My grandmother, Marie defied convention and all odds. She was the
youngest of six children growing up on a farm in County Mayo,
Ireland. She came to America to avoid a life in Ireland that she
felt had already been written. My grandmother chose to write her
own life story. In 1923, she traveled by herself on board a ship
to Ellis Island and eventually made her way to Chicago, Illinois.
Marie first worked for Sears and then began her life long job as
a telephone operator for Illinois Bell. Her spirit of
independence made sense in America. Today, her spirit of
independence continues to bring me inspiration. I honor my
grandmother's story. She wanted to create her own life and she
took action, bravely making her way to a new country to ensure
that her dreams came true. I feel I have the same spirit to
branch out and leave what I know to pursue my own destiny.