On May 22, 1969, I was born in Karipuzha, Kerala, India to two remarkable people with humble beginnings, T.K. Samuel and Ammukutty Simon. My Mom was just 18 years old and my Dad 25 and they had been married less than a year when I was born. My father was a wonderful dreamer and my Mom a woman of great faith – the perfect combination for a remarkable world and future ahead. Two months later, in July 1969, the U.S. put a man on the moon – and that was inspiration for my Dad to embark on his lifelong dream to journey from India to the United States.
Two years later, my Dad arrived in Ohio to do his master's studies. It was a difficult time with three heavy jobs and a heavy course load to finish two master's degrees in electrical and industrial engineering in just two years. He was away from our family the whole time.
When I was four years old, my Mom made the trek from India to New York with me and my two year old brother, Koshy, to meet my Dad. From there we went to Ontario, Canada where my Dad had his first job and would start our new life together. As a project manager he moved around the country to do his work. That meant that our family moved about every six months and I attended 12 different schools before I was in 6th grade. With all the moving, our family built a strong bond with each other. My brother was my first and closest childhood friend. A few years later, my sister, Mary (Annie) was born — I felt like a second mom to her and we have maintained a strong and special bond through the years. But we also met many other friends in many locations along the way.
When I was nine years old, we moved to Mound, Minnesota on beautiful Lake Minnetonka – a fulfillment of my Dad’s lifelong dream to live in America. We started a new and wonderful life there and finally had a place to truly call home. We began attending a wonderful church, Mound Evangelical Free Church. Pastor Tom Jensen has been a key figure for our family and is the one who baptized me when I was 21.
Our friendships in MN grew to be more like extended family – with many of my dearest friends still from my grade school years in Mound. With wonderful teachers and early leadership opportunities, I had many great experiences such as the Mentor Connection, a program that allowed me at just 16 years old to write a play on juvenile delinquency and have it presented at the Playwright Center. I served as the Captain of the cross-country and track teams, and Student Senate President. I graduated as my Senior Class President and had the blessing of sharing a baccalaureate address to my classmates as well as welcome remarks at graduation. I am grateful for my educational foundation in Minnesota -- especially at Hilltop Elementary, Grandview Middle School, and Mound Westonka High School.
But my heart was always in the international, and that led me after high school to college at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service drew so many amazing students, faculty, and global leaders. I served as Chair of the GU Student Association and of the Student Activities Commission and so appreciated my mentor Dr. Penny Rue. It was a great training ground not only for my future work, but for my life and relationships that would follow. My Georgetown friends remain among my dearest and some of the most accomplished people I know.
Following college, I took a summer backpack adventure through Europe with a college housemate, Anna. We explored Spain, France, & Italy — especially the art and culture of each. I would return to these places years later with fond memories of these earlier adventures.
I returned from these travel experiences to working for three years -- in public affairs in Washington, DC, at a law firm in San Francisco, and in public relations and media in Minneapolis. I gained many great professional experiences and more wonderful friends. My first job after college was at Public Affairs Group in D.C. – such a great place for a “trial by fire.” I’ll forever be grateful to Edie Fraser for preparing me professionally. I had many highlights including preparing remarks for President Boris Yeltsin to present to the Federal Reserve Board.
Later I continued my career in San Francisco working with a large law firm. I lived with two remarkably talented, musical friends, Josh and Marty, who were like brothers to me. It was one of the happiest years of my life with tremendous friends, experiences, and fond memories.
A year later I was in Minneapolis working with a law firm and later in public relations for Star Tribune/ Cowles Media. During that time I had the distinct opportunity of helping to coordinate a visit with President Bill Clinton at Cowles Media – quite a moment for a 20-something.
Thereafter, I started law school at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis while living in St. Paul. My law school years were challenging and significant – preparing me for my future and the goals that I had to serve and make an impact on the world. Prof. David Weissbrodt and Prof. john powell were among my key mentors for human rights and civil rights. I was blessed to work with john at the Institute on Race & Poverty and with David at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland where I served as a Human Rights Fellow. It was a tremendous opportunity to see the world and world changers in action.
I continued to work with David and other human rights leaders after law school while directing and developing programs for Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights in Minneapolis. I conducted the Mexico Project addressing poverty, health, and police brutality; served as a lead researcher for a three country study on child survival; and addressed concerns of the death penalty and other key human rights issues.
But my career and my life took an abrupt turn, when in February 1999, my father suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. He was just 54. As the most visionary person that I had known, and the center and leader of our family, my father's passing left an incredible mark on my family. While we endured, persevered, and accomplished much after his passing -- he has been missed each and every day while we strive to realize his dreams through our own.
The years that followed, I focused on pursuing human rights as my goal and calling. I worked in Washington, DC with the International Human Rights Law Group addressing racial discrimination in the United States. We took a first ever delegation of experts -- including Charles Ogletree, George Kendall, and William Moffett -- to the U.N. to present on racial discrimination in the criminal justice system and related concerns.
But in the midst of my human rights work, God presented something totally unexpected – a chance meeting during a visit to Lake Minnetonka with a California Air Force Captain, based in Mississippi, named Zack Burnett. Little did I know that just six months later, Zack would propose while we stood at the top of a mountain in Garmisch, Austria. Then six months more and almost to the day of when we met, Zack would marry me on Lake Minnetonka (with Pastor Jensen officiating). The years that followed with Zack were among the most amazing of my life with experiences, friendships, and achievements across the country from Mississippi to California to Colorado.
After our wedding, I moved to Mississippi in 2000. It was an opportunity to meet my new family including Zack’s Mom, Ada, and brother Jonathan. Zack was an instructor pilot at Columbus Air Force Base. We met so many wonderful Air Force friends there. And we reunited with many of them years later in Colorado. I worked with Waide & Associates, an employment law firm, in Tupelo, MS. I was grateful for the remarkable experience that Jim Waide gave me in helping lead and defend farmers in a class action law suit against a major corporation.
In 2001, we moved to Sacramento, California when Zack had an opportunity to become a U-2 pilot at Beale Air Force Base. We began a great and momentous life in that region. We again met so many wonderful Air Force friends that remain dear to us though scattered throughout the country and world now.
But in September 2001, our life changed in a dramatic way, when 9/11 happened. Zack immediately became operational and was overseas for more than 280 days of the year. We attended Adventure Christian Church in Roseville and that community was a great support to us. It was there in November 2001 that I was able to join with Pastor Don Brewster to baptize Zack.
During our early years in California, I first worked in Oakland for the Institute for Food & Development Policy. Thereafter, I directed the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. But in the post 9/11 era, I began to do some deep reflection. Zack and I desired to start a family when the world was right again. So I shifted my career and work to focus on that goal of starting family.
In the 10 additional years of life that followed in California, I stepped away from my "regular" work and began serving our church Adventure-Roseville and later n Sacramento at Adventure-North Natomas. We developed great friendships with Pastor Rick Stedman and Pastor Scott Mathews. I especially helped ACCNN to build a missions program that served in India, Haiti, & Zimbabwe. I served as the Chair of the Missions Program for a number of years and their work continue to flourish.
I also had the opportunity to serve on an advisory committee for William Jessup University, a Christian liberal arts institution that was moving to the region from San Jose. I could not have imagined where that opportunity would lead me in the years ahead. I proposed and developed the Public Policy Degree Program for WJU and then served on a search committee for the Chair of the Department. in the midst of the search, with the prompting of President Bryce Jessup, I took that role and served for nearly10 years as the Founder and Chair of the Public Policy Department and Public Policy Institute -- teaching and developing courses, advising and preparing students, supporting policy leaders, presenting in the media on key topics, and conducting numerous events with high level leaders to encourage community engagement. I was recognized with the Chairman award for my work with the Rocklin Chamber and with other organizations. I began serving as Board Director/Chair for Agape International Missions, under the leadership of our former pastor Don Brewster, as well as with a number of other advocacy and policy organizations.
