You can hear Vanecia Kerr smiling through her voicemail.  She’s a person whose energy shines through. She’s a leader who channels her positivity into building relationships, spreading compassion and inspiring positive change in Colorado. When she reflects on what led her to be selected as a finalist for the 9NEWS Leader of the Year, she thinks of her mom. As a child, Vanecia always [...]

Helen Young Hayes’ American dream began in Starkville, Mississippi in 1965.  She remembers when her family packed up to move South. Helen’s parents were Chinese immigrants who had come to the United States a few years prior seeking economic prosperity, political freedom and physical safety. After receiving their graduate degrees, her parents had accepted jobs in academia at Mississippi State University. The family was [...]

Elsa Holguín has always been a teacher. Even now as a CEO she is still a teacher. It was an essential skill in her family. As a construction foreman, her father was a teacher. As the owner of a private school, her aunt was a teacher. And as a 6th grader who taught summer school classes, Elsa was a teacher from an early age. [...]