Brittany N. Ross

I attribute my success to a spirit of determination. A lot of times being the youngest in the career paths that I've taken, or the roles, based off of starting so young, and also being a minority woman - I've worked in industries where you don't necessarily see a lot of minorities. So the spirit of determination, that no matter what comes, I'm willing to continue to grow, to learn, to pivot, and to onward march. I do this for the sake of not only my children, but the 17-year-old version of myself. I have to, so that the generations that come behind me have more seats at the table, more equitable seats, more balanced seats, so that young women and men that go through things as a young person, either from family perspectives or choices they make, know that doesn't have to be the end. If they have determination and will and consistency, they can achieve anything. I'm very vocal about my own story for that reason, because someone just needs to know that they can make it.

Jump. I played it really safe and stayed local where I grew up. So regardless of children and different things like that, jump. You don't know how far you can go until you try. I think I would have told myself to push myself further, even geographically, or all of those things that I maybe was scared to do. The pursuit of being fearless is a flex, and it's something that, as I've gotten older, I've realized that younger generations are a lot more fearless than we were. They're not as tied to the American dream or the box of how we define success. I think that's something that my younger self just didn't know was okay.

I think the biggest challenge and opportunity is just understanding. As we grow as a people, there is so much going on, from sicknesses to the climate of the economy, and just different things that people are facing. I think the biggest thing is just the spirit of partnership, the willingness to always find a common theme or notion that brings us together, not to be as siloed. Wanting to go the extra mile, and not to be so just structured on what you feel your job is. There's always gaps, there's always pivots, so just a positive work ethic and attitude, and the ability to be able to be a good part of the overall process.

Family, faith, and service are really the focus of who I am. I'm a proud mother of two sets of twins, and as I age and life continues on, my favorite pastime is to spend time with my children. I have less time left with them in my home than ever, and so that is something that's really important to me. I was a 17-year-old mother, and working my way through college, my life could be a lot different. So I am obligated to find ways to be positively impacted and impactful in the community in which I live. I believe that we are here to make the community a better place. Those are some of the things that I would say I am passionate about - family, faith, and community service.