“Education is the most  
powerful weapon which  
you can use to  
change the world.”   
Nelson Mandela

I am fairly certain that my sister, Cathy, never expected to read an article in which she was mentioned along with Nelson Mandela, Carlos Santana, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Well, today the unthinkable becomes a reality. Today’s blog post is about Cathy. I will rely on the words of these better-known individuals to help me explain why I am so proud of my sister and why, in a world where social media is filled with self-proclaimed, often misguided “influencers,” Cathy has been, and continues to be, a truly authentic influencer in the world. 

In her professional life, Cathy was an educator. She began as a classroom teacher in private schools before answering the call to teach in public schools. She excelled as a teacher of math. In a world where many good educators are not recognized for the positive effect they have on their students, Cathy’s effectiveness in the classroom was both recognized and appreciated. This led to opportunities for her to share her expertise and experience by teaching math educators more effective ways of teaching math.

In her years at WestEd, a non-profit research, development, and service agency working to improve learning and opportunities for students, Cathy was called upon to travel around the country and the world advising school and district administrators, along with classroom teachers, how math might be presented in ways better suited to student learning. Her experience at WestEd took her around the United States and to a variety of overseas locations including Japan, Guam, Brazil, Germany, and Canada.

A quote by Nelson Henderson, which apparently has its origin in an ancient Greek proverb, tells us, “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” Cathy has devoted her entire life to doing this.

Even in her retirement years, Cathy has continued to make a positive difference in the lives of countless people. I have no reason to believe that the legendary guitarist Carlos Santana knew Cathy personally, but his words accurately describe the way she has lived her life. He said, “There is no greater reward than working from your heart and making a difference in the world.” This is precisely what Cathy has done — and continues to do.

The counter-cultural message of American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson also encapsulates Cathy’s life. He wrote, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

Cathy has lived well and continues to live well. It’s interesting that while Emerson tells us that the purpose of life is not to be happy, when we commit ourselves to living a life of honor, compassion, and service to others, as Cathy has, happiness is the inevitable byproduct.