As an only child from Kansas City, my idea of community has always been very intimate, comfortable and immediate. Growing up, the concept of community was tangible in the sense that I could always see and feel the pieces working together to provide a sense of safety, transparency and resolution. With this as my foundation, my idea of giving back was originally rooted in the immediacy of resolution and the ability to bring comfort.

Six years ago, everything that I thought I knew and understood was questioned when I threw myself into the craziest and most beautiful place on Earth – New York City. This transition especially challenged my idea of community. Living in NYC, it didn’t take me long to realize that community can be scalable and no longer has to be defined by the level of comfort that it brings – but more so by the support you have in times where you are uncomfortable. Sometimes community has no immediacy or resolution and it’s there as a means to just be seen and felt. I realized that there is no community without vulnerability and humility and “showing up” looks differently than it did in Jackson County.

With that said, I have made it a point in my career to show up in both ways to truly make an impact that can be seen and felt from the people that I love most and those that I’ve yet to meet. Since being in the ad industry, I’ve been recognized for my words, my voice and my work. I’ve used these moments of visibility from publications such as Popsugar, Contagious and The Drum to show young girls that look like me that they can be themselves – or whoever they want to be – and make it. And while these accolades are points of pride, the work that means the most to me makes it directly back to the people – like founding a nonprofit in my hometown or being a mentor for Big Brothers, Big Sisters NYC.

No matter how you choose to show up, the work of giving back never stops and is dynamic in its reach and impact because you never know who’s watching, listening and feeling empowered by what you say and do. Some days may require you to be vocal and stand for what’s right in the defense of others and other days may require you to sit in silence and give the floor to someone who is often overlooked. I pride myself on doing whatever I can – in whatever I do – to give back and make an impact.

Both of my experiences growing up in Kansas City and living in NYC have shaped my idea of community. Who knows? When I move to my next home, I may have another idea of what community looks like but that’s the beauty of it because at the end of the day, there’s no point in reaching back if you don’t take what you learn with you to continuously make a difference.