Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards Winner Q-and-A: Margaux Pagán

Professionally, my current supervisor, Sue Woodward. Sometimes I simply am amazed at the amount of information on fundraising in her brain. She has taught me so many things and continues to without even knowing it. Sue has shown me that fundraising has to be in your every fiber.

FS: What is the best advice you've ever gotten (either personally or professionally)?
MP: I love the quote by Marianne Williamson: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

FS: How would your co-workers describe you?
MP: Resilient, ambitious, shows initiative and a Chatty Cathy.