Mary Sherrill Ware is a proud Charlottean, graduate of East Mecklenburg High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She joined the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) in 2005 and served on the Fund Development Committee. She says she met some nice women, but everything changed for her when she met a young boy named Malik. He was an eight-year old patient at Alexander Youth Network. Through the JLC partnership with Alexander Youth Network, she really saw the ways the JLC is impacting and bettering the Charlotte community. Here is part of her story in her own words…
I was Malik’s dinner buddy, and for two hours every Wednesday night we connected. I came straight from a long day at work and often sped to make it to Alexander Youth Network by 5:00 p.m. Over the course of five months we did crafts, played games and grew to be friends. I attended all the Alexander Youth Network social events with him. There was bingo night, a dance, a Halloween Party, a Thanksgiving celebration, and yes my precious friend spent Christmas in residential treatment. The ornament he made me still hangs on my Christmas tree. My boyfriend at the time, now my husband, got to meet Malik at the holiday celebration and to this day I’m certain that’s why he never complains about the time I spend volunteering. Because he saw firsthand my why— the bond, the relationship, the love that can be formed in service. After serving on the Alexander Youth Network Committee I became hooked. I wanted to be part and work hard for an organization that gave resources and time to children; an organization that can and would teach me how to advocate and raise resources for things that matter; an organization that helped me see that the world is so much bigger than what’s in front of me. Over the years I’ve had an opportunity to come in contact and to learn from a lot of leaders inside and outside of the League and I’ve observed three superpowers that the best consistently have.
The first is competence. I’m talking about the ability to do something successfully here. The training women get from the Junior League Charlotte is all about building up and increasing the number of things you do well. We can always get better and learn more. The simple things you learn in the JLC can be a game changer. I joined the League because I wanted to meet women with a similar heart for serving in the community. What I found was so much more.
The second is confidence. Often we as women don’t see in ourselves what others see in us. Confidence is defined by Websters as “a feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.” The League developed my confidence in incredible ways. My first leadership experience with the League was when I was asked to lead the KIPP Charlotte Girls Leadership Program. We created a Leadership Development program for seventh and eighth grade girls on the topics of bullying, health and wellness, uncovering leadership skills, and professional etiquette. The success of this program gave me the confidence to put my name in the hat to lead other committees in the League and to join the Board of Directors for KIPP Charlotte. Once I joined the Board at KIPP, I realized how much I like leading and raising resources for organizations I care about. I also realized if I wanted to increase my competency, I needed to go after that dream of getting my Masters degree in Business. Going to school at night after working a full day is not easy, but I knew this experience would change things. I’ll be the first to admit there were quite a few setbacks along the way where I tried something and it didn’t work out, but I believe we learn more from failure than success.
The last and I would say most important leadership superpower is that they care. Theodore Roosevelt said “Nobody cares about how much you know until they know how much you care.” I have found this to be true in every sphere of life whether it’s in business, in non-profits and even in my own family. The questions we must ask ourselves is – how do you care for yourself, your team and your community?
Be sure to sign up and spend your time serving in causes you care about. Think about the stories you read about or hear about on the news and pay attention to the ones that make your face red or pull on your heart string. For me it’s social justice issues and causes related to the health and well-being of women and children especially ones that have a similar story to my friend, Malik.
