Katherine Atkins, an MBA student in the College of Business Administration, didn’t think a lunch meeting and write-up of the event would have an impact on her life, but it did. After spending time with Joyce Green — founder and head of development for the John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI) — Katherine decided that it didn’t matter what kind of a grade she received for the interview assignment… what mattered was what she learned and what she learned was that positivism, passion, strength, and dedication can overcome all of life’s trials.

“Joyce is a woman with a vision. She has dedicated her life to making the dream of JWCI a reality and has become the perfect example of the power one small, unheralded person can have to achieve a tremendous impact on the world,” Katherine said.

To her surprise, Katherine’s paper received not only accolades from her professor — Fred Kiesner — it also garnered her a finalist slot with the Acton Foundation’s Take an Entrepreneur to Lunch Initiative. Her award was $1,200 to attend a leadership symposium of her choice.

“I am thrilled to be a finalist,” Katherine said. “Joyce had an amazing story to tell, which made writing the essay easy.”

What started Katherine on her unexpected path was an assignment from Kiesner: interview an entrepreneur you admire. But it couldn’t be just anyone… it had to be someone who was not only successful but had become a top performer in their field. Another student in the class, Bradley Green, suggested that Atkins get in touch with his grandmother, Joyce Green. Joyce had indeed made a name for herself over the years.

Joyce was diagnosed with polio at age 20, one year before the Salk vaccine was distributed to the public. She used her experience in overcoming this crippling disease to fuel her mission of helping others with debilitating medical issues, cancer in particular. Her sword in this fight was creating a program to help patients and their families fight cancer at the JWCI.

“Joyce lived her life under the premise that things can be done better, and more efficiently. It was these very principles that laid the foundation from which Joyce built the culture and standards at JWCI,” Katherine said. “I admire Joyce for her passion and dedication to a cause. She could relate to patients because, due to her polio, had a similar story. She believed in finding a cure. She used her surviving polio as motivation to help other families who have suffered medical trauma.”

Katherine’s connection to Joyce went deeper than just admiration; Katherine felt inspiration in her own work to make an even bigger difference in the lives of other people. Katherine now works as the event coordinator for Chrysalis, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals become self-sufficient through employment opportunities. She knows that alone she can’t end the world’s problems, but after meeting Joyce she’s more dedicated to the cause than ever.

“I love working for Chrysalis, its cause, and for the impact it has on the community,” she said. “Although it’s just a small slice of the pie of homelessness, it addresses other issues such as drug rehab and education. I know I can help make a difference.”