Paying it Forward

When I think about the lessons my mom ingrained in me as a child, they were so simple, although, at the time, they seemed hard. A few were:

• Be Kind
• Listen
• Strive for Excellence
• Pay it Forward

That last one seemed especially confusing as I looked around our small apartment and sparse furnishings, wondering how I could ever pay something forward to someone else. Of course, years later, I now realize the ability to pay it forward is not solely about the money you provide to others, and in fact, the times where I may have been the greatest help to another was simply by answering the random LinkedIn message from a stranger asking for advice on how to get in tech.

I now realize that my mother knew long before me and others that I had the potential to be someone who could have a great impact on the world. For that reason, it has been challenging to weather nearly 9 years without her after she was taken from us through medical negligence. She has not had the opportunity to see how all of her kids have truly embodied these simple ideas she modeled to us through her selflessness to her friends, family, and the random stranger on the street who seemed to need to be cheered up.

Each year on January 16th, we still celebrate my mother’s birthday. The celebration almost…