When people hear the word ambition, they often think about success.

They think about achieving more, doing more, and being more.

But my understanding of ambition has been shaped by a very different journey.

I’ve had to learn to navigate a world that often underestimated what I was capable of. And I’ve also had to manage big changes, often from factors outside of my control. These challenges have only grown my resilience and helped me discover a deeper sense of purpose.

Those assumptions became the reason I wanted to create change. They strengthened my desire to help people see what is possible, both for themselves and for others.

That purpose led me to found SELF-Start because I wanted individuals with disabilities to have the support, confidence, and tools to recognize their strengths, advocate for themselves, and pursue lives that reflect their own goals, not someone else's expectations.

To me, ambition is about using what you've lived through to create opportunities for others.

Everyone deserves someone who believes in their potential (and particularly when they don’t fully believe in their potential themselves). People gain so much from having access to someone who listens, asks thoughtful questions, and encourages them to dream bigger than the limitations others have placed on them.

I've learned that the most meaningful kind of ambition isn't measured by awards or accomplishments. The true best measure of ambition is the lives we impact and the confidence we help build.

When we use our own experiences to lift someone else up, our ambition becomes something much bigger than ourselves. It becomes a force for good.

Because ambition becomes truly powerful when you use it to make the world better.