What defines you as a person?

My integrity.

Do you have a food addiction?

Anything with SUGAR! I'm trying to give up Diet Pepsi as part of my New Year's Resolution, but that's not going very well.

Do you have any bad/good habits?

Bad: When I'm involved in a conversation, my brain moves a hundred miles an hour. I tend to interrupt/talk over people. I have to constantly remind myself to be quiet and listen.

Good: This is a tough one... I cook most of my food from scratch. I try not to buy any processed foods. I'm also into recycling, repurposing/refinishing older items.

What historical figure do you admire most?

Albert Einstein. He was not afraid go against status quo thinking. Einstein was a visionary, quirky and imperfect.

Who is your favorite author?

Ayn Rand was introduced to me by Professor Barry Turnock, MD, MPH at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) while I was a graduate student. I was having a really difficult time working on required group projects. During a break in classes, I took the elevator to the eighth floor to Dr. Turnock's office to express my frustrations AGAIN. He looked up as a I hesitantly stormed into his office. He smiled as always and with kind tolerance allowed me to take a breath between sentences and then asked if I had ever read the book, "Atlas Shrugged?" I looked at him with a contorted face and eyebrows scrunched responding, "No", mildly irritated by his deflection of my tirade. Dr. Turnock recommended that following graduation, I take the time to read the book. That's exactly what I did.

I sat in the corner of my couch looking out over Lake Michigan from the window of my 28th floor apartment in Lincoln Park and read Atlas Shrugged. Every chapter was a personal reality check. I realized that what I had been experiencing as a graduate student and young professional was not uncommon and continues to plague society. Even today, the parallels in the book to what is currently happening post-pandemic is mind-blowing. I would strongly recommend adding Atlas Shrugged to your reading list.

What are you most passionate about?

Arabian horses! I have five pure bred Arabian horses, three of which are rescues who have endured severe abuse, neglect and starvation from their previous owners. As a result, these horses require a considerable amount of patience and human kindness, but at the same time, they need a strong leader to feel confident and safe.

The YouTube video (middle left) documents the recovery of Siraj. I had adopted Siraj within days of returning from ICTH 2019-Melbourne (November 2019). He arrived home on 5 August 2020. It has been over two years of nutrition, exercise and TLC and this horse has finally recovered physically (bottom left photo August 2021)), even though there are psychological scares that will more than likely surface as we begin spring training.

I feel as if God has given me the greatest gift; the privilege of serving as steward to these majestic creatures.