If we think for a moment about all the people who come through our door during our lifetime, it's amazing to reflect upon the diversity of thought, backgrounds and experiences they carry and the circumstances around which they crossed our threshold.
It's about "being in the right place at the right time" many say. True. But it's also about recognizing opportunities and leaning in to them. It's about not listening to the naysayers (whether the voice in your head, your spouse or a friend) and believing in yourself and what you are doing.
Although it was my job as a reporter to get a quote from the highest, most credible authority on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' while I was covering the ongoing national issue regarding school prayer policy in a small Texas city in the late 1990s, it never occurred to me to not try Justice Antonin Scalia's office. Afterward, when I told the story, I was met with awe, to which I said: "He's just a person, who has happened to accomplish great things."
—Monique Jozwiakowski