WOA

Occupation: Police Officer

Social Media: @taisyntainea

My name is Taisyn Crutchfield and I am a police officer in the state of California. As a woman of color and representing minorities in law enforcement, patrolling and protecting the community has always been my dream. Now that I get to live up to my dream, I want women across the world to know that it doesn’t matter what color, size, or shape you are, to always go after your dreams! As a former track and field athlete and national champion, giving back to my city holds a special place in my heart. As a track and field coach and police officer, I hope to aspire women and young girls to chase their dreams and never stop even when the answer is “No.”

Occupation: Deputy Sheriff

Social Media: FB: Kirsten Gackowski IG: @kirsten.gackowski

Hi everyone, my name is Kirsten Gackowski and I am originally from Chicago, Illinois. I’ve grown up being raised with the concept that I could do anything that I wanted to do so long as I put my mind to it and worked hard. “Sweat Equity” is something that my Mom had always told me. Which means that if you put hard work into something, you’ll reap the benefits of your hard work in the end. Armed with these concepts in mind, I’ve gone on to use these concepts and mold them into a platform to help inspire young women.

A little bit about me, I am very passionate about health and fitness, and I currently train in Powerlifting, which is a rigorous strength-training style of weight lifting. Powerlifting has really amplified my fitness and workout routine, and it has helped me to be in the best shape that I can be in. I also play Classical Piano. I am self-taught and play by ear. When I was in my Sophomore Year of High School, I was told by a Music Professor at a University who specialized in Composition and Music Theory (who was my private Music Instructor at that time), that I had what was known as “Absolute Pitch Disorder”, otherwise known as “Perfect Pitch”. :) Essentially, I am able to hear sounds and tones in “absolutes”, which was how I was able to master difficult classical pieces within a matter of 1 to 2 weeks. These were considered to be pieces that, according to the Professor, would take classically trained pianists months to master. I believe that music is the color of life. It is able to express things when words can’t, and it transcends both culture and language. You can have a room full of people from different places and cultures who perhaps, speak different languages or can’t communicate with each other, and it can still evoke the same emotions and feelings in everyone. I also like to Crochet sometimes too. My Nana had taught me how to Crochet when I was young and I’ve enjoyed it ever since. What I love about all of my hobbies is that they are also great for stress relief.

I’m a professional agency-represented fashion model, and I am currently signed in Illinois, Michigan, and New York. I have previously been signed in Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Miami Beach. Getting into the modeling industry has shown and taught me so much about not only fashion, but also about the world. It is truly a mixed bag of extremely creative individuals. Being able to see their concepts and ideas come to life is an amazing process to be a part of, and I feel so blessed and so grateful that I was given the opportunity to be a part of the industry. Being a proud mixed kid, and me being “ethnically ambiguous” (as my modeling agents/ agencies say), has allowed me to work with a wide variety of very wellknown major brands and clients. Celebrating diversity is something that is important to me because I, myself, am a diverse person. I am part Japanese, Pacific Islander, Filipino, Spaniard, French, English, Polish and Sicilian. I’m also a 4.0 GPA student at Purdue University, and I am slated to graduate Summa Cum Laude. I am also part of 7 different Honors Societies. I am part of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), Golden Key International Honors Society, Alpha Beta Kappa Honors Society, Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honors Society, the Society for Collegiate Leadership and Achievement (SCLA), the National Society for Leadership and Success (NSLS), and Alpha Sigma Lambda. I am finishing up my Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a specialization in Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism, and I will be officially starting to take my graduate level courses soon for my Master’s Degree, which is a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. After my Master’s Degree, I have plans to continue on and obtain a Doctorate Degree in Public Administration. You could say that I consider myself somewhat of a professional student at this point. Which leads me into the reason why I’m getting these degrees.

In terms of what I do in my professional life, I am a government employee who works in Public Safety. Hint: Sometimes I have to drive fast with red and blue lights on, and other times you can find me sitting and enjoying a coffee and a donut. :) If you haven’t been able to guess yet, I am active Law Enforcement. I have been working in the field for a little over 3 years, and I currently hold the rank/title of Deputy Sheriff. I am the 5th person, but 3rd generation in my family to be in this field and I am honored to be the first woman in my family to do so. I fully support women being in the field of Law Enforcement, and especially diverse women. Diversity and inclusivity is something that I hope to see more and more within my field. I wish to be the change that people have been wanting to see in this field and I personally align very closely with the Community-Oriented Policing concept. I strive to become a Detective one day, and then one day move on to becoming a Sergeant.

I am also a state titleholder for the Miss Earth USA/Mrs USA Earth Organization and Pageant System, which is part of the international Miss Earth Organization and Pageant System as well. Fun Fact: Miss Earth is one of the “Big Four” Pageants (along with Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International). The Big Four are considered to be the biggest and most prestigious international pageants in the world. I am currently Mrs Hawaii USA Earth 2023. :) This is so special to me for a couple of reasons. First, to be able to represent the state of Hawaii is special because there is a large majority of people who live in the state of Hawaii that are of Pacific Islander or Filipino ancestry and heritage. Being able to represent the people in that way, as well as being able to represent my own personal ancestry and heritage in this way is so special. Additionally, the Miss Earth Organization and Pageant System was created and founded in the Philippines, specifically in the capital of Manila, which is where a lot of my family members from my Mom’s side of the family are from. So even more so, it just makes it that much more special to me to be a part of the Miss Earth USA/Mrs USA Earth and Miss Earth Pageant Organization and System.

I plan on using all of these platforms and elements about myself to help usher in the next generation of successful and inspiring women, and women who truly can do anything that they set their minds to. I am also here to stand up and break boundaries, and show the world that women can be and do whatever they want to. I can wear a state titleholder crown and sash, model for major brands and walk runways, and also take down a 200+ pound man in a fight if I needed to. The limit does not exist. Welcome to the Women of Achievement of 2023!

Occupation: Singer/Songwriter

Social Media: meganmoroney.com

Born and raised in Georgia, Megan Moroney is one of Nashville’s most exciting up and coming artists. Megan grew up in a musical household heavily influenced by legendary songwriters in classic country, southern rock, and Americana. During Megan’s freshman year at the University of Georgia, an opportunity to open for an established country artist at the iconic Georgia Theater prompted Megan to write her very first original song. Named a “2023 Artist to Watch” by the likes of Amazon Music, Pandora, and Spotify, as well as an iHeart “On The Verge” Artist and one of CMT’s Next Women of Country for 2023, Moroney released her debut album LUCKY this past May. After opening for Country legends Brooks & Dunn this summer, Moroney will embark on her sold-out THE LUCKY TOUR this fall and bring her magnetic live show to iconic venues across the U.S.—all while continuing a meteoric rise that now includes over 303 MILLION total global streams to date.