Your story isn't defined by the chapters you never expected. It's defined by the courage to keep writing the next one. Growth begins the moment you believe your future is stronger than your past.

When my son was diagnosed with autism, I thought I was losing the career I had spent years building. Instead, I was being invited to imagine a new one. That season led me to create Literapy and eventually write Bibliotherapy in the Bronx. Reinvention wasn't about starting over it was about discovering the work I was always meant to do.

After losing my husband, I had to rebuild a life I never expected to live. I am still rediscovering who I am, but I have learned that strength can look like getting up each day, trusting God, and choosing to keep moving forward.

When life changed unexpectedly, I chose reinvention over resignation. I rebuilt my path by channeling my creativity, resilience, and decades of industry experience into developing innovative solutions, proving that new beginnings can lead to your greatest purpose.

Reinvention. How does one do that after 30+ years with the same organization suddenly to be out?? What's next? My tried and true motto has always been "We will figure it out"! And I did, after multiple attempts at what's next, I have found my home with a new progressive and truly people first organization starting a second career. Never lose hope that there is a better option out there for good, genuine, talented and caring individuals. And never forget you are one of those! You will always figure it out!!

Life rarely unfolds in a straight line. My journey led me to Bank of Utah, where I discovered that CRA work is about much more than compliance, it's about creating opportunities and strengthening communities. Through community service, nonprofit partnerships, financial literacy initiatives, and community development efforts, I've seen firsthand how collaboration can make a lasting impact on people's lives. I've learned that purpose is often found where your values, passion, and profession intersect. For me, that intersection is serving communities through my role as a CRA Officer at Bank of Utah. I'm grateful for the opportunity to help build stronger communities and create pathways to opportunity for future generations.

The hardest seasons taught me and continue to teach me that my identity isn't defined by what happens to me, but by how I choose to rise afterward. Reinvention has become my greatest act of self-trust and self-love.

As an immigrant whose first language was not English, I had to build a name for myself. I did this by maintaining a positive outlook and believing that, despite obstacles related to finances, gender, and location, I am capable of achieving anything I set my mind to. I was the first in my family to earn a higher education degree and the first to travel for work and explore our country. At times, I am the only Latina in the room, but I know I am prepared and consistently go above and beyond to meet my goals and deliver my best. For me, the sky is the limit, and I firmly believe that where there is a will, there is a way.

The last few years haven't changed who I am. They've simply revealed who I was all along. Loss has a way of stripping away everything that isn't real, and what's left is someone who loves deeply, stands firmly in her values, and refuses to let heartbreak harden her heart. I'm still becoming, but every step forward is rooted in the same soul that's carried me through every goodbye.

It's been one year since I received that letter and I have started a new business, received a new certification within my field, traveled and attended conferences and workshops in Europe and within the US with some of the brightest professionals and mentors. In brief, it has given me a chance to begin again on my terms!

My passion has always been to clear the path for others. True leadership is found in creating sustainable spaces where people feel heard, supported, and completely empowered to reach their next level.

Reinvention begins when you embrace change, trust your journey, and recognize that every new chapter is an opportunity to grow, learn, and create something greater than before.

For more than a decade, I built my career in Pharmacy Benefit Management. Like many people, I assumed the path ahead would be predictable. Instead, I found myself navigating unexpected career changes that challenged me to rethink not only where I worked, but who I wanted to become professionally. Rather than seeing change as a setback, I chose to see it as an opportunity. I invested in myself by returning to school to earn my Bachelor of Business Administration while working full-time. I refreshed my skills, embraced new technologies, rebuilt my professional brand, and took an honest look at the strengths I wanted to carry into the next chapter of my career. One of the biggest lessons I learned is that your job title doesn't define you, your character does. The relationships you've built, the way you treat people, your willingness to learn, and the consistency with which you show up every day will always matter more than any single position. Today, I have a renewed appreciation for growth. Reinvention isn't about becoming someone different; it's about having the courage to recognize your value, continue learning, and confidently step toward new opportunities. If my journey has taught me anything, it's that change can be uncomfortable, but it can also become the catalyst for discovering strengths you didn't realize you had.

The truth is, I don't know that I ever woke up one morning and declared, "Today I'm going to reinvent myself." I just… did. You dig deep. You pull up your bootstraps. You cry when you need to cry. Then you get up and keep moving. I've reinvented myself more times than I can count: after divorce, after watching my children walk through unimaginable seasons, after losing jobs, after health scares, after heartbreak, and most recently, after my dad moved out and left behind not just a garage full of things, but years of memories I wasn't ready to sort through. Every one of those moments tempted me to shut the bedroom door and disappear for a while. I've had moments when I wanted to spend my last paycheck, drive away, and start over somewhere no one knew my name. But somewhere in the middle of the grief, a different thought always finds me. What if this isn't just an ending? What if this is permission? Permission to become someone new. I've realized I don't see broken things the way other people do. When I walk into an old house, I don't see peeling paint or outdated cabinets. I imagine what it could become. I picture fresh paint, restored woodwork, better lighting, and rooms filled with new memories. When I pick up an old silver tea set covered in tarnish, I don't think it's ruined. I think about the conversations it could still host, the hands that could still hold those cups, and the beauty waiting underneath years of neglect. Somewhere along the way, I realized I was looking at myself the same way. Life had left scratches. Some seasons left dents. Some losses left stains I thought would never come out. But none of those things meant I was finished. Reinvention isn't pretending your past didn't happen. It's refusing to believe your past gets the final say. Every difficult season has taught me something new about who I am. I've learned to let go of what no longer fits. I've learned to create a home that reflects the life I'm building instead of the life I lost. I've learned that getting older isn't becoming less, it's becoming more intentional. I've learned that peace isn't waiting for everything to make sense. Sometimes peace comes from realizing you've survived enough to trust yourself with whatever comes next. So if you're standing in the middle of an unexpected season, wondering who you are now… Look at yourself the way you would look at that old house. Or that tarnished silver. Don't ask, "What's wrong with it?" Ask, "What could this become?" Because reinvention isn't about becoming someone else. It's about uncovering the person who was there all along, waiting for the courage to begin again.

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating an environment where people feel respected, empowered, and inspired to do their best work.