Cavalier Corner

IT STARTS WITH YOU THE PATH TO SUCCESS Academics Preparation Competition Service Graduation Lifelong Success ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ of living. They stressed being "other focused," not "self focused." I learned there are no short cuts to excellence. They taught me how to lift my chin up after the sting of defeat and to be humble in victory. They taught me the benefits of competition, the joy of teamwork and the importance of loyalty, good sports- manship and integrity. And, at UVa, my plate was always full with philanthropic activity. As I took these freshly minted lessons back to Dallas upon graduation to pur- sue a public relations career, an amazing thing happened … they worked! Put- ting into practice all that is honorable, good and true from what I learned at UVa, I opened up my own public rela- tions firm and, through a merger years later, became president of a communi- cations company that really rocked! For more than 30 years, I spent my waking professional hours on image development, branding campaigns and event management for clients in the hospitality, health and retail industries. I had great fun and fulfillment achieving robust outcomes and incor- porating what I had been taught at UVa. During this time, I pursued my dream of writing a book, LITTLE MO'S LEGACY, A Mother's Lesson, A Daugh- ter's Story, chronicling the lessons my mother, the late great tennis champion Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly Brinker, taught me in life and in death. I am currently on sabbatical writing a second book. Another great joy in my life is doing charitable work. My parents modeled philanthropy in action for my little sister and me. My years at UVa further generated an abiding passion to make a difference in the world. Since cancer has invaded the inner sanctum of my life on multiple occasions, including the premature death of my dear mother when I was 12 and the loss of my beloved husband, I wanted to crusade against this vicious disease. I founded "Wipe Out Kids' Cancer" ( WOKC) the year after I graduated to fund critical pediatric can- cer research projects. Today, 35 years later, WOKC has grown significantly. It funds national pediatric cancer research grants and implements special events and support programs to encourage our young cancer heroes and their families. As a Christian, I have had the honor of serving on the boards of many signifi- cant ministries and a distinguished sem- inary. My son William and I have trav- eled to Zambia over multiple summers with a ministry that serves orphans and poverty-stricken children in that country. We currently sponsor 18 children in Zambia with whom we have created a very close familial bond. William and I have found that when we serve others, we are the ones who are forever transformed and blessed. UVa was a sturdy foundation that anchored me well for the ebbs and flows of life. I have been fortunate to incorporate lessons learned from its hallowed grounds into my personal and professional life since gradua- tion. It is an honor to currently serve on the board of the Virginia Athletics Foundation as a way to give back to my beloved UVa, an institution that mobilized my talents, influenced my heart and impacted my future. Wah-hoo-wah!

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