ASB 2008, This is Me.

I'm the one without the fur :-p (that's my faithful [and possibly ADD] dog, Pip, by the way).


My name is Ashley Graham and I am from the West coast- Washington to be precise. I'm a Gonzaga University '07 Alum (GO ZAGS!) and I don't want to talk about how their basketball season has been going. Though I live in Spokane, I'm originally from the Seattle area and after having 2 feet of snow on the ground for a couple months, I really miss their mild coastal weather.

Why ASB Detroit? Well, in all honesty, they chose me- I told them I'd be down for leading a team of rad community minded people just about anywhere, and Detroit turns out to be that place. I'm a West coaster through and through (a Seattlite right down to the coffee addiction and smug refusal of umbrellas), and I am really excited to see a different region of the US.

Currently I'm an Americorps VISTA with Spokane County United Way, which is how I heard about this program. When my term is up I hope to do a second year as VISTA team leader. Service has been part of my life so long I can't really remember a time without it. My motto for life is, do it with passion. However, there's also a fine print to my motto...have fun with it.



I should probably warn everyone that I'm something of a picture-aholic, frequently employ sarcasm, and might be a little wackier than normal due to the time difference.

I'd like to sign off with one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite authors, Chuck Palahniuk.
"Don't do what you want. Do what you don't want. Do what you're trained not to want. Do the things that scare you the most."

Life is about risk. Embrace your fears and make them work for you. Only when we take risks can we make great gains or create change in the world.
Just don't forget that other thing I mentioned. You know, the FUN.

I can't wait to meet all of you! I'm looking forward to lots of laughs along the way.
Ashley (or Smashley, whichever you prefer)