Shaped by Service

Adan C, President of GlamourGals Chantilly and winner of the GG Leader Award, reflects on how GlamourGals shaped her love for service.

Over the two years I’ve spent leading GlamourGals, I’ve witnessed firsthand how neurodegenerative diseases fragment identities. Stories change, timelines blur, and memories slip away—but the need for connection remains constant. Beyond volunteering, GlamourGals has helped me find my passion: helping others and studying neurodegenerative diseases. I want to transform my empathy and patience into determination to understand how memories unravel at the cellular level.

As I grew, I became more attentive to the interests of the residents and helped them reignite their own sparks. One man who loves to sing dedicated a song to me, a former student taught me Spanish, and another told me about her favorite kinds of makeup. GlamourGals has redefined service for me. Volunteering makes me feel confident and encourages me to start conversations with unexpected people, fostering intergenerational bonds with a diverse new group. The impact of connection endures even as memories fade, and that is the legacy that GlamourGals has given me.