My name is Crystal, and I have been sober for nearly 25 years. My relationship with Buddhism began at a time when I was searching for a way to survive my own mind. I grew up in a traumatic environment and turned to alcohol as a way to cope. When I chose sobriety, I was left without the one mechanism I had relied on to numb that pain. I did not know how I was going to move forward, or how I would sit with the thoughts and emotions that surfaced once the distraction was gone. Shortly after I stopped drinking, I found myself in a bookstore, wandering into the self-help section, a place I never would have gone before. A book fell from a shelf in front of me. As I picked it up and began flipping through it, a store employee approached and handed me another book, saying, “If you like that, you’ll like this one too.” I took it as a moment of synchronicity and decided to bring both books home. Those two books, The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity by Daniel Reid and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, changed the course of my life. Through them, I was introduced to philosophies that invited me to sit with myself rather than run from myself. I began practicing meditation and mindfulness, and I was drawn deeply into Buddhist teachings, particularly the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. These principles gave me a framework for understanding suffering, not as something to escape, but as something to meet with awareness and compassion. Over time, I became a dedicated student of Zen Buddhism and a follower of Thich Nhat Hanh. His teachings on presence, non-reactivity, and compassion became foundational in how I live my life. Buddhism did not remove my suffering, but it transformed my relationship to it. It taught me how to respond rather than react, how to breathe through discomfort, and how to extend compassion not only to others, but to myself. This transformation directly shapes my future goals. I am committed to helping others cultivate the same sense of awareness, stability, and compassion that Buddhism offered me. Through my work with MindfulShift, I teach mindfulness and meditation, creating spaces where people can reconnect with themselves in a gentle and nonjudgmental way. My approach is rooted in lived experience, not just theory. I understand what it means to feel overwhelmed, reactive, and disconnected, and I also understand the path back to presence. After graduating, I intend to deepen this work by expanding my reach into community-based education, workshops, and potentially chaplaincy or caregiving roles. I am especially passionate about supporting individuals who are navigating trauma, addiction recovery, or major life transitions, offering them tools grounded in mindfulness and compassion. Buddhism gave me a way to rebuild my life from the inside out. It gave me practices that continue to support my sobriety, my relationships, and my sense of purpose. Giving back, to me, means living these teachings fully and sharing them in ways that are accessible, practical, and deeply human. I did not find Buddhism in a temple. I found it in a quiet moment of desperation, in a bookstore aisle I never intended to walk down. Since then, it has become the foundation of how I live, how I serve, and how I hope to support others on their own path toward healing. Even in the most difficult parts of my life, there were moments of quiet grace that led me toward healing, and Buddhism helped me recognize and trust those moments.

Sustainability must be a priority in every field because our current systems are not separate from the Earth; they are dependent on it. As a Native American, I was raised with the understanding that the Earth is our relative, not a resource to be used and discarded. This belief has shaped both my personal life and my professional path, guiding me toward work that reduces harm and restores balance. My academic journey began as a double major in Business and Environmental Science, where I discovered a deep interest in sustainable systems. A course in Sustainable Construction was particularly transformative, opening my eyes to the tangible ways industries can reduce environmental impact through thoughtful design and process improvement. I went on to earn my LEED Green Associate certification, followed by my PMP certification, and spent five years working in the construction industry. During that time, I focused on streamlining operations to reduce waste and unnecessary overhead, while also supporting the implementation of greener building practices, including the reconstruction of our company’s facility. These experiences showed me that sustainability is not only environmentally responsible but also operationally efficient and financially sound. Today, I work in Finance at Hitachi Energy, a company dedicated to advancing green energy infrastructure. In my current role, I contribute to financial processes that support large-scale energy projects, many of which are directly tied to renewable energy and grid modernization. This has allowed me to see sustainability from a systems-level perspective, where financial decisions and operational practices directly influence environmental outcomes. Outside of my professional work, sustainability is a daily practice. I have maintained a zero-waste household for years, choosing to compost, recycle, and reduce consumption wherever possible. I have also been vegan for over two decades, recognizing the significant environmental impact of food systems. On my small farm, I use regenerative gardening practices that support soil health and biodiversity. In addition, I am an Advanced Master Gardener and have spent the past ten years building and maintaining pollinator habitats for schools and municipalities. I have also taught workshops and presented at conferences, educating others about the critical role pollinators play in our ecosystems. Teaching is a central part of my work, whether through gardening, mindfulness, or community engagement. I believe that lasting environmental change happens when people feel connected to the Earth and empowered to care for it. Looking ahead, I plan to continue integrating sustainability into both financial systems and community education. I am particularly interested in bridging the gap between corporate practices and individual action, helping organizations operate more sustainably while also equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools to reduce their own environmental impact. Sustainability is not a trend or a checkbox; it is a responsibility. Through my work, my lifestyle, and my commitment to education, I strive to be part of a future where our systems are designed not just for efficiency, but for harmony with the Earth.

My favorite hobbies are gardening, backpacking, reading, and sailing. Gardening is special because for me it's almost like therapy. I work in accounting and that can be very stressful so getting home and getting into my garden helps me to unwind and become present. Spending time outside and in the sun makes me feel so alive. There is nothing more amazing than seeing the literal 'fruits' of your labor. Making a delicious meal with food you've grown makes it taste that much better. Reading has always been an amazing escape for me. I grew up in an abusive household and books became my escape. I could journey to new worlds and have amazing adventures in a book. Books also became my escape from poverty, I knew the only way I was going to be able to escape mediocrity was through education so books became my salvation along with my escape. Backpacking for me is a wonderful way to disconnect with the outside world, and spend time connecting with my inner self and nature. There is so much wonder and beauty in the world and most of the time it goes by, missed by most people because they're glued to their phones and computers. I feel so relaxed and rejuvenated when I spend time out in nature. I hope to one day hike the Appalachian Trail. Sailing is my last passion. This is one I discovered completely by accident and have since learned more about. It feels completely liberating to be able to be out on the water and harnessing the power of nothing but the wind to move you from one point to another. I hope to one day sail around the world.

Honestly, as someone who struggles with mental health issues, the most practical solution is to let them know that EVERYONE struggles at one point or another so that they don't feel alone and to destigmatize asking for help. I have seen firsthand so many people struggle in silence because they're terrified of what people will think of them, or they don't ask for help because they don't want to be a 'burden' to others. So many people don't want to burden others with their problems so they suffer in silence. The fact that mental health care is so expensive and seemingly out of reach of so many leads those people to turn to easy solutions like drugs, alcohol, food, sex, and other destructive things. Mental health problems are real, and they're far more prevalent than most people realize, and if we all started doing the 'Me Too' of mental health issues, then maybe we might all realize just how many people there are in the world who suffer. I have PTSD from childhood sexual abuse, but I know now that I'm not the only one. I felt tremendous guilt and shame for so many years because of it and I drank myself to sleep every night to deal with the pain, the sadness, the loneliness. If I had known back then just how many others there were like me, it might have made my life better a lot sooner.

Recovery to me means no longer relying on alcohol to solve my problems. I have been sober for 20 years and have done so many things with my life that I never thought possible. I have worked hard to heal my PTSD and childhood psychological trauma that caused me to feel despondent and drink so I could sleep and I can truly say that getting sober was the best thing I've ever done for myself. It was the first step I took on my journey to self-love, yet at that time I didn't really know that's what I was doing. I've made such wonderful progress with my life that I started supporting other people who were going through addiction recovery in a sponsor capacity to help others to get the guidance and love they need in order to heal. That is truly the key - love and hope - learning that you're worthy regardless of anything or anyone and hope that there is a better life and future out there for you that doesn't involve drugs and alcohol.

This one is kind of difficult to answer. I grew up in an economically depressed area where most people don't even graduate from high school let alone dream of going to college. I knew that education was my only true escape from poverty, so I worked hard to shift my mindset and get good grades and study to get into college. Turns out it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, but to many who I knew I might as well have been climbing Mt Everest. To convince someone who didn't want to attend college that it was a worthwhile endeavor I could show them plenty of cases of people who grew up the same as us that went to college and did something better with their lives. Just committing to changing your circumstances can be the catalyst necessary for someone to see that college would be an investment in themselves and their future and that their future could be so much better if they just applied themselves. It's such a shame that so many people I know who were really smart and talented didn't have college aspirations, nor was college something they ever even thought was an option for them, just ended up settling for a life of mediocrity that they thought they deserved. I would help them to understand that they deserve so much more and that it's available for them.

I chose to pursue accounting because I grew up poor and wanted to get into a career to be able to help others who struggled like my mother did to be able to create better lives for themselves through financial independence. I am working on finishing my degree and then moving into becoming a financial advisor (CFP) to help more women take control of their finances, so they don't feel they have to rely on a broken system or men who are unreliable to have financial independence and peace in their lives. In order to really make a difference, I need to empower hundreds of women (and their children) by teaching them about money, how money truly works, and how to manage their money better to create good lives for themselves and their children. To spend time educating them on the value of working towards financial independence so they won't have to be like my parents who are in their 60's and struggling to survive because they didn't take care of their health, they don't have good insurance, and they didn't save for retirement so if they don't work, they don't have money to live. That is no way for someone who is in their "golden age" to have to live. I want to teach people how to manage their finances so that when they get to retirement age if they work it's because they want to, not because they must. That to me is true financial independence. Knowing that you don't have to continue to work to survive and that your basic needs will always be met. I grew up never knowing if I was going to eat dinner that day, we hardly ever had breakfast, and when my mom found out that they handed out tokens at school in front of the class to those who were getting free or reduced lunch, she took us out of the program because of the embarrassment. So, instead of us being embarrassed or ashamed, instead, we just went hungry. Every month it was utility roulette. Was there going to be water today? Heat? Electricity? Living with that kind of scarcity made my siblings become just like my parents, but I needed to make a better life for myself, so I became educated and in turn, started educating others and it's been the most rewarding thing I've ever done for myself. I love the feeling of knowing that I helped someone put money into savings, to help them stop living paycheck to paycheck, to help them start putting money away for retirement. That to me is more rewarding than any amount of money.