Understanding context while still believing in growth and accountability Over time, I have come to believe that supporting people well requires more than addressing a single problem; it requires stepping back to see the whole picture. In my work with youth, I often shared a phrase with them: “Explanation is not justification.” Understanding the context behind someone’s actions helps us make sense of what is happening, but it does not remove accountability. Growth happens when

How New Shoe Day Is Building a Shoe Secure Indiana We were at one of our early shoe events, handing out brand-new pairs of athletic shoes to kids in the community. One young person sat down, opened the box, looked inside, and then looked up at us and said, "I've never gotten a pair of shoes in a box before." That sentence reframed everything. We were not just giving away shoes. We were stepping into a space where something as fundamental as a new pair of shoes in a box was a

Early in my career, I served as a Financial Empowerment & Community Development Officer, where much of my time was spent delivering financial education throughout the community. If there was a group willing to learn about money—whether in a classroom, a nonprofit program, a small business workshop, or a civic organization—I was usually there. At the beginning, I thought the work was mostly about teaching financial concepts: Credit scores, budgeting, saving, and understanding

Being the eldest daughter comes with its perks and its pressures. It often feels like riding a rollercoaster where the turns are unpredictable, yet you learn early on that preparation is part of survival. Growing up in a first-generation immigrant family, I was not simply raised by my parents; in many ways, I grew alongside them. They were navigating parenthood for the first time, learning what it meant to nurture, guide, and support while adapting to a new world themselves.

We have all experienced the specific exhaustion of a "productive" day that somehow leaves us feeling hollow. You checked every box on your list. You responded to each message with lightning speed and performed the role of the ideal professional to perfection. You were exactly who everyone expected you to be. So why do you feel like a ghost by 6:00 PM? Why does a successful day leave you feeling like you have been drained from the inside out? Most of us treat our lives like a

Modern humans have roamed the earth for 300,000 years, and since the beginning, there have been communities: people coming together to share resources, compare ideas, and help raise their young. We see this idea in nature as well. Very few animals exist without aid from their herd, pod, flock, etc. Early human civilizations like Mesopotamia, Ancient India, and Ancient Egypt worked together to advance science, literacy, mathematics, astronomy, and law to form civilized and cul

Asian American Adoptees on Identity, Memory, and Belonging Adoption is not what people think it is. I feel like people want it to be simple so badly, like they need it to make sense in a clean, comforting way. A child is “saved,” placed into a better life, and grows up grateful. That’s the version that gets told, repeated, and accepted without much questioning. But that version leaves so much out. It ignores the parts that are harder to explain—the parts that don’t fit into s

When I made the decision to relocate to Indianapolis in the summer of 2021, I arrived with a mix of focused determination and an eager, open curiosity about what the city held for me. It was the quintessential fresh start. Much like countless others who arrive in a new landscape, my immediate, primary focus was directed toward establishing and building my professional career and, perhaps more abstractly, discovering where I truly fit within this new community. I threw myself

“Women who.” It sounds unfinished until you meet the women who complete the sentence. Women who open a door and widen it. Women who speak truth with tenderness, work with rigor, and make room for others as a matter of practice. In our cohort, I’m honored to witness five such leaders whose paths are distinct and whose impact overlaps: Christian Massey, Karen Lyles, Belinda Murray, Dr. Juaneka L. Thomas, and Alexis Watts. Each is a graduate of A Seat At The Table’s Undivided Co