Think back to when you were a child. What inspired you, and who or what did you want to be as an adult? Here, the Gulf Coast Woman team reflects on the hopes and dreams of their youth and how those aspirations led them to what they’re doing now.
DOROTHY P. WILSON
Publisher and editor
Even as a young girl, I recognized that I had a creative side. I loved most of my subjects in school, but I would light up in art and history classes. I loved discovering and creating new things.
In high school, that inquisitiveness and creativity showed up in poetry and essays. I loved to write, but when it came time to apply for college, my interest in understanding people and their “why” won out. I completed that University of Georgia application and marked “psychology” as my major. But it’s funny how sometimes an unexpected turn of events can inspire a monumental shift in direction. In my final semester of high school at the Academy of Richmond County (Augusta, Georgia), I needed one more class to complete my schedule. It didn’t take much for me to decide that I was going to choose an “easy” class to ensure my grade-point average held. Knowing I loved to write, I chose journalism as an elective. And as they say, “the rest is history.”
After starting that class, I realized that most of my classmates weren’t very interested in actually writing. Like me, I think they were looking for an easy out of that final leg of high school. As a result, I found myself coming to school early, staying late and even shortening my lunch break so I could craft articles for the student newspaper, “The Musketeer.” My teacher placed a desk out in the hallway, right outside her door, and put a typewriter on it so I didn’t have to disturb her class with my comings and goings.
I found I loved everything about developing the stories. I had a chance to ask interview subjects any question I desired, fulfilling my need to understand what made people tick; after the interviews, my creative side came into play as I explored new techniques to make the articles interesting. I was hooked, and a change in major followed.
I graduated with a degree in journalism and have worked as a reporter, editor, graphic designer, news director, managing editor and publisher during my 37 years in the communications field. But behind all of that is still the little shy girl who loved watching people and discovering new things.
SHERRY SEAMAN
Director of business development
I can remember in my childhood, all I wanted to be was a flight attendant. We lived very close to the airport in Augusta, Georgia, and I watched the planes fly over our house daily. I wanted to go, go, go! I wanted to see the world, and I wanted to meet people from all around the world.
Well, I didn’t grow up to be a flight attendant, but I did retain a love of travel and have ventured to many beautiful places and met many wonderful people. I still enjoy it to this day. One of my most meaningful travel experiences was going to Guatemala for a mission trip; it was life changing!
For more than 30 years, I have been in marketing/sales, mainly in the media world although I also have had many years of success in direct sales. In both, I have traveled many places, met many people and continued to help others market themselves and their brands. It feels good to serve others and help them in building their business. You can’t get to the top unless you take a lot of people with you, so while I may not be a flight attendant, I feel like I take flight and soar every day.
JASMINE BALL
Social media specialist, fashion stylist and columnist
This little girl wanted to help others from birth. My dream was to be an OBGYN, not even knowing what that really entailed beyond what I learned watching “A Baby Story” on TLC. Little did I know I would be helping others in another way. I’m so proud of the woman I have grown up to be — constantly helping others through media while empowering women through fashion.
JENNIFER GENTILE
Contributing writer/editor
Growing up, I only ever wanted to be one thing: a writer. After taking my first out-of-state trip to California at age 6, I recounted the experience in a self-illustrated “book.” Overlooking the poor punctuation and the fact that I’d spelled San Diego “Sandy Ago,” my dad was effusive about my future as an author.
A few years later, my mom showed me the scrapbook she’d made in fourth grade after the Kennedy assassination. Reading the newspaper stories she’d carefully glued onto the pages, I could still feel the writers’ bewilderment, shock and sorrow. I knew then that I wanted to do what they had done — capture the most momentous events of my lifetime in print and preserve them for posterity.
I went on to graduate from Kent State University with a degree in journalism. I’ve since worked for numerous daily newspapers across the country as a reporter and news editor. Today, as contributing writer and editor at Gulf Coast Woman, I get to do what I’ve always dreamed of: informing, inspiring and celebrating with words.
VERONICA RATCLIFF
Success strategist
I grew up in a small town where most women are nurses or teachers. My hope and dream at a young age was to become a flight attendant. I thought traveling the world and seeing many different places and meeting new people would be fun. I love people, being around people and serving others.
Today, I am a success strategist at Gulf Coast Woman Multimedia. I love helping others with our effective print and digital marketing campaigns. I love connecting women to women and helping their business grow. I am still providing a service, much like a flight attendant. I love what I do, and my days are never the same.
CRYSTAL SCRETCHING
Digital content manager
For as long as I can remember I have always gravitated towards the arts. As a child, I explored my creative side in every way possible. From craft projects to making up dance routines to drawing, I was always trying something new.
I dreamed of a world full of color. My mom recalls me telling her that I wanted to live in a rainbow house with a rainbow car and wear all of the colors. One of my favorite outfits as a kid was a matching T-shirt and shorts set with a rainbow-striped pattern.
Of all of the creative mediums, I loved music the most. My parents bought me a little radio, and I remember listening to it for hours, switching from station to station. I’ll never forget listening to this one station that had classical music and singers and standards. The beautiful string instruments and legendary vocalists like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone blessed my ears.
I thought I’d discovered a secret, this glorious gift that took you on a ride. I mimicked what I heard and learned every lyric. Soon, I began writing my own songs. I filled up notebooks and journals. Music helped me express myself in a way I hadn’t before.
In middle school, I was convinced I would pursue anything dealing with music. I wrote in a school essay that I would be a music producer and own a record label that would inspire people.
Well, I didn’t become a music producer, but I did combine my childhood desire to paint with all the colors and be an inspiration.
Today, I am the digital content manager at Gulf Coast Woman. I love being able to utilize my creative skills while being part of telling women’s stories. Celebrating people in our community is really special. I love knowing that when we spotlight someone, it affirms the greatness that already lives within them.
By the way, I still occasionally write songs. It is still the best way to express myself.