Joy Secuban
She Can Be Anyone She Wants to Be
“I wasn’t scared to make the leap because of her.”
- Joy Secuban
Joy Secuban credits her mother with teaching her to take a big risk in pursuit of a dream.
Joy’s mother immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in the early 1970s, temporarily leaving behind her young family to train as a nurse. Joining her mom ten months later, Joy’s family made a home in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Growing up, Joy remembers her mother working 16-hour shifts. Joy’s father worked a nine-to-five job, cooked dinner, took care of laundry, and did the girls’ hair. Without traditional gender roles dictating her future, Joy internalized her mother’s example of a strong woman following her passion with the support of her partner.
“My Mommy made the leap to America without knowing anyone, not knowing the culture, not knowing the nuances of the English language,” Joy recalls. When she grew up, Joy pursued her own dream career, and now serves as a national champion for children’s health in New York City.
