“I mean, anything goes, really. Remember that old adage, you can’t judge a book by its cover? It’s so very very true. I don’t let myself fall into that trap anymore… You never really know what’s lurking below the surface until you take the time to jump in and find out. I find myself jumping in consistently now and most of the time, I don’t regret it!”
Unwavering in focus is what propelled Marcia through college over the years. At 32, with a six year old, she earned her Bachelors, then a Masters at 45 with a 19 year old in college – a bucket list item in life checked off! She did this while working full time and being a full time single mom. The perseverance it took to earn these degrees, from running back and forth to classes during lunch hours and taking classes in the evenings, required a level of strength and tenacity she didn’t know she had. Looking back now, she sometimes wonders how she did it! She’s proud of the example she set for her son and her ability to maintain a very close and loving relationship with him that is still very strong today. Her biggest accomplishment is having raised a compassionate, smart, responsible and overall amazing human being into adulthood.
She would give advice to younger Marcia saying, ‘Don’t let other people’s treatment of you influence your personal sense of worth. Be your number one fan. Believe in yourself and embrace all of the uniqueness that makes you YOU! You are exactly who you should be, which is a beautiful thing!’
Marcia’s career path is marked by commitment, longevity and a very strong work ethic. She grew up quickly while working for a large corporation beginning in her early 20’s, learning many lessons about life, people, and herself. After 14 years she transitioned to the tech industry where she spent 19 years in various leadership roles. A devastating layoff found Marcia out in the open job market again, where everything had drastically changed; this took a great deal of adjustment and pushed her far outside her comfort zone. The first year or so was tough and she had a false start or two, but she stayed strong and stuck with it and Marcia is back in a leadership position at a tech company, feeling valued and accomplished once more.
Marcia never hides who she is and strives to move through the phases of her life with grace. She constantly focuses on being her best and forgives herself when she fails. Marcia is reveling in the fact that a grand reward of getting older is not conforming to anyone else’s expectations, only her own. Marcia spends a great deal of time volunteering, which makes her heart very happy. “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” said Albert Pike. Marcia plans to continue contributing to the community, as she believes that even the smallest of efforts makes the world a better place for everyone and that small things are never small things. Whether it be in her professional life, her volunteer work or her personal life, Marcia tries to help eliminate barriers, encourage others to be their best selves, and most importantly make people smile. Marcia’s ideal retirement scenario includes spending most of her time volunteering, sprinkled with some hiking, kayaking, camping, and international travel.
