Kara Norman – Physician Recruiter

Story by Kara Norman

Growing up, I lived in a home where accolades, verbal support, hope-filled words, positive thoughts, and a feeling of being loved was not present. The negativity of my childhood and desperate desire to feel loved and appreciated left me with deep rooted pain and a lack of self confidence. I was a good student, but because of struggles at home, I was never encouraged, or told that my life had any real potential. Over time, I began to believe the same.

I never chose to participate in extra-curricular activities or try new things growing up, because the thoughts I had of myself were so negative. I took those same struggles into college and ended up dropping out, getting married, and becoming a mother. Somehow, I thought marriage and family would make things better. This new chapter in my life, however, opened up even more wounds, as I was suddenly faced with new responsibilities of marriage and motherhood that only deepened my awareness of how much healing I really needed.

As I looked into the faces of my two precious daughters, I realized that I had a choice. I could repeat the patterns of my mother, or I could choose to live a different life. I could choose, in one moment, to redefine my future. With a passion to live, love, and lead differently and give my daughters the inspiration, support, and love I never felt as a child, I decided to do something out of the norm for me. I decided to “learn” how to love again.  I was determined to change from the inside out and education became that key to unlock my greatness.

I returned to college and completed my degree, finishing something that, only a few years prior, I quit due to my own lack of confidence. And I didn’t just finish, I received a bachelor’s of science degree in psychology and graduated summa cum laude, all the while managing to sustain a passionate marriage and be mommy to two young girls.

During my studies, I chose to focus on women issues and gained valuable knowledge about the many challenges girls and women face today. Our country is in need for social change and my new education was giving me the passion to be a part of the solution.

I have served as a volunteer for several women’s organizations including The Women’s Center, a resource center for women and their families in Virginia, Caminar Latino, Inc., a domestic violence research program and agency for Latino families/women, and the Atlanta Women’s Foundation an organization that provides funding for issues concerning girls and women.

All of these experiences over my life have fueled a passion to truly inspire, enrich, empower and change the lives of our girls who will be our future leaders of tomorrow. With today’s cultural and media influences, the exploitation of girls, the unfiltered social networks, and the many temptations bombarding girls today, it has never been a better time or more important time for Afro Puffs and Ponytails to emerge as an alternative place of influence and leadership for girls and young women.

As the co-founder and director of a local empowerment group for pre-teen and teen girls in the Atlanta area, Jewels and G.E.M.S-Girls Empowered By Morals and Standards, I see the tremendous impact that positive supportive environments have on girls everyday.  My favorite poem is the following and it sums up what we feel is what every girl whether she is a teen or pre-teen should consider and feel about themselves!

Our Deepest Fear
By Marianne Williamson

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

African American Professional Women G.E.M.S. and Jewels Empower Group, Kara Norman