As I begin my year as your Department President, I want to first thank each of you for the trust and confidence you have placed in me. It is both an honor and a privilege to serve as the Department of Oklahoma President for 2026-2027.

 

Many of you have asked about my theme for the year, "The Power of One."

 

When I first began moving through the Auxiliary chairs, I was told that one day I would need a theme for my President's year. Like many people, I spent a great deal of time wondering what message I wanted to leave behind. As I reflected on my own life, one truth kept returning to me. I am a survivor.  I am a survivor of child abuse. I am a survivor of homelessness. Throughout my life, I have faced challenges that at times seemed impossible to overcome. Yet through every obstacle, I learned a simple lesson: change often begins with one person making one decision to move forward. There were times when a single act of kindness changed the direction of my life.

 

There were times when one person believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself. There were times when one decision determined whether I would move forward or remain where I was. That is the heart of The Power of One.  

 

Too often, we wait for someone else to have the idea, solve the problem, recruit the member, conduct the project, or take the first step. We tell ourselves that someone else will do it.  But what if that someone is you?