'M FIVE YEARS IN REMISSION NOW.

AND I REALLY DO LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT'S THE LAST, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW, RIGHT? BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, EVERYTHING WAS LIKE GOING ON ALL CLICKS AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WAS ALL WORKING GREAT AND EVERYTHING.

AND THEN. AND THEN IT'S LIKE, STOP.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE, BUT I'M DOING YOUR WORK, YOU KNOW, GOD, WHAT IS THIS? YOU KNOW? BUT BUT I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THAT.

I DON'T WISH IT ON ANYONE, BUT I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, SHARING MY JOURNEY HELPS FOR YOU TO SEE THAT.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO.

THE WHY, RIGHT? WE TALK ABOUT, LIKE, EACH OF US, LIKE WHY? WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO? AND FOR ME, JUST THAT, THAT THAT LONG AND WINDING ROAD WAS TRYING TO GET TO MY WHY FOR THE MATCH, YOU KNOW.

AND SOME OF YOU MAY BE BE THERE ALREADY AND SOME OF YOU MAY BE STILL ON THE JOURNEY YOU KNOW BUT WHEN THE WHEN THE TWO.

COME TOGETHER.

IT'S IT'S SO AMAZING, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO DO WORK THAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU'RE HELPING OTHERS AND WHATEVER YOUR MOTIVATION IS, YOU KNOW.

BUT SORRY.

SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SHARE NOW.

THANK YOU. DR. TRAN I'M NOT SURE IF THIS MIC WORKS, BUT THANK YOU, DR.

TRAN, FOR FOR SHARING SUCH A PERSONAL STORY.

I THINK MANY OF US IN THIS ROOM EITHER WE HAVE EXPERIENCED HEALTH PROBLEMS OR HAVE CLOSE LOVED ONE AND KNOW THE OBSTACLES, THE DIFFICULTY OF THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT WITH US.

JUSTICE GARCIA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? UM. SO.

INSPIRATION TO SUCCEED.

UM, I'M NOT. YOU DON'T HEAR ME? OKAY. OKAY.

INSPIRATION TO SUCCEED COMES FROM AGAIN, INSPIRATION COMES FROM A NUMBER OF PLACES.

AND FOR ME, IT'S GENERATIONAL.

MY PARENTS INSPIRED ME, AND I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE I GOT PERSISTENCE FROM MY MOTHER AND AND RESILIENCE FROM MY FATHER.

AND THAT COMBINATION IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION IN MY MIND.

AND THEN I GET IT FROM MY DAUGHTER, YOU KNOW, WATCHING HER GO FROM BEING A BABY AND, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF BABBLING AT YOU.

AND THEN NOW SHE'S TALKING.

SHE'S GETTING HER MASTER'S IN COUNSELING AT UNT.

AND TO LISTEN TO HER TALK NOW AND SAY THINGS, MY HUSBAND AND I JUST LOOK AT HER AND WE'RE LIKE, DO YOU HAVE A DICTIONARY? YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK THAT WORD UP BECAUSE SHE'S LIKE REALLY SMART.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND COLLEAGUES LIKE MONICA HERE, I MEAN, I REMEMBER YOU STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND I WAS STILL PROBABLY AN ASSOCIATE AT A LAW FIRM WHERE MONICA WAS OUT THERE FORGING, FORGING NEW FRONTIERS BY BEING SO CONFIDENT AND PUTTING TOGETHER HER BUSINESS. AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASKING ME, DO YOU KNOW ANYBODY IN IMMIGRATION LAW? AND THE NAME WOULD COME UP MONICA.

AND I'D BE LIKE, GO TALK TO MONICA.

[00:45:02]

SHE KNOWS. SO AND INSPIRED BY YOU ALL, INSPIRED BY LOOKING OUT INTO A ROOM, REMEMBERING GOING TO COLLEGE AND BEING THE ONLY PERSON OF COLOR IN THE ROOM AND NOW LOOKING OUT WHENEVER I GO TO COLLEGES ALL OVER THE PLACE AND IT'S EVERYBODY.

THERE IS A DIVERSITY IN CROWDS IN COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS THAT I DIDN'T SEE BEFORE.

AND THAT TO ME, THAT THAT GIVES ME INSPIRATION.

I NEED TO KEEP GOING WHEN I GET TIRED.

UM, RESILIENCE, I THINK, IS A COMBINATION OF, OF THAT.

INSPIRATION AND PERSISTENCE.

UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOING EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE OBSTACLES AND YOU HAVE TO BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WATER ON A DUCK.

THE THE OBSTACLES HAVE TO BE LIKE WATER ON ON THE DUCK BECAUSE IT WILL COME IN AND IT WILL TRY TO IT'LL SEEM LIKE YOU'RE BEING ATTACKED AND YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP GOING.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT IT IT'S NOT EASY.

IT'S NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS.

BUT WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THESE IDEAS OF YOU THAT ARE NEGATIVE, YOU NEED TO JUST NOT OWN WHAT THEY GIVE YOU.

AND SO.

YEAH, MY STORY IS, IS OBVIOUSLY VERY, VERY, VERY SIMILAR TO TO DENISE.

BUT IT'S, IT'S A I THINK I GOT MY INSPIRATION TO TO SUCCEED AND I TOLD YOU EARLIER FROM MY GRANDMOTHER GOT MY PERSISTENCE FROM MY FROM MY FATHER.

MY FATHER WAS JUST A JUST JUST A JUST A GENTLEMAN BUT WAS ALWAYS ON THE LINE WHEN THERE WAS AN ISSUE THAT INVOLVED RACISM AND JUST MAKING SURE.

I MEAN, HE WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT THAT GOT PUT OFF HIS COLLEGE CAMPUS FOR BOYCOTTING AND BECAUSE HE KNEW WHAT WAS RIGHT AND HE WAS ALWAYS ON THE LINE TO PROTECT, TO PROTECT WHAT WAS WHAT WAS WHAT WAS RIGHT.

AND SO I THINK I REALLY GOT MY PERSISTENCE FROM FROM FROM, FROM FROM HIM.

AND RESILIENCE COMES FROM JUST WATCHING, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WATCHING MY FATHER AND WATCHING MY GRANDMOTHER IN IN IN THEIR IN THEIR STRUGGLES.

BUT EVERY DAY WHEN I COME AND I SEE AGAIN, I SEE THE FACES OUT HERE AND I SEE YOUR FACES AND I SEE THE FACES IN IN MY INDUSTRY.

AND I SEE JUST JUST WOMEN AND AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN GENERAL.

AND AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M STRIVING TO DO IS, IS IS YOU HAVE A PLACE I MEAN, EVERYBODY IS LOOKING FOR THE SAME THING.

EVERYBODY IS LOOKING FOR EQUALITY.

AND AND WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT THIS TO TO TO THE END.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET OUT AND AND VOTE.

IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE, SHAME ON YOU BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GET THEM TO YOU NEED TO GET THEM TO TO TO VOTE.

BECAUSE AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'VE GOT WE'VE GOT WE'VE GOT WORK DONE.

AND THAT'S WHAT KEEPS ME THAT'S WHAT KEEPS ME GOING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT WE STILL HAVE MORE WE STILL HAVE MORE WORK TO DO.

AND AND WE CAN'T DO IT.

WE HAVE TO DO IT TOGETHER.

WE HAVE TO DO IT AS WOMEN, AS PEOPLE OF COLOR, AS AS AS, YOU KNOW, AS AS AS ADMINISTRATORS HERE ON THIS ON THIS ON THIS CAMPUS.

BUT WE CAN'T WE CAN'T STOP NOW BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH WORK LEFT TO BE BE DONE.

AND WHEN I SEE THAT, WHEN I LOOK OUT AND SEE THAT, I THINK THAT'S WHAT KEEPS ME KEEPS ME GOING, IS THAT WE STILL HAVE A FIGHT ON OUR HAND, AND PARTICULARLY HERE IN OUR OWN STATE.

I LOOK AT THAT AND I'M JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.

WE HAVE A FIGHT ON OUR HANDS AND WE HAVE TO WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE THERE TO TO TO TO TO BE THERE TO SUPPORT.

GREAT. AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT MY INSPIRATION NOW, IT'S I THINK IT'S CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.

RIGHT? AT FIRST IT WAS ABOUT MAKING MY PARENTS PROUD, MAKING MY COMMUNITY PROUD.

NOW IT'S ABOUT MAKING MY THREE DAUGHTERS PROUD.

SO ONE THING I HAVEN'T MENTIONED, I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE MENTIONED THEIR KIDS, SO I'LL MENTION MINE.

I HAVE THREE GIRLS, SIX, FOUR AND TWO, AND I WANT THEM TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THEY KNOW THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING.

AND RIGHT NOW THEY STILL BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, NOBODY HAS TOLD THEM THEY CAN'T.

BUT I KNOW THAT ONE DAY SOMEBODY WILL.

AND SO IT'S MY JOB TO CONTINUE MOTIVATING THEM.

AND SO THAT'S MY INSPIRATION.

AND AS FAR AS RESILIENCE, OBVIOUSLY, LIKE ANOTHER THING ABOUT MYSELF IS THAT I DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.

AND I THINK AND THAT MEANS LIKE WHEN I APPLIED TO LAW SCHOOL AND I DIDN'T GET IN, I DIDN'T GIVE UP.

YOU KNOW, I TOOK A YEAR OFF.

I GOT A JOB AT A LAW FIRM FULL TIME DOING FILING.

I WIDENED MY SEARCH.

AND GUESS WHAT? I GOT INTO MULTIPLE LAW SCHOOLS THE SECOND TIME AROUND BECAUSE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THAT WAS JUST WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.

I WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE A GAP YEAR.

AND SO I SAY THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE WE PUT ALL OUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET AND WE THINK THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.

[00:50:04]

AND THEN WE GET TO THAT POINT.

MAYBE IT'S LIKE TAKING THAT NURSING EXAM AND YOU DON'T PASS THE TEST AND YOU THINK, OH, WELL, I'M GOING TO JUST SWITCH MAJORS AND SOMETIMES I MIGHT BE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR YOU.

MAYBE THAT MEANT THAT IT WASN'T YOUR PATH, BUT MAYBE THAT JUST MEANT THAT YOU NEEDED TO TAKE A BREAK, RECOLLECT YOURSELF, STUDY SOME MORE, MAYBE GET SOME TUTORING AND TRY AGAIN.

RIGHT? SO I TELL MYSELF THAT EVEN NOW, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IF WE HAVE A CASE WHERE MAYBE WE LOST, WE LOST.

I DO DEPORTATION DEFENSE.

SO I REPRESENT PEOPLE IN IMMIGRATION COURT AND MAYBE WE LOST WITH THE IMMIGRATION JUDGE WHO DENIED MY CLIENT'S CASE, WHICH MEANS MY CLIENT GOT AN ORDER OF DEPORTATION.

BUT HEY, GUESS WHAT? THERE'S AN APPELLATE COURT I CAN APPEAL.

AND AND EVEN IF APPEALING, ALL MY APPEAL DOES IS BUY MY CLIENT MORE TIME IN THE COUNTRY, LIKE THAT'S STILL WINNING.

RIGHT. SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE RESILIENT AND NOT TAKE NO AS AN ANSWER BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S NOT REALLY A NO. IT'S A NOT YET.

SO I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SEE FAILURE AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

I THINK I THINK I WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT BECAUSE REDEFINING WHAT IT MEANS TO SUCCEED AND REDEFINING WHAT A WIN IS THAT WHATEVER STEP YOU TAKE, IT MAY FEEL LIKE IT'S TWO STEPS BACK, BUT IT'S ALL PART OF THE JOURNEY.

I HAD A BOSS THAT I WORKED FOR AND WE WOULD GO TO COURT AND IT WOULD FEEL LIKE WE'D LOSE A HEARING AND HE WOULD WALK OUT INTO THE HALLWAY AND HE WOULD SAY, YES, WE'VE GOT HIM RIGHT WHERE WE WANT HIM.

AND I'D BE LIKE, WHOA, WHOA, WAIT.

AND THAT THAT MINDSET OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO ME I'M GOING TO TAKE AS A WIN AND I'M GOING TO BUILD ON IT, THAT THAT'S, I THINK, PART OF WHAT RESILIENCE IS, TOO.

YEAH, EXACTLY.

OKAY. AND I DON'T KNOW WHO WANTS TO JUMP ON THIS QUESTION FIRST.

IT'S KIND OF A HEAVIER TOPIC, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE DO YOU SEE THE MOST INEQUITY IN TODAY'S SOCIETY AND WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE A SOLUTION TO POSSIBLY FIXING THAT? ANYBODY WANT TO JUMP ON? I'LL I'LL JUMP ON THAT.

I'LL JUMP ON THAT.

WE TALK ABOUT GENDER AND AND AND YOU KNOW WE'VE WE'VE.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT. BUT BUT BUT, YOU KNOW, AS I AS I LOOK AND OBVIOUSLY I READ A LOT AND AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT AT THINGS FROM FROM VARIOUS LENS. AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE IS JUST THE LOST DECADE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS.

I WAS READING FROM THE PEW CENTER OUT OF DC, ONE OF THEIR ONE OF THEIR REPORTS.

AND SO I LOOK AT THE FACT THAT THERE'S THERE'S INEQUITIES THAT I'M SEEING IN HOUSING SHELTER.

I MEAN, LET'S JUST LET'S JUST BE LET'S JUST BE REAL WITH IT.

HEALTH CARE. HEALTH.

HEALTH CARE. INSURANCE.

FOOD. I MEAN, THINK ABOUT THE LONG LINES.

WE'VE HAD ALL OF THESE, PARTICULARLY DURING COVID.

WE HAD ALL OF THESE FOOD DRIVES WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE COMING UP FOR FOOD SALARIES.

TEACHERS NEED TO BE PAID MORE.

THERE'S SO THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT INEQUITIES OUT THERE THAT WE NEED TO THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

SO IT IS AGAIN, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT TO BE WE'VE GOT TO BE ON THE FRONT LINE.

AND I KEEP SAYING THIS. WE'VE GOT TO BE ON THE FRONT LINE AND WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE USE THE AMMUNITION THAT WE HAVE.

AND ONE OF THOSE IS VOTING, VOTING LAWS INTO INTO INTO, INTO INTO EXISTENCE.

BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO IT, WHO'S GOING TO DO IT? AND SO THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I IT KIND OF KEEPS ME UP OVERNIGHT AT NIGHT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY AND THAT'S WHY I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO LEND A HAND.

AND AND BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH GOING ON IN OUR SOCIETY RIGHT NOW THAT FROM AN INEQUITY STANDPOINT THAT WE NEED TO THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

AND WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE JUST COMMON I MEAN, JUST THE JUST THE BASICS OF LIFE LIKE SHELTER AND FOOD, THEN WE HAVE WE HAVE WE HAVE WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

SO TO ME, I THINK IT COMES IT COMES DOWN TO TO ECHO WHAT CHERYL SAYING, IT'S THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS.

RIGHT. WE STILL HAVE SO MANY THAT HAVE NOT.

AND THE MAJORITY, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ARE MINORITIES.

AND IT'S GENERATIONAL POVERTY.

RIGHT. AND THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT ENTITIES, ORGANIZATIONS, GROUPS, GOVERNMENTS, INDIVIDUALS, NONPROFITS, ALL TRYING TO WORK ON THAT. AND I THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE VALUE IN EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN MAKE A BROADER IMPACT AND REALLY APPROACH IT FROM A DATA

[00:55:03]

PERSPECTIVE OF LIKE, WHERE ARE THE INEQUITIES, YOU KNOW, TRY TO IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSES AND THEN WORK COLLECTIVELY TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITIES.

BUT I FEEL LIKE DALLAS COLLEGE AND I CAN GIVE THIS SPECIFIC EXAMPLE FOR THE SCHOOL OF MIT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE THE MAP OF DALLAS COUNTY AND SAW THAT THE MAJORITY, LIKE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, YOU HAVE BROWN AND BLACK POPULATION.

RIGHT. AND THAT THE JOBS, THOUGH WERE ALL UP IN THE NORTH.

RIGHT. AND IF WE IF WE CONTINUE WITH OUR STRATEGY OR IF WE CONTINUE WITH THE MENTALITY THAT OR THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE SHOULD BUILD PROGRAMS WHERE THE JOBS ARE.

THEN BY THAT PRACTICE, YOU'RE EXCLUDING THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT, RIGHT? AND SO WE'VE STRATEGICALLY EXPANDED PROGRAMS IN THE SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY AREA SO THAT TO TO ADDRESS THAT ACCESS PROBLEM, RIGHT.

THAT NOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN GO TO OUR LANCASTER WORKFORCE CENTER THAT'S ACROSS FROM THE VA AND GET FAST TRACK TRAINING IN THESE HIGH DEMAND TECHNICAL SKILLS AND BE EMPLOYABLE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

AND SO WE'RE BEING INTENTIONAL IN THAT.

AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU REALLY HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD GRASP OF WHAT THE DATA AND THE LANDSCAPE TELL YOU.

AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY SOME OF MY ENGINEERING COMING OUT, WHICH WHICH IS ONE THING LIKE SOME PEOPLE SAY, DO YOU MISS BEING AN ENGINEER? BUT I'M LIKE, I'M AN ENGINEER EVERY DAY BECAUSE I'M USING ALL THOSE SKILLS, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING IS THAT IF YOU DO HAVE A LONG AND WINDING ROAD CAREER, EACH OF YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE WHAT EMPOWER YOU WITH THE TOOLS TO BE IN THE POSITION THAT YOU SHOULD BE.

RIGHT? THAT'S GOOD.

I THINK THE ECONOMIC PIECE OF IT IS PROBABLY THE PLACE THAT I COMPLETELY AGREE.

IT'S ECONOMIC FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE.

IT'S HARDER TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR COLLEGE, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR HOUSING.

THOSE THOSE STEPS ARE A LOT BIGGER THAN THEY USED TO BE.

THE OTHER THING IS TO UNDERSTAND ON A SOCIETAL LEVEL WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HOW WE GOT HERE.

I THINK IN ORDER TO ADDRESS IT, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE.

AND TWO BOOKS THAT HAVE HELPED ME KIND OF UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT.

THEY'RE NOT PERFECT BOOKS.

THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS, BUT THEY HELP GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT ABOUT.

POLICIES THAT EXIST, SUCH AS REDLINING, THAT THAT PUTS YOU PUT OUR SOCIETY WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.

UM, SEGREGATION, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST HISTORY IN GENERAL.

SO THE TWO BOOKS, THE ACCOMMODATION AND WHITE METROPOLIS.

ARE BOTH BOOKS THAT HAVE HELPED TO OPEN MY EYES THAT WE DON'T JUST LIVE IN A PLACE, AND THEN SOME PEOPLE DON'T TRY VERY HARD AND SOME PEOPLE TRY REALLY HARD.

AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE SYSTEM.

IT'S NOT REALLY IT'S NOT A MERITOCRACY.

THE WAY THE DECK IS STACKED AGAINST CERTAIN POPULATIONS AND THE WAY IT'S REALLY JUST PUT OUT ON A PLATTER FOR OTHERS.

AND THEN ONCE YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE THOSE CAUSES THAT HISTORY, EDUCATE YOURSELF AS TO WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT AND TRY TO DO THESE AT THE SAME TIME IF YOU CAN.

OUR LEGISLATURE IS IN SESSION RIGHT NOW AND THEY ARE CONSIDERING BILLS EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR THAT AFFECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES AND THE SOCIETY YOU LIVE IN, IN TERMS OF ECONOMICS, IN TERMS OF POWER.

IT WOULD BE. AND IT'S A BIG TASK.

I KNOW IF YOU JUST GO AND TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE HAVING HEARINGS ON TODAY, YOU COULD GO AND LIVE STREAM SOME OF THE HEARINGS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU.

YOU'LL HEAR PEOPLE TESTIFYING ON THINGS.

AND THEN ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, THINK ABOUT WHERE YOUR PLACE IS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT GET ADDRESSED AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL, SO MANY THINGS THAT GET ADDRESSED AT THE JUDICIAL LEVEL, THAT IF YOU FIND YOUR SPACE, THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE.

YOU KNOW, APPLYING YOUR YOUR TALENTS WITH THE WORLD HAS NEEDS.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.

WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE STATE OUR STATE LEGISLATURE ONLY MEETS EVERY OTHER YEAR AND THEY MEET FOR ABOUT FIVE MONTHS.

AND ONE THING THAT I'VE LEARNED THAT I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE STATE REPRESENTATIVES WHO AND THE SENATORS WHO CAME UP WITH THESE GREAT IDEAS.

AND THEY'RE NOT. NO, IT'S PEOPLE IT'S PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO SEE A NEED FOR CHANGE, WHO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T WE CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THE THE VOTING AGE OR THE REQUIREMENTS FOR IN-STATE TUITION AT AT COLLEGES.

IT'S PEOPLE WHO BRING THESE IDEAS TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEN THE ELECTED OFFICIALS DO THEIR JOB OF, YOU KNOW, POLITICKING AND GETTING THE VOTES AND ALL THAT.

[01:00:08]

BUT THEY DON'T COME UP WITH THESE THINGS ON THEIR OWN.

IT COMES FROM FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SO IF YOU SEE A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY OF SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, YOU KNOW, FIND THE RIGHT ORGANIZATION.

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT NONPROFITS AND POLICY GROUPS IN THE AREA.

IF YOU SEE A PROBLEM, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE IT.

I KNOW. AND GOOD, GOOD LEGISLATORS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GREAT IDEAS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEN THEY CAN SAY, HEY, I'M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THIS LAW.

I'M THE ONE WHO CHANGED IT.

BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE GETTING THEIR IDEAS FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SO NOW LET'S GO ON TO THE DREADED QUESTION THAT I DON'T THINK THERE'S A RIGHT ANSWER FOR ON WORK LIFE BALANCE.

RIGHT. I THINK I'VE, YOU KNOW, ASKED LIKE I THINK ON EVERY FEMALE PANEL.

AND I THINK IT'S HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, DOES IT EVEN EXIST? RIGHT. BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW EACH OF YOU HAS BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE BEING SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD AND AT THE SAME TIME BALANCE BEING A MOTHER AND AND OR A WIFE.

UM, YEAH, THAT'S.

IT'S, UH.

SO I HAVE A PARTNER WHO'S AMAZING, AND IT'S INVOLVED SOME LEVEL OF EDUCATING BOTH OF US ABOUT EXPECTATIONS IN THE RELATIONSHIP.

I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST GOT MARRIED, I GUESS MY HUSBAND'S MOM WAS A STAY AT HOME MOM.

AND, YOU KNOW, MY MOM WORKED AND, YOU KNOW, IN OUR HOUSE, THINGS JUST GOT DONE BECAUSE IF THEY NEEDED THAT THING NEEDED TO GET DONE, SOMEBODY AVAILABLE, SOMEBODY DO IT.

AND THERE WERE ROLES IN HIS HOUSE WHERE SOMEBODY HAD THE JOB OF DOING THIS, SOMEBODY ELSE HAD THE JOB OF DOING THAT.

AND SO I COULD DO THINGS LIKE FIX THE CAR AND MOW THE GRASS, BECAUSE THE EXPECTATION WAS EVERYBODY PITCHED IN.

EVERYBODY WHO COULD DO SOMETHING WOULD DO IT.

AND IF YOU HAD TIME, YOU WOULD.

SO I WOULD SAY, I'M GOING TO GO MOW THE YARD.

HE'D BE LIKE, NO, WHY? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? RIGHT? HE'D BE THAT MADE HIM UNCOMFORTABLE.

BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD EXPECT THE LAUNDRY WOULDN'T GET DONE UNLESS I DID IT AND I'D DO IT.

AND THEN MY WAY OF DOING IT WAS JUST GET IT DONE.

WE'LL HAVE CLEAN CLOTHES.

AND HIS WAS LIKE, WELL, ARE YOU GOING TO IRON THEM? AND I'M LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING? SO, SO WE EDUCATED EACH OTHER ABOUT EXPECTATIONS AND NEEDS AND WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT? IF IT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU TO IRON, HAVE IRON CLOTHES, THEN YOU SHOULD IRON THEM BECAUSE I WILL NOT BE IRONING THEM.

I HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT WE ALL WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.

AND YOU KNOW, SO IT'S JUST I GUESS IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF TRIAGING.

YOU FIGURE OUT THE THING THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IN THE MOMENT AND THAT MAY NOT BE VERY HEALTHY WAY TO DO IT, BUT FOR FOR ME, IT'S THE EMERGENCY, RIGHT? WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW? AND WE'LL TAKE WE'LL COVER IT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME NOW AND COVER IT.

BUT THAT REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING IN YOURSELF ABOUT WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE AROUND ME, AND HOW CAN I MAKE SURE I GET DONE WHAT I NEED AND ACCOMMODATE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WHO I LOVE ALSO THINK IS IMPORTANT.

TO SAY THAT CORRECTLY. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE SURE MY VERB NOUN, VERB.

BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S HOW WE DO IT AT OUR HOUSE.

DR.. WELL, AS I ALLUDED TO, THIS IS MY PROBLEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE I, I BECAUSE I SEE MY WORK AS MY VOCATION.

LIKE THE WAY I THINK THROUGH IT IN MY MIND IS I'M DOING GOD'S WORK.

SO IT'S OKAY. I'M DOING GOD'S WORK ALL THE TIME.

IT'S NOT AN 8 TO 5.

IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, 7 TO 7, WHATEVER.

BUT THEN WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT THE PEOPLE I LOVE SUFFER, RIGHT? AND SO AND OF COURSE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN.

AND THE THING AS THE BOYS ARE GROWING UP, THEY'RE ACTUALLY HIP IS GOING TO TURN 24 TOMORROW.

AND MY YOUNGER ONE, LIAM, IS 22, SO THEY'RE OLD NOW OR OLDER ADULT.

AND INTERESTINGLY, AS YOU GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT PHASES, THEY NEED YOU IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT THEY STILL NEED YOU, YOU KNOW? AND AS THEY WERE GROWING UP, I MADE IT A POINT OF JUST BEING THERE, YOU KNOW, THE BASKETBALL GAMES, THE AWARD CEREMONIES, THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE DON'T MISS THOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE BECAUSE THEY'LL REMEMBER THEM, YOU KNOW, AS THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE FOR ME.

AND WE'RE LIKE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR THEM.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, WELL, BUT I'M YOUR MOM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THING.

BUT IF YOU IF YOU IF YOU DON'T THINK OF THAT INTENTIONALLY, IT'S VERY EASY TO HAVE WORK.

[01:05:02]

ENCROACH AND SPREAD AND SO FORTH.

SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH FOR ME LIKE A HARD STOP.

OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON AND SO FORTH.

BUT I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE INTENTIONAL THAT, YEAH, SINCE WE'RE ALL HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DINNER, LET'S, YOU KNOW, FOCUS AND HAVE THAT TIME AND SO FORTH.

SO I JUST TRY TO TRY TO FIND WAYS THAT YOU CAN SPEND TIME TOGETHER BECAUSE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S MOST PRECIOUS.

AND THEN I THINK ONE THING FOR ME, TOO, IS IT'S REALLY HARD WITH ADULT KIDS.

THE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR MIND.

I GUESS IT'S ADULT. IT'S CONFUSING ALL THE WAY THROUGH, BUT I FEEL LIKE MORE SO WITH ADULTS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SHARING AS MUCH, YOU KNOW, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH MENTAL HEALTH.

THESE DAYS AND WHAT EVERYBODY'S GONE THROUGH WITH COVID, JUST I'VE HAD TO BE MORE CONSCIOUSLY AWARE AND ASK MORE QUESTIONS THAT I NORMALLY WOULD NOT, YOU KNOW. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, TOO, BECAUSE THAT SHOWS THAT, OH, YOU'RE NOT JUST LIKE BECAUSE ONE THING FOR ME IS THEY ALL KNOW THAT MY PASSION IS TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE AND HOW MUCH MY WORK MEANS TO ME BECAUSE IT'S GOD'S WORK.

WHAT I DON'T WANT THEM TO FEEL THAT IT'S AT THE COST OF FAMILY OF THEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE THE FIRST THAT I WANT TO HELP AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE OKAY, YOU KNOW? AND AND I THINK THAT THIS QUESTION YOU HAD MENTIONED FOR BEING A WIFE AND A MOTHER, BUT ALSO IT'S THE THE WORK LIFE BALANCE OF BEING TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. RIGHT.

AND PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE TO CONSTANTLY REMIND ME OF THAT.

BUT IT'S LIKE I CAN'T HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS I WANT TO IF I'M NOT HEALTHY.

RIGHT? SO SO THE SELF CARE PART IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT AND THAT'S THE HARDEST FOR ME, YOU KNOW.

BUT, BUT, BUT I THINK IF EACH OF US TAKE TIME TO REFLECT AND CARVE OUT THAT TIME, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BUILD ENERGY AND RESILIENCE AND JUST MOTIVATION AND RECHARGE.

LIKE WE JUST COME BACK FROM SPRING BREAK, RIGHT? LIKE BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT WEEK AND RECHARGE BROUGHT US BACK MORE ENERGIZED, YOU KNOW? SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, TOO, TO INTENTIONALLY HAVE THOSE MOMENTS.

SO I'M THE LAST ONE TO ASK TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION.

UH, WORK LIFE BALANCE.

I HAVE.

I HAVE A YOU KNOW, I TRY TO BE STRATEGIC IN EVERYTHING THAT I DO.

AND SO I'VE GOT A I'VE GOT AN AT HOME STRATEGIC PLAN, JUST LIKE I DO AT AT AT AT AT AT AT WORK.

AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL SOMETHING.

IT'S SO I WITH MY SO I HAVE A PARTNER, HAVE A HAVE A HAVE A SPOUSE AND HE IS AND HE'S AND HE'S ALSO LIKE MY CHILD.

I LOVE HIM TO DEATH. WE'VE WE'VE BEEN.

WE'VE BEEN. WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN MARRIED OVER 20 OVER OVER 20 YEARS NOW.

AND BUT THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS YOU YOU HAVE TO YOU HAVE TO THINK LIKE A MAN.

AND THAT'S PART OF MY STRATEGIC PLAN.

AND SO AND SO I AND THAT KEEPS ME CALM.

KEEPS ME. AND YOU DO WHAT? YOU DO IT ONCE OR TWICE AND THEN.

OH, THEY CATCH ON.

KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU SAID. THEY, THEY CATCH ON AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE PUTTING YOUR SHOES, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COME IN, YOU TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF AND YOU PUT YOUR, YOU TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR.

AND I'M A I'M JUST A I'M OCD WHEN IT COMES TO STUFF.

I MEAN, IT'S I'M ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE IN MY PANTRY.

I HAVE ALL THE CAMPBELL'S CAMPBELL SOUP CANS LINED UP.

SO THEY'RE ALL FACING THE SAME THE SAME WAY.

AND SO WHEN YOUR SHOES ARE IN THE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KITCHEN, IT IT DRIVES ME IT DRIVES ME CRAZY.

AND SO SO IF YOU PUT THE SHOES AS YOU GO OUT OF THE BEDROOM TO THE I MEAN, AS YOU GO OUT OF THE BEDROOM AND TO THE RESTROOM, TO THE BATHROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, PUT THEM RIGHT THERE IN THAT RIGHT THERE.

AS YOU AS YOU AS YOU AS YOU GO INTO THE INTO THE INTO THE BATHROOM.

TURN THE LIGHT. THE LIGHTS ARE OUT.

IT'S DARK. IT WORKS BECAUSE YOU TRIP OVER YOUR OWN SHOES.

AND SO EVENTUALLY YOU START PUTTING THOSE SHOES WHERE THEY NEED TO, WHERE THEY WHERE THEY NEED, WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.

AND SO SO I'M CONSTANTLY TALKING ABOUT TRAINING.

YES. SO I'M VERY NICE DIPLOMATIC WAY TO SAY TRAIN CONSTANTLY.

RIGHT. SO I'M CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT THINGS, THINGS LIKE THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO IT IS A YOU KNOW, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS ME BALANCED IS, IS IS MY SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS IS VERY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

SO MEDITATION AND, YOU KNOW, BEING PART OF SPIRITUAL GROUPS MAKES ME BALANCES ME.

AND SO THAT I'M SO THAT I'M AWARE AND SO AND SO LIKE I SAID, I'VE GOT A STRATEGIC PLAN.

SO I'M ONE OF THESE PEOPLE. I HAVE A SCHEDULE FOR EVERYTHING.

[01:10:03]

I HAVE A SCHEDULE FOR EVERYTHING I'M STILL WALKING AROUND WITH, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE IT IN MY PHONE.

I STILL HAVE A FRANKLIN DAY TIMER THAT THAT KEEPS ME.

THAT KEEPS. THAT KEEPS ME.

THAT KEEPS ME BALANCED. IS IS IS AS WELL.

SO IT'S IT'S A NOW IT COULD BE TOO MUCH FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT IT HELPS ME TO STAY, TO TO STAY, TO STAY, TO STAY FOCUSED BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU DO GET YOU DO GET YOU DO GET BOMBARDED WITH A LOT OF STUFF COMING YOUR COMING YOUR WAY.

AND I TAKE THINGS I TEND TO LISTEN AND AND AND THEN SO SILENCE BEING SILENT TO ME IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I TEND TO I TEND TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S PRIORITY AND PUT IT IN AND PUT IT IN A AND PUT IT IN A SPACE WHERE IT MAKES SENSE FOR ALL OF US. SO THAT BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE I HAVE A I HAVE I TOLD MY TEAM I'VE GOT A HOT, WARM, COLD SYSTEM WHERE IF IT'S PEOPLE THAT I NEED TO MEET AND I NEED TO MEET THEM RIGHT AWAY, I PUT THEM IN MY HOT.

IF IT'S SOMEBODY THAT I DON'T NEED TO MEET UNTIL A YEAR LATER, I PUT THEM IN MY COLD.

AND SO AND I'M ALWAYS AND SO I'M FOCUSED ON JUST THAT, JUST THAT PROCESS, MY HOT, COLD, WARM PROCESS.

AND SO THOSE ARE JUST LITTLE THINGS THAT ARE PART OF MY STRATEGIC PLAN THAT KEEP ME, KEEP ME BALANCED.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S WHEN IT'S TIME FOR LIFE AND FUN I HAVE I GO ALL IN WITH THE FUN.

I GO ALL I SERIOUSLY I GO ALL IN WITH THE FUN, THE VACATIONS.

AND I'M ONLY FOCUSED ON THAT.

I'M NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT TAKES YOUR PHONE OUT WHEN YOU'RE WHEN I'M WHEN I'M IN THE CARIBBEAN, ON THE BEACH.

I LEAVE MY PHONE IN THE LOCKER IN THE IN THE SAFE IN THE ROOM.

AND I DO THAT INTENTIONALLY SO THAT I CAN FOCUS ON MY LIFE AND AND THE FUN PART OF WHAT I NEED TO BE TO BE TO BE BALANCED WHEN I COME BACK TO THE OFFICE.

BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU CAN'T.

YOU JUST CAN'T. AND SO I MY FRIENDS TELL ME ALL THE TIME, YOU NEVER HAVE YOUR PHONE WITH YOU.

I KNOW. I NEVER I'M NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT TAKE MY PHONE AROUND IN MY HAND BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T THAT DOESN'T DO GOOD FOR ME.

AND SO BUT I KNOW THAT AND I KNOW HOW I WORK.

AND SO I HAVE TO FIND THOSE THINGS THROUGH MINE.

SO I HAVE TO WRITE OUT EVERYTHING THAT IS THAT'S HAPPENING AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO PRIORITIZE IT.

AND THAT HELPS ME.

GREAT LADIES.

THOSE WERE LIKE PHENOMENAL ANSWERS THAT I'M WRITING THEM DOWN.

SO TRIAGE.

VERY IMPORTANT. IDENTIFY WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF BECAUSE, YES, YOU CAN'T HELP OTHERS IF YOU DON'T HELP YOURSELF FIRST AND THEN CREATE A STRATEGIC PLAN AT HOME.

RIGHT? WE DO THIS AT WORK.

WE DO THIS FOR OTHER THINGS.

BUT AT HOME, I THINK THAT'S GENIUS.

SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE ANSWER.

THAT ANSWER.

AND ALL IN ALL, EVERYTHING YOU CONTRIBUTED TODAY, I MEAN, EACH ONE OF YOU ALL INSPIRES ME.

AND I'M SURE YOU INSPIRED MANY OF OF OUR VIEWERS HERE IN PERSON AND ONLINE.

WE'RE GOING TO END A COUPLE OF MINUTES EARLY.

SO IF ANYBODY HERE IN PERSON WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND TALK TO ANY OF OUR PANELISTS, I HOPE Y'ALL CAN STICK AROUND A FEW MORE MINUTES.

BUT THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR JOINING US TODAY.

AS YOU ALL CAN SEE, THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.

BUT TOGETHER WE ARE CHANGING THE WORLD AND AND HOPE YOU ENJOY THE REST OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL VERY, VERY SOON.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.