Happy February, everyone!!! New month, new energy! Super excited to share my latest Coach's Corner!
Coach's Corner with Guest Coach Olivia Brandon
Super excited to introduce my next guest coach, Olivia Brandon, age 22. Olivia and I have been friends for several years, having met through horse rescue. Her intelligence and commitment to making the world a better place was apparent immediately. One of the first things she did was organize a horse show to benefit the horse rescue where I am a long time volunteer. It was a spectacular success. The next thing I knew, Olivia was headed to Africa to help with clean water infrastructure. She was a superstar student, still in high school...and giving a Ted Talk based on her African experience. She also was a nationally recognized equestrian. As I got to know the entire Brandon family, it was clear that their family culture emphasized service to community and excellence. And, whilst out doing good and succeeding at virtually everything, they are a fun loving group that is a blast to be around. Well-rounded does not even begin to sum up this clan. Over our years of friendship, my respect for Olivia has only grown. Now a senior at the University of Washington, and having just published her first research paper, she continues to crush her goals. I feel pretty good about the future with people like Olivia, and my previous Gen Z coach, Donovan McMorrow, forging the path forward.
Very grateful for her time and her thoughtful insight.
Without further ado, here is Olivia.
BL: How do you feel about the future? What are you most excited about? What are you most concerned about? (climate change, inflation, the political division in the country, gender equality, reproductive rights, being able to afford to live where you want, war in Ukraine, North Korea, China, etc. any of these, or anything that is on your mind)
OB: I am optimistic for the future, with some healthy skepticism. I am most excited about my future education and career. I am currently planning to attend medical school, with the goal of becoming a physician. Medicine excites me; the ability to make such a difference in people's lives is what inspires me to work so hard. I am concerned with how the government has limited a women's right to health care and has dictated so many decisions that should be an individual's choice.
If you could get a message out to the world, what would it be?
My message to the world is that everyone should have access to health care, whether it's women's rights, life-sustaining medication, or treatment. We all need to work towards decreasing the financial burden to health created by our capitalistic society and work towards a "health for all" reality. Furthermore, where someone is born (or what zip code they live in) should not dictate whether they live or die, prosper or not. The social determinants of health, such as the factors that affect the environments in which people work, live, and learn in should be given more attention.
BL: What do you think older people are not getting? What are your peers not getting?
OB: As basic as it sounds, I don't think people are getting the difference between equality and equity. I come from a public health/global health background; if everyone received the same access to resources and the same care, we would still see huge gaps in health outcomes among different genders, races, and socioeconomic status. Using an equity-oriented perspective, additional tools and resources need to be oriented towards the group of people with the worst health outcomes and the least access to health care.
BL: If you were an advisor to the president on behalf of people 25 and under, what would you tell him?
OB: The decisions made today go beyond short-term consequences; decisions should be made while thinking about the question "how will this impact people in 50 years?" Whether this is related to tighter regulations on large corporations and carbon emissions or increasing access to birth control and a women's right to health, I would tell the President that Generation Z is a group of change makers that will continue to fight for our rights and for health equity.
BL: What is your best memory?
OB: My favorite memory is from two years ago when I was walking in our 100-year-old barn and remember hearing this little "meow." A cat and her kitten walked out, both scrawny and malnourished. I took them inside, feeding them and giving them the love they deserve. Fast forward two years and Dawson, the kitten, is now my partner in crime and the love of my life.
BL: Thank you so much, Olivia. Give your family my love. xo