Sometimes, change is a good thing. It can be big and scary, but necessary for continued growth.
My parents always taught me that if I work hard at everything I put my mind to, good things will happen. It’s why I force myself to try things outside of my comfort zone. For example, racing is still something where I find myself uncomfortable.
Just this past weekend, I was sitting in the driver’s seat on the starting grid in the pouring rain at COTA. My belts were tight and I couldn’t see much past my extremely foggy windshield. I was uncomfortable. When we finally got rolling, they made us do extra pace laps in an attempt to move puddles off the racing line. I had butterflies in my stomach just wanting the green flag to drop so we could get the cold, rainy start over with.
I have been working with Shift Up Now for many years in different aspects, both professionally and personally. This past year, I was tasked with the Membership Director role, which has been a fun learning curve. First, it allowed me to connect more closely with a few of Shift Up Now’s biggest supporters, and some of the Athletes I hadn’t connected with prior. And second, it has been heartwarming to see how much these people want to see our Athletes succeed.
One of my favorite tasks as Membership Director has been the monthly Members’ email. I have a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Lafayette, and I enjoy designing marketing materials to see what kind of content appeals to people most.
As a fun side note, my parents wouldn’t let me race without completing school, and although I would never admit this to them, I’m grateful that they made me do it because it’s given me opportunities to grow.
Another fun project I was tasked with was sorting all of the Shift Up Now Athletes’ photos, which made me realize what a cool, unique bunch of women are part of this organization. And along with that, we’re so lucky to have an amazing group of supporters, making it fun for me to find giveaways that appealed to everyone.
Now that the 2024 racing season is coming to a close, a new opportunity has presented itself and as a result, I felt it was a good time to pass the baton to Monica Hilton, another dedicated member of the Shift Up Now team. Watch for more details coming soon!
For now, I am so excited to announce that I have accepted a position with a government contractor, working as a security defense driver trainer in Virginia. Believe it or not, this is my first full-time job as a young professional, and I could not be more excited about the health
benefits! This also means that I’m moving from Atlanta to Virginia, another area where I’m forcing myself out of my comfort zone to try new things.
I’ve been asked about my future involvement with Shift Up Now, so I just want to confirm that yes, I will still be around. And YES, I will still be racing!
Thank you all for your continued support of my racing career, and for helping me launch the new membership website this past year. I’m excited to pass this role on to Monica, as I know it will be in good hands. Along with it, this change will bring growth to Shift Up Now and I can’t wait to see that happen.
