2025, what a whirlwind.
I don't know about y'all, but 2025 has been a wild ride so far. International, national, and local economic downturns, shakeups in public services, and the loss of jobs across the country in both government and private sectors. In all this chaos, I'm reminded how valuable community service truly is – especially when fear and greed seem to dominate the news. But there is good to be done, and tomorrow will come no matter what happens. It is our duty as people to do what we can to make tomorrow better than today; not just for ourselves but for those around us.
It is important to be part of the change, even when you have to put in the sweat equity yourself!
This belief in community and community service has led me to be in some of the most fantastic rooms possible, for work, socializing or learning about organizations doing the work. This has led me to be at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Houston Area Women’s Center at their new housing complex, or planting trees in the middle of Houston where they had been clear cut. I’ve gotten to partner with other nations as their organizations celebrate and do charity work in our nation as well. I implore you to learn about the groups and people doing the works you think need to be done to make tomorrow better than today, because even a single day a month of helping out can make a major difference in the world.
All of this has led me to joining groups over the years, but none as impactful as Rotary has been in my life. I joined after I finished my masters’ degree, and over the years I’ve held many board roles at a few different clubs and have the grand opportunity to lead the Rotary Club of Houston Skyline in their 2025-2026 program year as club president! My goal is to connect you with the amazing people and groups already making a difference in our communities, and to show you how you can be part of that plan for a brighter tomorrow.
You can't plant trees without breaking some ground!
It really is easy to doomscroll and feel hopeless about things. The best way to get out of that feeling is to take action, and to be part of the change. It doesn’t have to be a big and drastic action, but something as simple as planting a native pollinator plant, or writing to another person to make sure they know they’re not alone in this world. Every action has impact and weight.
So, I would like to close this with a question for you: What does good look like? For me, it is the vibrancy of nature, knowing that people have clean water to drink, education opportunities and economic opportunities that allow for everyone to be successful, both in and out of the workplace. Rotary has been the introduction to so many of these opportunities to do good, and introduced me to communities of others trying to make tomorrow better than today around the world.
Rotary Skyline with guests from around the world celebrating before our international volunteers headed back to their homelands!
I want you to get involved. To dispel the doom and gloom by focusing on what good can be. I hope you can find a Rotary near you to learn more! If my experiences resonate with you, I truly hope you'll consider finding a Rotary club near you – it's an incredible way to start making a real difference.
https://my.rotary.org/en/search/club-finder
