This and That

Hillary Clinton:
On June 4, I was honored to meet Presidential candidate, former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton at a fundraiser hosted by the ever gracious Suzanne and Marc Winkelman. Yes, I am a supporter of Hillary Clinton for President. Here's why. She is exceptionally smart, she is much more experienced in world affairs than any other candidate (and this is a very important point), and just as I'd heard from many other people who had met her personally, she is warm and generous one-on-one. When I told her my five-year-old granddaughter asked me to ask her what's her favorite thing to do, in spite of a long line of people patiently waiting to be photographed with her, she replied, "Well you tell your little granddaughter that I love to swim, and I love to play with my dogs. But my most favorite thing to do is to play with my new little granddaughter Charlotte." America is the only industrialized nation yet to elect a woman President/top leader. What are we waiting for? Is Hillary Clinton perfect? No. Who is? If we wait for a woman candidate who is perfect, it will never happen. Are any of the male presidents or male presidential candidates perfect? No. Why do we hold women to a different standard? Women really need to cut each other a little more slack, and they need to stick together. Why? Because the female perspective is important. Not more important, just important.

Road Trip: 
On June 7 Austin Philanthropist Lynn Meredith and I drove to San Antonio to visit the new $47,000,000, 65,000 sq. ft. The DoSeum - San Antonio's Museum for Kids. I wanted to show Lynn the museum because of her interest in children's museums, and I wanted to introduce her to The DoSeum CEO, Vanessa Lacoss Hurd, who is one of the sharpest non-profit CEOs I've had the pleasure of working with (Lynn and Vanessa pictured).

Vanessa graciously took time from her busy schedule to give Lynn a personal tour of The DoSeum, highlighting the sharp focus on STEAM learning (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) incorporated in every aspect the building and programs design. And Lynn graciously shared valuable knowledge and insights from the volunteer leadership perspective. Lynn is such a Very Smart Gal (as is Vanessa), and I always enjoy dissecting current events with her. Our drive to San Antonio and back made for an intellectually stimulating and super fun day.

International Junior Miss:
On July 18, my husband and I, along with my eldest son and his family, and my daughter's eldest daughter, attended the International Junior Miss competition in Virginia Beach, VA, where our little granddaughter Khloe, representing the Lone Star State, competed with hundreds of other little girls from all over the world.

While there, the Texas delegation presented the flag that flew over the Texas Capitol on May 8, 2015, International Junior Miss Day in Texas. I want to recognize The Honorable Representative Elliot Naishtat, District 49, Texas House of Representatives (pictured) and his assistant, Judith Dale, for their assistance is getting the resolution approved.

As you can see from these photos, this competition is somewhat about physical beauty (thankfully the little girls look like little girls), but what you can't see is the strong competitive emphasis on poise, scholarship, personality, articulation, volunteerism, and leadership. I was particularly impressed by the sisterhood amongst the girls .

Khloe made it to the top 15 in her age category, and won the photogenic and spirit awards, but more importantly, she is gaining skills and friendships that will benefit her throughout her life. We couldn't be more proud of her.