A public thank you for the conversation that helped shape RISE.

I met Jimmy Lee before I knew how to fully stand in who I was.

I was 19, trying to figure out where I belonged, trying to understand my place in the world, and quietly carrying more than I knew how to explain. I did not feel like I fit. I did not always feel seen. And during one of the harder seasons of my life, Jimmy became something I needed more than I realized at the time.

He was a light in the dark.

Not the kind of light that made everything easy. The kind that made you look at yourself differently. The kind that came with wisdom, kindness, presence, and tough love. The kind that reminded you that even when life feels uncertain, you are still becoming someone.

Years later, when I was 26, our paths crossed again. Through Jimmy, I was introduced to A Queen’s Conversation, and I saw his purpose take shape in a new way. I saw how conversation could become transformation. I saw how confidence could be restored. I saw how the right person, in the right room, with the right words, could help someone remember their value.

That stayed with me.

At the time, I do not think I fully understood the impact it would have. I did not know that one day I would be building something of my own. I did not know that the lessons I was witnessing would become part of the foundation for Fox Cities RISE.

But now I see it clearly.

RISE was not born from theory. It was born from lived experience. From knowing what it feels like to be unsure of yourself. From understanding how powerful it is when someone believes in you before you fully believe in yourself. From seeing how preparation, encouragement, honesty, and community can help a person walk into the world differently.

Jimmy helped show me that.

Now, as I step forward in this work, I realize I am following his example again. Not by copying his path, but by carrying forward the same truth: people need people. People need spaces where they are challenged, encouraged, prepared, and reminded that they are not finished.

Jimmy Lee Langhoff and A Queen’s Conversation are part of the spirit behind Fox Cities RISE. His influence helped plant something in me long before RISE had a name. And today, that light continues through the work we are building for others.