Women of the world – a series honoring International Women’s Day

In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, we asked women around Cook, worldwide, to share their individual stories about their careers, community involvement, and life adventures. We received so many responses that a team of writers was deployed to collect the stories, and we had to divide them up into multiple blog posts. This is the first post in a series of four.

Today’s post includes stories of confidence-building adventures and travel.

Taking a monumental ride – Donna Accetta
Gaining inner strength through travel – Rosa Dorsi
Incorporating Italy into daily life – Nikki Davis
Gaining a world of perspective – Tori Lawhorn
Mission to meet sponsored children – Kelly Saunders and Vera Edgeworth

Please let us know about your own career, travel, and volunteer highlights in the comment section below!

Taking a monumental ride

When Donna Accetta, quality assurance assistant at Cook MyoSite, heard about a friend’s plan to bicycle from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Washington, D.C., she jumped at the chance to join the adventure. Describing herself as a “recreational” rider, Donna didn’t have much time to train for the ride, but she wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass her by.  So in June of 2014, Donna and her friend set off on a six-day trek along more than 335 miles of trails (and a few city blocks) from Pittsburgh’s Point State Park to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Riding an average of 60 miles per day and camping along the trail at night, Donna admits that she may have been a little naïve about just how challenging the trip would be. But she pushed through, and, in the end, she took great pride in accomplishing something that not many people have even attempted. Donna’s journey took her off the beaten path and outside of her comfort zone, but she was rewarded with fresh air, beautiful scenery, and the satisfaction of knowing she could rise to any challenge.

Gaining inner strength through travel

Seven years ago, Rosa Dorsi, a sales rep in Italy for OHNS (and before that, Urology), found herself facing a summer holiday without a travel partner after she and her boyfriend ended their relationship. Her friends already had plans. She did not like the idea of a formal group trip with people she did not know. Could she plan a trip on her own, she wondered? She was fascinated by Morocco and badly wanted to visit. She fought through her inner fears about the idea of traveling alone, something women in Italy usually do not do. She thought, “If I can travel around alone for my job and meet new people, I can do this holiday alone.”

She did not want to feel limited by her fears. She bought a travel guide and organized all aspects of her trip on her own. The day before the trip, she had a strong stomach ache brought on by fear.

She got on the plane, though, and flew to Marrakesh. She spent a lot of time visiting the natural areas of Morocco – the Atlante mountains, the Sahara Desert, and the seaside. For one outing, she hired a driver to take her to the Ouzoud waterfalls. Despite the language barrier – he only spoke French – they were able to communicate, and he gave her very helpful advice, found her a guide to take her to the falls, and made sure she had something to eat even though he was fasting for Ramadan. He recommended other sites to see and did not ask her to pay extra. They stopped on the way to visit his sister, who gave her tea and welcomed her warmly.

Rosa has never forgotten the kindness of the driver and of all the people she met in Morocco. She absorbed the culture and sees that there are good people everywhere when we have the open mind to see them. She also felt empowered by her trip and has taken many solo trips since. The trips have pushed her out of her comfort zone – from staying in a village with only one shared bathroom to briefly getting lost in a jungle in Laos. But those are stories for another day… if you see Rosa, ask her to tell you her stories, or better yet, join her for her next trip!

Incorporating Italy into daily life

For many people, visiting new places is like soul food. It gives the traveler perspective, cultural awareness, and memories that last a lifetime. Over the years, Nikki Davis (Interventional Radiology and Critical Care administrative assistant) has appreciated the joys of traveling. “It is such an important way for me to gain experience, learn about other cultures, and step outside my comfort zone,” she said. “I always come back from my trips invigorated.”

A fairly experienced traveler, Nikki had previously taken trips around the United States and English-speaking Caribbean islands. Her travel partners include a close-knit group of Cook colleagues who definitely know the pleasure of getting away for relaxation and camaraderie.

But, in September 2016, she and one of her usual travel partners, Jennifer, took a trip of a lifetime when they spent 10 days in Rome, Florence, and Venice, Italy. The trip to Italy challenged Nikki and Jennifer in ways lounging on a beach never had.

“It was all so foreign. Neither of us spoke Italian, and we didn’t rely on a tour guide,” she said. “We just used our cellphones and an old-school paper map to find our way around…and walked and walked and walked. It was exhausting, but extremely stimulating and rewarding!”

The highlights of the trip were a wine tour in San Gimignano; visiting Siena, the site of the Palazzo Pubblico; and the Colosseum and Forum in Rome. The one thing that really surprised her was how relaxed, happy, and laid back Italians are. As the saying goes, “When in Rome…” So, Nikki slowed down too. “When I came back, I kept that attitude and now try to take time to enjoy food, coffee, and generally just stay mindful.”

Gaining a world of perspective

A self-described “military brat,” Tori Lawhorn, written content specialist in Critical Care, is no stranger to new places and new experiences. With a father who is an Army officer, Tori and her family moved a total of nine times before she came to Bloomington to attend Indiana University. This included stints across the U.S. from coast to coast and two different moves to South Korea. Tori spent a total of four years in South Korea and looks back on that time as an amazing experience being immersed in a new culture at such a young age.

While in college, Tori also spent three months living and working in London as an intern for Bell Pottinger, the largest public relations agency in the UK. There, she had the opportunity to work with such high-profile clients as the Duchess of York and Volvo.

Tori said that all of these experiences have helped her appreciate just how small and interconnected the world is. She always approaches other cultures with genuine curiosity, because she’s learned that only by embracing the wider world around us can we become true global citizens.

Mission to meet sponsored children

Since 2012, Kelly Saunders from the accounts payable team has sponsored two children with One Child Matters in Kenya. She found out about the opportunity through her pastor’s mother.

“I wanted to be involved with child sponsorship but have heard so much skepticism through the years,” Kelly said. “By knowing a person directly involved in the program and hearing her testimony, I knew that this was worth investing in.”

In 2016, Kelly’s church announced a women’s mission trip to Kenya with One Child Matters. For Kelly, this meant an opportunity for her to meet Melenta, age 14, one of the children she had been sponsoring. She was intimidated when she learned the cost of the trip, but she was able to overcome her intimidation with encouragement from her pastor’s wife. In the end, Kelly was able to raise the funds through a combination of using her artistic talents, saving any extra money she earned, and fundraising. It was all worth it when she got to meet Melenta in person.

“Seeing the smile on his face was everything to me. His encouragement came from my journey all the way to Africa to meet him. He still writes to me that they were shocked to find out how long it took to fly there to visit them. I am encouraged that he was able to give gifts to his mother and father and siblings that I brought for him to share,” Kelly said.

Vera Edgeworth from Cook’s medical affairs team also went on the trip. However, this was not Vera’s first mission trip. Her church sponsors a girl in the Dominican Republic, and they visited her in 2013 with One Child Matters. She also went on several mission trips while living in the Ukraine. She plans to take another mission trip with her church to the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2018 through One Child Matters.

While in Africa, Vera and Kelly visited a community center in downtown Nairobi for children sponsored through One Child Matters. In Nairobi, they visited New Life Home, an orphanage for displaced babies and toddlers. Many of these children have illnesses including HIV and AIDS. Vera had the opportunity to take care of the newborn babies with HIV in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the New Life Home. Visitors are not usually allowed in the ICU, but Vera was allowed in because of her medical background.

“Several of the babies weighed just a few pounds. Newly admitted babies had very poor health conditions. This center does a great job of caring for these kids, and usually after several months in ICU, these babies can keep up with their peers,” Vera said. For Vera, the interaction with kids was the highlight of the trip to Africa. She also had the opportunity to see the living conditions in rural Africa. Many families live in very small houses made of mud.

During their trip, Vera and Kelly also had the opportunity to go out into the bush on an overnight safari where they saw native animals that migrate across the land of Kenya. They also visited the Emarti Exodus Child Development Center, where Melenta, the child Kelly sponsors, benefits from education, medical attention, and meals.

Writers Jon Hancuff, Valda Hillery, Ashley E. Jones, Debbie O’Leary, Bill Stephenson, and Jana Wilson teamed up to collect, compile, and edit these stories. A special thank you to all the women who stepped forward with their stories or who let us know about a co-worker with an interesting story. #goteamcook