An MBA (motherfrickin' bigtime awesome) Star

Our esteemed Be Brilliant administrator and all-around fabulous team consultant Kate Watson is headed off to an prestigious MBA program at the University of North Carolina this fall. We couldn't be more excited if she were our own daughter.

Sniff sniff hooray! A girl with a business dream — and one after our own hearts. (Dabs tears).

Kate is the picture of hard work, determination — a true brilliant girl.

A bit of her story. Kate's early go of it was tough. At one point, she lived in a car. Not a typo. And yet she persevered, never lost her values or spirit, and here she is, headed off to Chapel Hill with a full-ride MBA scholarship (after being courted by a dozen other schools who competed for her talents).

There is a life lesson here that is so important. We can't share it enough. No matter who you are, where you come from, whatever life's circumstances — focus, determination and drive outpace any excuses about why you cannot succeed.

Yes, you can. Oh, no. YES. YOU. CAN! You just have to want it the most.

Kate is a striver and a doer. You know that type. She flat up handles her stuff and gets it done. She delivers.

Kate — we must brag — also cares about her world. She worked for several years after her graduation from Michigan State University in the fabulous Teach for America program. She taught math at a high school in rural Arkansas for a few years and then continued her relationship working at TFA in  recruitment.

Her service to our country's teaching cadre is both honorable and badly needed. It's not easy for some districts to find qualified educators in classes like science, technology and math. But Kate did her part and she still finds time each year to return for graduation to see her young charges move on in their lives.

In that way and more, she's special. And someone who decided, no matter what, she was going to be a success.

As Legally Blonde's heroine Elle Woods once said: "You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself."

Here's to Kate brilliant faith in her dreams — and her most certainly brilliant future!

#Brilliant365