The Class She Almost Didn't Take

The most transformative class I have ever taken was not offered in a classroom. It was a class I never enrolled in, never expected, and would never have chosen: grief. Losing members of my family to devastating illnesses changed the way I understood life, success, and what truly matters. Grief has a way of stripping away the noise. It taught me that life is not defined by titles, accomplishments, or how much we achieve, but by the people we touch, the moments we are present for, and the difference we make while we are here. Through those experiences, I discovered a resilience I didn't know I had. I learned to stop living so far ahead, always planning for the next goal, the next milestone, the next challenge, and to learn how to be fully present. Grief taught me that the present is not a waiting room for the future; it is where life is actually happening. Becoming a mother deepened that lesson. Motherhood has given me an entirely new perspective on time, purpose, and what it means to leave something meaningful behind. It has reinforced my belief that how we show up for people matters far more than what is written on our résumé. That became my most important education and it fundamentally changed how I lead. Today, I lead with a deeper sense of purpose. I want the work I do to matter beyond the numbers, the strategies, and the operational outcomes. I want to develop people, create opportunities, make healthcare more human, and help others discover what they are capable of becoming. My greatest lesson from grief was not simply how to endure loss. It was how to live with intention. It taught me resilience, presence, gratitude, and the responsibility that comes with having the opportunity to help others. And that is the class I continue to take every day: learning how to be present, lead with purpose, and use what I have lived through to make someone else's journey a little better.