Meet Amanda Karlovic, a Sophmore Autism Behavior Studies Major, Kinney SCHOLAR, and advocate for the The Hance Family Foundation. Over this past weekend Amanda brought Beautiful Me: The Emma, Alyson, and Katie Hance Project to the Saint Joseph’s University campus. Jackie & Warren Hance created The Hance Family Foundation after their three daughters died in a tragic car accident in July of 2009. Beautiful Me is a project that strives to enhance women’s self esteem so that they can understand the beauty of their presence in the world.
(Kate Tuffy (BCBA who co-created the curriculum for Beautiful Me) on the left, Amanda Karlovic in the center, and Warren Hance (president/founder of HFF and father to the Hance girls) on the right)
HC: How did you get involved in Beautiful Me and why?
AK: I first got involved in the Hance Family Foundation in 2009 at age 12. I started off by volunteering my time to complete simple tasks, such as packing gift bags that Jackie Hance provides for every participant, but I always felt like every task was important even if it seemed small. I became involved because the death of the Hance girls shook my close-knit hometown of Floral Park, and I wanted to focus on the beauty in their lives, rather than how they died. I wanted to contribute to positivity winning in a tragic situation. As I became more involved, I’ve had the opportunity to see the beauty in the HFF team. This has shaped me into the person I am today, which I am incredibly grateful for. Now, I can’t picture what my life would be like without the HFF!
HC: How has this foundation impacted your life?
AK: Beautiful Me has started an internal revolution to challenge negative thoughts and reframe them. We talk to ourselves all day long, which can either empower or devastate us. As women, society often trains us to have negative self-talk. Beautiful Me has taught me to make a conscious effort to turn that negativity around.
HC: Who would you recommend the Beautiful Me event to?
AK: This event is important for women of all ages. I’ve seen its incredible impact on all different kinds of women and the fact that every woman can benefit from it in some way is incredibly unifying.
HC: How do you think this weekend went?
AK: This weekend was a huge success! We had great attendance at all four of our events and I hope that the support for the HFF continues on Thursday at our Snap Pizza fundraiser! I am so grateful for everyone who was open to this experience and it made me so happy to share this special part of my life with the SJU community.
Follow The Hance Family Foundation instagram ( eakbeautifulme ) and the SJU Beautiful Me instagram ( beautifulme_sju). For more information on this organization go to http://hancefamilyfoundation.org .
HCXO,
Mary