Vilma Sagebin had an up-close and personal view of Big Ocean’s beginnings through her daughter and our founder, Carolina Allen. Carolina had returned from attending a funeral in Hawaii where an experience made her conclude she must do something about the current negative trends and their influence on the rising generation. She told Vilma she…
For Aleisha Christensen, there is nothing more rewarding than being a stay at home mom to her two boys, a five-year-old named Kai and an almost 3-year-old named Jess. But she is also driven—driven to explore, to create, and to change the world around her in positive, generative ways. She does this with her boys,…
Meet Kathy Stimpson, our crackerjack editor and “sneaker wave.” According to Wikipedia, a sneaker wave is “a disproportionately large coastal wave that can sometimes appear in a wave train without warning.” That’s Kathy to a T. She prefers to hover quietly near the shore, insisting she is no big deal. For a while we are…
With a smile that lights up a room, and a positive attitude that helps everyone around her, Michelle Meline is one of the newest Big Ocean Women board members. Michelle grew up in a large family with seven siblings with whom she “worked hard and played hard.” She related that she had been “surrounded by…
When Marisa Hoover first learned about Big Ocean, she did what she always does: conducted some research and then jumped in with both feet. At the time she was a freshman at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She and a friend were drawn to an Instagram post inviting young women to apply to be…
Growing up amid the beautiful green hills of North Carolina, Sarah Anderson appreciates the natural beauty of her hometown of Durham. Although she has lived in Utah, Georgia, and Florida for brief periods of time, she always returns to North Carolina. “I love it! It is beautiful, green, but most of all there is not…
Changing the World Word by Word Shelli Spotts is a writer. She holds a master’s degree in creative writing, belongs to a writers’ group, and teaches college students writing and composition. You will see she has mastered the art of writing when you read her work and experience her poetic gift of weaving a tapestry…
Pat Frandsen is a member of the media team and shares her skills as a videographer. When I interviewed her, I found she widely shares much more than that. Her words jumped out at me, “Our umbrellas need to be larger and incorporate people from many different backgrounds.” The more I learned about her, I…
Before the sun rises on most mornings, Norma Hendrickson is up and going. She joins in an exercise class that begins at 5 a.m. two days a week and walks with a friend or serves in her church’s temple on other mornings. Explaining, she said, “I love mornings when it is quiet and peaceful and…
“Family is everything,” Carol Sagebin declared in a recent e-mail exchange and video chat. That phrase was a recurring theme as we discussed her life and passion for Big Ocean. Family brought her to Big Ocean. Her sister-in-law is Carolina Sagebin Allen, Big Ocean’s founder. (It can be confusing since both women are named Carolina…