Angela Waring

I think my most notable achievement has been becoming a mother, because it's totally changed my outlook on my work and how I get connected with other people and other women. There's an unspoken motherhood club, and once you're in it, you get to connect on a different, deeper level with other moms. It has given me so much perspective on the work that I get to do and the mission that I get to fundraise for. I can tell you if my hometown was burning down and was unsafe for me to raise my baby, I would be immigrating, migrating - I would go anywhere I could to find safety to provide opportunity for my kids. That's what these people are doing. Being able to talk about it on that level with other women really humanizes the work. In life, becoming a mom is my greatest accomplishment, and in my career, it has been the biggest connector.

I think maybe finding something that sets well with your soul, something that motivates you to wake up in the morning and makes you feel good about yourself and your decisions. Use that to drive your decision-making. It's okay to second-guess yourself, but know who you can talk to in your industry to help you make decisions that are what is right with your soul. I think, as women, we can be influenced by so many outsiders. We really have to dig into what's important to us. I remember sitting in meetings when I was in programs, and everyone's nails were done to the nines, and there were huge diamond rings and things like that. I remember feeling so inferior. But now, in this stage where I'm at, there's kind of this confidence. I've been in this role for 3 years, and I just feel like things are starting to click. That's really important to remind yourself - one day you're surrounded by people in a conference room that maybe you don't think you can relate to, and the next day, you're educating them on what they need to know.

I was sort of recruited for this role, and it's a role that I don't think I would have ever stepped into on my own. Truthfully, talking about immigration is so polarizing, and I think it was really intimidating for me. People tend to know somebody with autism or a disability and tend to want to donate to organizations that support that population. Very differently at the International Institute, people are either for immigration or not for immigration, and that's very clear when you're talking about it. I think what I realized is that fundraising for the International Institute of New England is something where I've learned a ton about immigration, but also I found that I challenge myself in fundraising for a mission like this and for a population like this. I find that motivating.