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Omar

Omar

“It wasn’t until 11th grade when I started realizing what being undocumented meant and I honestly was just really discouraged going to school. I was like, well, I’m not even going to be able to go to college, you know? So why am I trying?” Omar was a...
Hima

Hima

“I was looking for any social responsibility opportunities. Being with kids, helping them, it makes me feel good.” When Hima and her husband moved to Nashville from India, she started looking for ways to give back to her community and better understand the needs...
Lonnell

Lonnell

“My goal is to try to work with the judges, the magistrates and the entire criminal justice system to bring a more restorative practice.” Lonnell says his work as Juvenile Court Clerk is to go into a system—and disrupt and innovate it from within. “I find that a lot...
Anne

Anne

“We have a real simple mission of helping people stay afloat,” says Anne Carty, the executive director of ARK Community Resource Center, a United Way partner agency in Cheatham County. Think of any resource a family might need, and ARK has probably provided it at some...
Freda

Freda

“You never know what people are going through. Just be humble and reassure them that things are going to be all right. I’m not here to judge. I’m here to help, to let them know that there are organizations out there to help. It might look bad now but give it a...
Aigner

Aigner

“What really interested me about United Way is it is the nonprofit of nonprofits.” A few years ago, Aigner had the opportunity to rebuild and rebrand the Young Leaders Society. A pharmacist by trade at HealthTrust, one of United Way’s leading partners and supporters,...
Brenna

Brenna

“Right after the tornado last year, the whole community came together. It didn’t matter what race, religion, background, socioeconomic status you came from. Seeing people coming from sides of the county that thankfully weren’t affected but coming to help those...
Nelson

Nelson

“If you aspire to be a leader, sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone and commit to something with your time, talent and treasure.” 2021 Tocqueville Society co-chair Nelson Andrews moved to Nashville in 1979 with his family. He left the city briefly as a...
Russanne

Russanne

“For the kids to walk away with a library, sometimes that’s more important than their clothes or anything else and Imagination Library has provided many kids a wealth of books.” As a foster parent, Russanne enrolls each of her foster children in Imagination Library....
Sierra

Sierra

“I don’t want to be one of those people who continues to say, ‘I’m going to go back’ and don’t go back.” Sierra was enrolled at Nashville State when she had to unexpectedly withdraw. “I didn’t have money for books, which made it really hard to learn,” she said....
Sharniqua

Sharniqua

Finding the support to make good grades in high school and to enroll and succeed in college is a barrier for too many young people. Sharniqua knew she wanted to go to college. But navigating the application process felt overwhelming—especially for a teenager trying to...
Savanna

Savanna

“Gilda’s is beautiful in a lot of ways because if you’re a caregiver, a friend, an acquaintance if you’re affected by cancer in some way shape or form you can go to Gilda’s.” Savanna was 17 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer. She had her thyroid...