Cristina Maria Pierson

We asked some Women of Foundever what they love most about being one and what they choose to do to make the world more gender-equal — one where men and women get to achieve their dreams, unhampered by prejudice.

What do you love most about being a Woman of Foundever?

What I love about being a woman of Foundever is also what makes the organization strong – diversity, inclusion, and equality. I have never felt alienated or discriminated against because of my gender or status in life. I will be celebrating my 10th year in Foundever this April. And it’s been fulfilling as it has been challenging. When I started working in Foundever, my youngest was only 16, a very fragile age, especially in a family such as ours. I have been a single mom for 22 years, close to half of that time spent working in Foundever. And all through those years, I was raising my four young kids while working full time at night, and taking courses three times a week towards an MA in SPED. My parents were my strong support system, I would have been more lost without them, and Foundever played a huge role in our lives. Foundever gave me hope that there were better things well within my reach. And made me realize that how far I go solely depends on me. I got to where I am at because of the opportunities available to everyone who would dare reach for it and I worked hard and reached far. My youngest son is now living his dream as a soldier in the US Army, promoted to the next rank even before finishing training. My kids, our lives, have been made better by all that Foundever had to offer.

What do you choose to do to make the world a more gender-equal place?

I have always chosen to lead by example, and I choose to always do what’s right, just because it’s the right thing to do. And what’s right is to be fair and kind. My basis of what’s right, is how I would want to be treated, how I would want my kids to be treated, that’s how I treat anyone and everyone. When we make that effort to understand where the other person’s coming from, their frame of reference, then we would not be so quick to judge, then we would eliminate all the hate, and avoid all the hurt.

Philippines