I was born and raised in Chesapeake, Virginia. As a child I was always deeply concerned with nature and my environment. I attribute this to growing up in the south. My first teacher, my mother, instilled in me a sense of cultural pride and community responsibility. I have a passion for all things natural and teaching. I attribute this to a childhood surrounded by family, food, and love. I attribute the inception of WHOLISM to a deep sense of community, my mother's love and the state of our communities today. I believe WHOLISM has the power to bring that "old thing back" to our communities-the sense of oneness, shared responsibility and interconnectedness.