WI Bridge - End of Year 2018

Br i dgi ngTheGap Bet weenPol i cy&Pageant r y

A YearGone “BYE”

ENDOFYEAR-201 8 |VOLUME4 |I SSUE1 2

FEATUREPHOTOGRAPHER: Ja’ monJackson:@JGYSZN

THANKYOUFOR

ANOTHER YEAR! W IBr i dget hankf ulf ordedi cat edr eader sl i keyou.

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Publ i s her:Deni s eRol ar kBar nes Edi t or:Cont r i but or La youtDes i gn:Laf a y et t eBar nesI V Phot ogr aphy:J a’ MonJ ac ks on Cont r i but i ngWr i t er s:L ynet t eMonr oe&Cl audi aWat t s

AYEAR GONE“ BYE” ByCl audi aW at t s|@cal l mecl aud TheBr i dgeCont r i but i ngWr i t er Thi sy earwewi t nes s edt hehei ghtof#MeT oo, empower i ngwomenandf ur t here x pos i ngac ul t ur eoft ox i cmas c ul i ni t y .

St r a wswer ebanned, ment al heal t hbec ameani s s ueofmas sc onc er n, final l y .

Democ r a t st ookt hehous eandMi c hel l eObamai ss t i l l k i c k i ngas s , i ni r i des c ent , t hi ghhi ghBal enc i agaboot s .

But201 8wasal s of ul lofl e v el upst ha tdi dn’ tqui t epanout ,hear t ac hef r om unt i mel yl os sandf ormany ,t her eal i z a t i onofpur pos eandi t sc os t .Al lt hi ngsc ons i der ed,how c anonet r ul y meas ur et hey ear ?

I ’ v ec hos ent oas s es smi nei ngr owt handnotj us tmyown.

Ex pans i onsmadebyot her sar ec ons t ants our c esofi ns pi r a t i on.

WhenI s t ar t edwr i t i ngf orTheBr i dgeI wasl ook i ngf orac r ea t i v e out l et .

Mywor l dhadbeenabi tr oc k edbyt hedupl i c i t ousna t ur eofs omeoneIonc ec al l edf r i end.

Myf a t her ’ si l l nes swas n’ tgoi nga wa yandmybel ov edment orr ec ei v edne wst ha therda y s ont hi sear t hwer enumber ed.

Iwasal i t t l eov er whel medandal l t ooe x c i t edf oran es c ape, e v eni fi twasonl ybet weent hel i nesofa500wor dar t i c l e. ec onnec t edwi t hay oungedi t orwhowasonaj our ne yofhi sown, s t eppi ngupandas s umi nghi spl ac ewi t hi nt hef ami l ybus i nes s .

Imetapas s i ona t ewr i t erwi t ht hewar mes tofs mi l es , an Ir i nc r edi bl yj ovi al c har ac t erwhowr ot eandhos t edt hepodc as t , aphot ogr apherasmy s t er i ousashi smous t ac heandanot heronef ul l ofwander l us t .

Fr om eac hoft hem I ’ v el ear neds omuc h.

Though, t he ywer en’ tmyonl yt eac her s . ubj ec t sofmyar t i c l es , t hepeopl e’ swhos es t or i esI ’ v et ol d, r ei nf or c edmyaudac i t yt ohope.

Fr om powermov esmadebyAndr eHops onandI anCal l endert onotonl ys ec ur et hebag, Thes butt oc ont i nueD. C. ’ sl egac yofpr omi nentbl ac kent r epr eneur s ; t oT enbeet eSol omon’ s[ T r apbob]t r uet os el f ,appr oac hofmak i ngi ti nt hec i t yt ha tmadeher .

And, t hehus t l eofKe y onna andSha wnLi nds a y , s er vi ngt hec ommuni t ywhi l ei nl ov e, mar r i edandpar ent i ngt wo.

Thei re x per i enc esr ec har gedmys pi r i t .

Ev enmor e, Ivi e wedt hos edar i nggr ea t l yi nmyownc i r c l ewi t h ar ene weds ens eofappr ec i a t i onandadmi r a t i on. emberbr oughtmy30t hbi r t hda y ,andt hey earbegant or oundout .If oundmy s el fmor ei nt unewi t ht hec os mos ;ques t i onsIhadbea t ent odea t handi ns t anc esofunnec es s ar yangs t Nov s t ar t edt ofindr es ol v e.

I naf e wda y s , we’ l l ha v er eac hedt heend.

Ay earofgr owt h, meas ur edi nt r ut hs , s uns et sands hot sofes pr es s o.

I l ookt o201 9, r eadywi t honl ywha ti sneeded, l ea vi ng al l el s ebehi nd.

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FEATUREPHOTOGRAPHER:

Ja' MonJackson I nst r agr am:@j gyszn W esbi t e:j gyszn. com

FOLLOW USON I NSTAGRAM @W I BRI DGEDC

LETUSKNOW HOW W ECAN HELPYOU.

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Cor del i aCr anshaw i s Mi ssDi st r i ctOfCol umbi aUSA butsomuchmor e.

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BRI DGI NGTHEGAP

BETW EEN POLI CY& PAGEANTRY ByLynet t eMonr oe|@t he_monr oepr oj ect TheBr i dgeCont r i but or

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BRI DGI NGTHEGAP Cor del i awi t hI CAN ment ees.

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Cor del i aasachi l d.

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Cor del i aCr ens ha wi sMi s sDi s t r i c tofCol umbi aUSA.Shei sas oc i alwor k erbypr of es s i onandc ommuni t yadv oc a t ebydes t i ny .Shei sf ounder ,pr es i dent ,andCEOofAc t sofRandom Ki ndnes s( ARK) ,a nonpr ofitor gani z a t i ons er vi nga t r i s kpopul a t i onsi nt hedi s t r i c t .

ANDShei spoi s ed, c har i s ma t i c , i nt el l i gent , per s onabl e, dr i v en, andawomanonami s s i on.

Ami s s i on, t ha tpr i or i t i z esl i f t i ngv oi c est ha t ar eof t eni gnor ed.

Ami s s i on, gi f t edt ohert hr oughper s onal har ds hi pandt r i umph.

Unl i k eherpageantper s ona, Cor del i at hegi r l , di dnotdr es supi nbeaut i f ul gownsorwearfla wl es smak eupi nf r ontofadmi r i ngonl ook er s .

“Ij us tl ear nedhowt odomakeupl i ket hr eey ear sago, ”s heki dded.“Iwass ous edt ooper at i ngi n s ur vi valmodet hatIdi dn’ tha v et i met oexpl or emymor egi r l ys i de.Buti twass omet hi ngIal wa ys want edt odoands omet hi ngIr eal l yenj oy . ” Cor del i as pentheradol es c enc ei nt hef os t erc ar es y s t em.

Bef or et ha t , s hebounc edf r om homet ohome, as t or ymanyy out hi nt hedi s t r i c tc anr el a t et owhoha v epar ent swhos t r uggl ewi t haddi c t i onand i nc ar c er a t i on.

ButCor del i a, des pi t eherc hal l engi nghomel i f e, t ookadv ant ageofe v er yr es our c ea v ai l abl et ohert oadv anc eheras pi r a t i onsf ors uc c es s .

Soi n201 4, whens hef oundedARK, i twasna t ur al t ha tt hemot t obe; t

“Youar eonl yoner es our c ea wa yf r om ac hi evi ngy ourdr eams ! ” Amot t o, t ha tbui l dsupont heor gani z a t i on’ smi s s i ont obr i dget hegapsi nc ommuni t ybypr ovi di ngpr ogr amsandr es our c est oc hi l dr enandf ami l i es . del i a, pageant sar ear es our c e.

Shewonherfir s tpageanta t1 6y ear sol d.

Shei sal s ooneoft hes i xper c entofy out h, na t i onal l y , t oageoutoft hef os t erc ar es y s t em a t21y ear sol dandt ogr adua t e ForCor wi t habac hel or ’ sdegr ee.

Bef or ec l ai mi ngt het i t l eofMi s sDCt hi sDec ember , i tt ookCor del i af ourt r i est ofinal l ywi n. “ I twasdi s c our agi ngt os a yt hel eas t , ”s hes a y s , “ butIne v erga v eup. ”Herpl anhas al wa y sbeent ous eherpl a t f or mt ogobac ki nt ot hes y s t em andi mpac tt hel i v esoft hos et ha tneedi tt hemos t .

Apl an, s hes t r a t egi c al l ypr epar edf or , t hr oughhereduc a t i oni ns oc i al wor k . “ os er v et hec hi l dr enwhoours oc i et ydeemst hewor s toft hewor s t , ”Cor del i as a y s .

Iwantt

“I ’ v ebeenwher et heyar e.Iunder s t andwhatt heyar egoi ngt hr ough.WhenIwal ki nt oar oom of pr of es s i onal si nmyfiel d,Iknow t hatmyl i v edexper i enc esgi v emeal egupi nfindi ngf eas i bl e s ol ut i ons . ” Sol ut i onst ha tar egr ea t l yneededi nt hena t i on’ sc api t al wher eCor del i as a y st her ei saf os t erpl ac ementc r i s i s .

“ Gent r i fic at i onhasputas t r ai nonf os t erc ar er es our c es .Rapi ddev el opment ,s pec i fic al l yasi t r el at est ohous i ngopt i ons ,hashadt heuni nt endedc ons equenc eofnegat i v el yaffec t i ngourmos t vul ner abl epopul at i ons ; l i kef os t erc hi l dr en. ” Apar tofbr i dgi ngt hegapbet weenc ommuni t yandr es our c eac c es s i bi l i t yi st hec r ea t i onofs t r ongc ommuni t i es .Ac t sofRandom Ki ndnes s ’phi l os ophyemphas i z espr e v ent i onov eri nt er v ent i on.

Pr e v ent i on, s us t ai nedt hr oughc ommuni t yengagementandpar t ner s hi p.

Thi sy ear , ARKr ec ei v edagr antt oe x pandt hei rpr ogr ammi ngi nWar ds7and8.

ARKpr ogr amsc ur r ent l yi nc l udean8weekc opar ent i ngc our s ef orl owi nc omepar ent st ha tar enol ongerengagedi nani nt i ma t er el a t i ons hi pwi t ht hemot herorf a t heroft hei rc hi l dbutar eeagert o l ear nandut i l i z ei nnov a t i v eCoPar ent i ngt ool sandr es our c es .Aswel lasapr ogr am t os uppor tt eenmal esofc ol or ,i nDC,whoar ee x per i enc i ngpov er t y ,homel es s nes s ,f os t erc ar e,andot hera t r i s k i dent i fier s , c al l edi CAN. i CANus esawor k s hopdes i gnc ombi nedwi t hament or s hi pc omponent .

Bot hpr ogr amsar edes i gnedt obr eaknega t i v ec y c l esofpov er t y , addi c t i on, andnegl i gentpar ent i ng.

I ti s Cor del i a’ sgoal t oe x t endt heARKc ur r i c ul um t hr oughoutt heDi s t r i c tofCol umbi aandt heUni t edSt a t es . howwi l l Mi s sDi s t r i c tofCol umbi aUSAdoi t ?Cor del i aCr ans ha wwi l l beCor del i aCr ans ha w.

So,

“Iwi n, whenIr emai nt r uet omys el f .

Ii mpl or eev er y oneel s et odot hes ame. ” PERI ODT .

Formor ei nf or ma t i onaboutAc t sofRandom Ki ndnes s( ARK)andhowy ouc angeti nv ol v edvi s i twww. ar k dc . or g.

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