I am writing this with humility and gratitude. This weekend as I packed away my summer things while Autumn in New York by Billie Holiday played in the background I came across a photo of myself from the year I had moved to this country.

My career began at the age of 22 as a college hire in Worcester, Massachusetts, working for Verizon. I was tasked with managing 15 male telephone technicians, aged 40-60.