I had the fortune of sitting next to Danelle for most of my first year of business school. It was an interesting time, because I remember being a bit overwhelmed by the experience of business school and trying to figure out who I was and what my place was at the school. I didn't know Danelle that well yet, but I did notice the contrast in how confident and comfortable she seemed to be. Not at all in arrogant way, but there is just that sense you get from someone who is truly at peace with who they are. It came through in how she interacted with others, how she shared her thoughts/insights with the class, and in how she moved through the world in general.

It is awesome to get to connect with old friends like this and have a deep, meaningful conversation to dig deeper into what really makes them who they are. She started with "growth" as her most important value, stating that it is how she judges herself in all aspects of life. Is she growing and improving as a professional/leader, as a mom, as a daughter, as a person, etc.? What is really fascinating is how she pairs this drive to improve and grow with that supreme comfort in who she is already. The phrase she used was that she wants to continue to grow and learn so "I might become the woman I am to be." 

There is something about that phrase I found so beautiful, profound, and symmetrical. It articulates the balance (and at times struggle) so many of us feel to continue to evolve as a person, but also recognizing you are enough exactly as you are. For Danelle much of this is rooted in her faith and relationship with God. The love she feels from God allows her to have that confidence in who she is right now and the desire to grow into who God intends for her to be. 

We talked about a lot in this one, including her growth as a mother and wife, the challenge of being a high achiever who is forced to accept every day that she will never be perfect, and her work in healthcare trying to bring equity to all communities. I'll end with another line that I think encompasses Danelle really well, she said "I think our job is to improve the world within the scope we can touch, aspiring to have a major impact but remaining humble enough to remember we are just a small part of the world."