One never knows exactly what spark will set our life on fire. As a teacher, Claire Sullivan lived all over the world and barely grasped a breath before another idea was in motion. Her thirst for knowledge and sharing it goes back to her childhood. “I grew up in Brooklyn, New York during difficult times. Mom was a homemaker, and my father was a self-made man. We were filled with curiosity about the world and greatly valued our Jewish heritage and its history and traditions.” Hilton Head was fortunate to capture Claire in 1992. She astutely observed Hilton Head’s educational system and was prompted to found the International Academy, now Heritage Academy. This school of excellence focuses on combining education, athletics and performing arts for international and local students. It thrives today having expanded from its original 17 students to more than 130.

On a bleak afternoon in February, as I searched the lunchtime crowd at Panera, a young woman  cheerfully said, “I think you’re looking for me.” I turned and had the weird sensation that the restaurant lights had gotten brighter.  There was a heightened TGIF energy in the atmosphere, but no one was more effervescent or radiant than Anna Ashdown.

Stars on her sweater and on her ears, but nothing compares to the star she is! A Renaissance gal and New England Patriots Fan of the Year, Karen Hourigan, met me and my golden retriever, Sassie, in her front yard. Immediately electrified, we entered her warm cozy home for three charged hours of fascinating facts about Karen’s star-studded life. Busying herself providing magazines, newspaper clippings and a barrage of New England Patriot photos, the Rhode Island native never sat down the first hour we talked. The mother of four and grandmother of 10, Karen bounced from table to huge memorabilia box, her famous sparkly red, white and blue hat struggling to maintain its spot on her perky, snow white head. Breathlessly, she related her thrilling journey to the title of  “Flag Lady” and winner of New England Patriot’s Fan of the Year award. “It all started with this sweater,” she said as she pointed to the stars. “I retrieved it from a pile of sweaters and thought it was a bit crazy, but it appealed to my patriotism. For fun, I bought it and wore it to the next Pats' game. Subsequently, someone gave me this (laughing, she tipped her glittering hat). People started noticing my patriotic game attire, including Patriots’ owner, Bob Kraft. I hoped it encouraged our team. Once, when he stopped by our seats, he told me he liked my outfit and it would be our good luck outfit!”

Aija Silina takes a different approach when chronicling her life.  While most of us typically mark time through major events—marriage, parenthood, relocating—Aija chooses to describe her journey through her “reinventions.” And the Hilton Head resident has become a maestro in the art of changing.

Meet Anna Schaffer, actress, dynamo and community servant. Anna grew up in Fuquay-Verina, a tiny tobacco-farming town in North Carolina. She is the only child of parents who have always supported her in following her dreams. Anna started piano lessons at age 5, performed her first solo at church at age 7, and was on stage playing character roles by age 9. Throughout high school, she studied and performed with the North Carolina Theatre Conservatory Production Company. Upon graduation in 2007, Anna headed off to Elon University to study performance. Midway through her sophomore year, she felt her creativity becoming more and more stifled as a result of the translation of her performances into grades by the professors. “There was no longer a personal connection. I wasn’t in love with the process,” she said. After some long and hard considerations, she left the department and switched majors to history and political science. She didn’t look at a piece of music for the next couple years. It would be another two years before she would be interested in performing again. Anna contemplated this hiatus and realized it was actually a gift.

When I met Ashley Hamlin, I was aware she won an award at a science fair. I knew she was good at math and science. Immediately, I was impressed with her calm and candid manner and pleased when her smile revealed dimples and a reserved humor. As a high school junior, she seemed atypical only in her lack of self-consciousness and the giggly giddiness common to teenage girls. She wore dark fingernail polish, cool rings and mentioned her boyfriend Andrew.

Little things mean a lot. For instance, how can something as small as a dollar bill and a gently used book change hundreds of lives? Read on to find out!

Magical and enchanting, gardens provide many exciting hours of pleasure. Whether it’s of our own creation or the enjoyment of others’ gardens, for those of us who love flowers, they enhance our lives and give us many seasons of memorable delights. Especially in springtime, gardens have a way of drawing people from their homes teaching them the wonders of nature and enriching their spirits.

Helen Price is on a mission to make a difference. “Our mission statement says it all: To enthusiastically educate our kids to learn about the value of clean water, while building scholarships for high school seniors entering into the field of environmental sciences,” said Helen, who is the founder of Watercookies. Watercookies is a relatively new charitable organization with a solid goal for the future. Read on to find out how this organization plans on flourishing.

Tall, slim 20-year-old Lake Charles, La., native Serina Benoit has energy and a smile that lights up a room.  
Now stationed at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station, she had other options in life. Instead, she chose the road less traveled, followed her childhood dream and became a U.S. Marine.

I met someone. Someone really impressive. It’s especially noteworthy because although the vast majority of those I meet have something interesting to say, at times, I need to squeeze them pretty hard to get to the flavor within.  Artist and Yogi Cindy Male simply radiates intense, vibrant flavor.

When Janaria Canada talks about cooking she lights up. She is articulate and matter of fact as only a creative and natural-born culinary expert can be.  Creating sauces, combining flavors, adding the right “something” for a unique taste—these things come so easily, she seems unaware of her gift and talent.  She explains, “I get my inspiration from thinking, ‘Oh that would make a pretty plate.’”  For a recent recipe she made her own sweet and sour sauce (a rich orange color). She used this as the base layer for seared scallops, topped with her own pesto sauce (an earthy green) and garnished with the zest of fresh lemon (bright yellow.)  She says, “I like the food to look elegant. “  And then with animated authority she bursts, “Presentation is everything.”

If you ask Betty Melkon how many careers she has had, she—like a true Southern woman—will grin and begin her story with “Well…” All told, she’s been a teaching administrator, a lobbyist and meeting planner for superintendents and principals, worked in securities, banking and real estate, owned a business called At Your Service, and is now a certified health coach and yoga instructor. Her across-the-board resume has nothing to do with her being flighty or lacking vision. In fact, Betty might be one of the clearest headed people you will ever meet. Her career path speaks well to anyone who knows the value of making ends meet, and bespeaks her resiliency to pursue her ultimate passion: helping people see food as medicine.

“There is a Hebrew word, ‘mitzvah,’ which means a good experience or a good deed. We named our dog Mitzi, short for Mitzvah, because she has been such a wonderful experience for us.” —Ray Mintz

Joan Davis tells me I’ll know her by the golf clothes and distinct knee socks she’ll be wearing. She’s sitting at a table outside of Starbuck’s in Pineland Mall; I recognize her instantly. (Later she will ask me if I think she looks like Shirley MacLaine. She really does.) I compliment her quirky wild socks before going in to get coffee. The barista says, “Oh you’re interviewing Joan today, right?” I ask if she knows her. “Only for 15 minutes, but we’re good friends already. Don’t you love those crazy socks she sells!”

Dr. Rick and Joni Vanderslice met on a blind date on Hilton Head Island in 1996. Their instant attraction led to marriage just a year later. Rick is the founder of the Urology Group on Hilton Head Island and Joni is the president and founder of J Banks Design group. They have two beautiful and accomplished daughters, Sarah, 16, and Grace, 14. They are a devoted family and support each other in everything they do. Their passion is to make a difference in the world.

Like the life she’s led, there is nothing sugarcoated about Fran B. Reed. Ask her about her second husband and she openly discloses, “He beat me black and blue and purple all over.” When the subject turns to her suffering a stroke that kept her housebound and bedridden for five years, Fran explains, “A lot of the people said to my daughter, ‘Don’t waste your time with your mom. She’s going to die anyway.’”

There are love stories that are sweet and simple. There are love stories that provoke wailing and explosive theatrics. And there is Amy and Michael’s love story.

To describe Aileen Cangiano-Heath as a high-energy woman may be somewhat of an understatement considering her credentials and accomplishments. She’s a medical doctor, a Navy lieutenant commander and the senior medical officer at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort medical clinic. She is also a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. On the personal side, Aileen has been married to Michael Heath for 17 years and has two daughters.

Like the life she’s led, there is nothing sugarcoated about Fran B. Reed. Ask her about her second husband and she openly discloses, “He beat me black and blue and purple all over.” When the subject turns to her suffering a stroke that kept her housebound and bedridden for five years, Fran explains, “A lot of the people said to my daughter, ‘Don’t waste your time with your mom. She’s going to die anyway.’”

At the age of 29, Laurien Hayes has already been to more places and sampled more cultures than many will ever have the opportunity to experience. Born in Laurel, Md., the middle child of Susan and Douglas Hayes, Laurien was exposed to volunteerism at an early age. Alongside her parents, she delighted in being of service to her community, whether it was for a church project, community event or helping out in the local food pantry. Although she didn’t know what it was called when she was young, her heart, mind and spirit were guiding her toward the noble path of social work.

For the past 18 years, Sandra Berthelsen has invited the same group of her closest lady friends to stay at her and her husband’s vacation home on Hilton Head. The women gather to reconnect and relax. But more importantly, “they get to let go of their daily professional and family obligations (especially cooking), to laugh and to talk about anything and everything,” explained Sandra, who is known as “Sandy with a y'” by her friends.

The wisdom philosopher Heraclitus gave us is, “The only thing that is constant is change.” Many things that change are beyond our control. Some people accept it, others resist. There are those of us who talk continually about wanting or needing to change but, according to myriad polls, few of us actually make it happen by choice and effort. Jessica Long is the exception to the statistics.

On the surface, Amy Metzger looks like an ordinary, although beautiful, woman. But join with me to go a little deeper to discover a heart as big as some of the trees she attends to at The Greenery, where she works.

As the pace of the holidays picks up, it’s time to practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty to cheer those around us in need.

The air in the busy coffee shop was infused with energy, and it wasn’t the caffeinated coffee! It arrived in the form of the lovely, blond-haired, Terry Karmel, a licensed marriage family therapist. Her vitality and obvious enthusiasm for life made our conversation concerning holiday blues and respect in relationships most informative.

Susan Cato will retire from her position as Executive Director of Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA) in Beaufort County on Dec. 15. She has given 29 years of leadership and service, developing CAPA into a powerful and essential support organization for at-risk children and their families. In addition, she has guided the organization in maintaining a standard of excellence at CAPA’s Open Arms Shelter, which has housed over 2,100 children since its inception in 1985, and provided vital education and services throughout Beaufort County and the communities CAPA serves. After three decades and a nationwide search for her replacement, Susan is delighted to have her successor Christina Wilson “take over the reins.”

Dream Catcher is doing a turnaround for December. Instead of asking people 
what they would like to have or do to “conquer their bucket list,” 
I have asked seven women what they would like to give. 
If you had unlimited resources or a direct pipeline to answers to prayers, what would YOU do?

Eileen Hutton is a true pioneer. Influenced by her dad and a self-taught reader from the age of 3, she devoured everything she could get her hands on and she continues to do so to this day. Her chosen career path of librarian was a perfect fit. When her mother became ill in 1989, she and her husband Bob decided to pull up stakes and move to Grand Haven, Mich. to be with her. Since there were no jobs for librarians in that area, Eileen combed newspaper ads for other possibilities. She soon found and accepted a job as an assistant to the publisher of a “books -on-tape” startup company. At that time, there were no other similar companies in existence. From there, her career skyrocketed. She was an incredible asset to this new organization, as her voracious reading appetite made her familiar with many genres and authors. She knew who was on the New York Times best-sellers list, negotiated contracts for their books to be put on tape, and became personal friends with many authors. The first romance novel on tape, Montana Sky by Nora Roberts is credited to Eileen. She eventually took over the company and grew Brilliance Audio to become the second largest audio publishing company in the industry. A few of Eileen’s many accolades include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Audio Publishers Association and recognition by the Romance Writers of America for her contribution to the industry. She has served as a consultant to the Library of Congress regarding the digitization of books and has been influential in setting standards for playback devices.

Caroline Fermin returned to Beaufort as the Executive Director of the Parris Island Historical and Museum Society—the first in its 25-year history.

The retired Marine lieutenant colonel’s father was a 26-year-Navy veteran. “My dad was deployed on the USS Constellation when I was born,” she says.

Her tone reflects the jagged course her life has taken. “I believe that through trials and tribulations of life, your faith is what anchors you,” she says.

Walk into any room where Louise Spencer is singing and you can feel the room vibrate. Louise is Hilton Head Island’s cherished hometown diva, possessing an incredibly sassy voice with great range, control and rich expression.