Aislinn Byrne, Passionately Curious
It was Einstein who said, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” This self-perception is something he and Aislinn Byrne have in common.
Something I’ve noticed as I get older and meet more people is exceptionally intelligent and capable people are often also modest. They are smart enough to know how much there is to know, and that is ultimately humbling.
Aislinn Byrne is an American woman who can read, write and speak Mandarin. She became a Vice President of Global Operations for Numerator at the age of thirty. She is passionate about growth, which leads to a full life.
Her busy workdays start with early morning video calls to India and Spain, as she works remotely, with regular trips to Chicago and India. She loves to help her teams and direct reports grow, hit big milestones and develop into key members of the company. This interest carries over to her personal life as well.
Aislinn noticed, “Watching the news can be difficult. The amount of negativity is often overwhelming, and I am committed to doing what I can to change that.” She continued, “I may not be able to change the world, but I can change my community…which is my world.” And that’s how Aislinn decided to become a mentor with Great Life Mentoring in 2018.
Though life is busy, she considers the weekly blocked-out time with the child she mentors, to be “a nice refresh,” and it helps with her work-life balance. She says it also helps keep her personal day-to-day issues in perspective.
As a mentor, Aislinn has enjoyed helping her friend feel more comfortable with what she likes naturally, and not feeling the need to conform to what ‘normal’ looks like. She has also enjoyed watching her friend become more confident in speaking to strangers and entering new social situations.
Previously living in Taiwan, Aislinn developed her own confidence and inner strength. One thing she learned while working there as a teacher was how it feels to not look like like the majority of individuals in a room (physically). She grew comfortable being different. As that can be a common theme in the day-to-day life of a middle schooler, Aislinn has a unique perspective she brings to her mentoring relationship.
Aislinn says she encourages other adults, “even the ones with busy jobs and lives,” to get involved. She says they can still positively impact a youth’s life with their time — “it’s all about time management.” And, working with Great Life Mentoring is a great experience. She says she appreciated the in-depth training and care from staff, to make sure she was set up for success.
Aislinn looks forward to her weekly mentoring outing. She is also very passionate about spending time outside. She enjoys long distance runs, working in her garden, playing in the yard with her dogs (Burt, her 7-year-old Pug, and Wilbur, an 8-year-old mix) and goats! She also loves hiking, backpacking and more—because outside activities help her “de-stress and disconnect from a social media-driven world.”
Take it from Aislinn, life’s possibilities are many. But with perspective, time management and a passion for curiosity, you can really make it count—both for you and your world.
Changing the world:
As part of the NumeratorStrong program, Numerator makes financial donations to non-profit organizations with whom their employees volunteer. Thank you, Numerator!
Contact Great Life Mentoring to join the elite, and mentor a child facing adversity; volunteer in Vancouver WA or volunteer in Portland OR now. Other locations coming soon.