Laurie Celebrates Her Daughter Paris
"We often think of the women who have gone before us on days like today, those who helped to light a path for us to follow. I’ve had a lot of women in my life like that, but this year I want to tell you about my daughter Paris my 25 year old inspiration. She might be much younger than I am but she has taught me a lot. From the time she was just a kid she’s always had a heart for those who felt like they were “on the outside”. In high school she was the president of the Gay Straight Alliance, an LGBTQ racial and gender justice organization that empowers the student body as a whole to make their school and community a safer place for every student. When she was in college in New York at NYU she worked as a rape crisis counselor at Bellevue Hospital and spent time as a forensic case manager for an “alternative to incarceration program” at Riker’s Island Jail, helping men who had serious mental health concerns. Currently, Paris is finishing her second year of law school at Berkeley in California and this summer will work at a law firm that specializes in protecting and promoting employee rights in the workplace, anything from discrimination to exploitation to inadequate wages. Her heart for those who feel they don’t have a voice is immense and I am immensely inspired by her everyday."
St. Pierre Celebrates His Girlfriend Amanda
"On this International Women’s Day I need to celebrate my other half, Amanda. She would kill me for using this photo but I love it because it’s one of those candid moments that always stands out. She makes me a better person in just about every way. I know she works hard every day helping her students be the best possible version of themselves. She deserves more credit than she receives."
Francesca Celebrates Her Mom Jane
"My mama has always and continues to be the strongest woman I know. She has taught me so much and prepared me to take on life all by myself. I am who I am because of the woman she is and I do everything with her in mind. She is my rock, my best friend and the type of woman I aspire to be every single day. Her love and guidance gives me strength, I wish to one day give her as much as she's given me. raising me was definitely a chore but she always did it with a smile and such grace. I love her to the moon & back!"