Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living magazine. Today I have a very special guest. This is Kristin Boyd Edwards. Hey, Kristin.
Kristin Boyd Edwards: Hey, Toni. Good to be here.
Toni: Welcome. You’re at the Get Inspired! Project. This is so cool!
Kristin: It’s so exciting.
Toni: Kristin, take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Kristin: I’m so excited to be here. About myself, I’m Kristin Boyd Edwards, born and raised in Reading. Definitely RSD proud. I’m a proud Red Knight, and I’m Temple made. I like to throw that in there, too. I’m so proud of Temple University and what they’re accomplishing right now. I think both our district and Temple have a great momentum, so it’s exciting to be on the sidelines to watch that. I am a mommy, and I am a wife, and I’m proud of that as well. I love to smile, sparkle, shine. That’s our family motto.
Toni: Oh, I like that! Let’s go into the Project.
Kristin: Absolutely.
Toni: So Kristin, what does inspiration mean to you?
Kristin: I think it just means standing for something so you don’t fall for anything. I think when you inspire someone, it’s just being yourself and being true to yourself, and when you’re genuine, that inspiration just kind of trickles off and can inspire other people just by what you do and what they see you doing.
Toni: So it’s really setting an example, is what I’m hearing.
Kristin: Absolutely.
Toni: Okay. And why is that important to you?
Kristin: I think it’s just the way I was raised. My mom set a very strong example for us, so we’ve always followed in her footsteps. My family has always been an example to us in terms of being proud of who you are and being proud of where you’re from. Then, exuding that and making sure that when you walk you always hold your head up high.
That was one thing my mom always said. “Make sure your head is held high so no one can knock your crown off.” I think that’s important to hear when you’re growing up, that you have to walk in your truth and make sure you stay true to who you are because at the end of the day that’s all that matters.
Toni: By doing so, how does that inspire you?
Kristin: By holding our heads high?
Toni: Yes.
Kristin: I think for me, it always made sure my backbone was intact. That’s something also my mom always talked about. “Make sure your backbone is intact, because no one can take anything away from your then.” I think when you walk around like that and you walk around in positivity and being who you are, no one can say anything that’s going to disrupt your path or your journey.
Toni: Does that take work?
Kristin: Absolutely. I know you and I have talked about this before, because there are times when it’s difficult to do that, and you have to find those light bulb moments. Again, you and I have had those conversations where you’ve helped me find those light bulb moments and flip back to the positive and remember that we’re all part of the same journey.
Toni: As well as our own.
Kristin: Absolutely.
Toni: Taking all of that, keeping that backbone straight, walking straight, setting that example, shedding light, being positive, how do you put that into practice here in Berks County?
Kristin: I think for me the biggest way that I do it is with my job with the Reading School District. I’m Director of Community Engagement, and I handle communications, public relations for the school district.
Being a Reading School District graduate, even when I was in high school we always had the negative perception. People never really got a chance to know us. They would judge us off of the few as opposed to the many. I’ve always had that kind of battle cry for Reading School District, even when I was young and writing for “Voices” in the Reading Eagle, and trying to show people that we are so much more than what some people think of us, and I think now being in a position to use my education and my work experience and bring that to the Reading School District to share our stories and to show people the positive things that are happening there.
I think it’s very easy to find negative when you’re looking for negative, but it’s also very easy to find positive when you seek that out. I think for me being able to again couple my work experience and my education and bring that to the District to start to show people that this is really what it means to be a Red Knight, I think has been phenomenal.
Toni: How do you roll that into your personal life?
Kristin: Being positive?
Toni: Yes.
Kristin: It’s something I honestly really learned from my new husband. When we started dating, I kind of had the attitude of, “You’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop. You can't be positive for too long, because you’re waiting for that negative to come.” Or, “It can't be this good, because something negative is right behind.” He taught me a lot about just the attitude that you need to carry with you every day, and again how you look at things. If you search for the negative or if you invite that negative in, it’s going to come. But, if you kind of focus on the positive and maintain that attitude every day, that anything is possible.
I really learned that from him when we first started dating, because he talked a lot about faith versus fear, and then all the positive that comes with that. It really helped me change my attitude in terms of not even worrying about the negative or what could come that could be negative, but instead always focusing on the positive. That’s been really, really helpful for me.
Toni: So who in Berks County inspires you?
Kristin: I think my family, number one. From my mom to my sister, my brother, my husband, my kids, my niece and my nephew. They’re all my world. I think the Reading School District and the students and the staff that are there, because I get to see hands on, up front every day what’s happening in the classrooms, and it’s amazing.
Toni: That’s awesome. What do you want your legacy to be, Kristin Boyd Edwards?
Kristin: I think it’s just that legacy of being kind. You never know what someone else is going through, so to offer a hand or offer a kind word. That’s what I want people to remember about me, that no matter what situation that I was kind to them or that they saw a kindness in me that they could carry on in their own life.
Toni: There are people who touch the world. You’re one of them.
Kristin: Thank you. Don’t make me cry, Toni!
Toni: Stay inspired, because you inspire others, particularly me.
Kristin: Thank you.
Toni: Thank you for showing up for the Get Inspired! Project.
Kristin: Absolutely. That feeling is mutual, Toni.
Toni: Thank you. Take care.
Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living magazine. Today I have a very special guest. This is Kristin Boyd Edwards. Hey, Kristin.
Kristin Boyd Edwards: Hey, Toni. Good to be here.
Toni: Welcome. You’re at the Get Inspired! Project. This is so cool!
Kristin: It’s so exciting.
Toni: Kristin, take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Kristin: I’m so excited to be here. About myself, I’m Kristin Boyd Edwards, born and raised in Reading. Definitely RSD proud. I’m a proud Red Knight, and I’m Temple made. I like to throw that in there, too. I’m so proud of Temple University and what they’re accomplishing right now. I think both our district and Temple have a great momentum, so it’s exciting to be on the sidelines to watch that. I am a mommy, and I am a wife, and I’m proud of that as well. I love to smile, sparkle, shine. That’s our family motto.
Toni: Oh, I like that! Let’s go into the Project.
Kristin: Absolutely.
Toni: So Kristin, what does inspiration mean to you?
Kristin: I think it just means standing for something so you don’t fall for anything. I think when you inspire someone, it’s just being yourself and being true to yourself, and when you’re genuine, that inspiration just kind of trickles off and can inspire other people just by what you do and what they see you doing.
Toni: So it’s really setting an example, is what I’m hearing.
Kristin: Absolutely.
Toni: Okay. And why is that important to you?
Kristin: I think it’s just the way I was raised. My mom set a very strong example for us, so we’ve always followed in her footsteps. My family has always been an example to us in terms of being proud of who you are and being proud of where you’re from. Then, exuding that and making sure that when you walk you always hold your head up high.
That was one thing my mom always said. “Make sure your head is held high so no one can knock your crown off.” I think that’s important to hear when you’re growing up, that you have to walk in your truth and make sure you stay true to who you are because at the end of the day that’s all that matters.
Toni: By doing so, how does that inspire you?
Kristin: By holding our heads high?
Toni: Yes.
Kristin: I think for me, it always made sure my backbone was intact. That’s something also my mom always talked about. “Make sure your backbone is intact, because no one can take anything away from your then.” I think when you walk around like that and you walk around in positivity and being who you are, no one can say anything that’s going to disrupt your path or your journey.
Toni: Does that take work?
Kristin: Absolutely. I know you and I have talked about this before, because there are times when it’s difficult to do that, and you have to find those light bulb moments. Again, you and I have had those conversations where you’ve helped me find those light bulb moments and flip back to the positive and remember that we’re all part of the same journey.
Toni: As well as our own.
Kristin: Absolutely.
Toni: Taking all of that, keeping that backbone straight, walking straight, setting that example, shedding light, being positive, how do you put that into practice here in Berks County?
Kristin: I think for me the biggest way that I do it is with my job with the Reading School District. I’m Director of Community Engagement, and I handle communications, public relations for the school district.
Being a Reading School District graduate, even when I was in high school we always had the negative perception. People never really got a chance to know us. They would judge us off of the few as opposed to the many. I’ve always had that kind of battle cry for Reading School District, even when I was young and writing for “Voices” in the Reading Eagle, and trying to show people that we are so much more than what some people think of us, and I think now being in a position to use my education and my work experience and bring that to the Reading School District to share our stories and to show people the positive things that are happening there.
I think it’s very easy to find negative when you’re looking for negative, but it’s also very easy to find positive when you seek that out. I think for me being able to again couple my work experience and my education and bring that to the District to start to show people that this is really what it means to be a Red Knight, I think has been phenomenal.
Toni: How do you roll that into your personal life?
Kristin: Being positive?
Toni: Yes.
Kristin: It’s something I honestly really learned from my new husband. When we started dating, I kind of had the attitude of, “You’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop. You can't be positive for too long, because you’re waiting for that negative to come.” Or, “It can't be this good, because something negative is right behind.” He taught me a lot about just the attitude that you need to carry with you every day, and again how you look at things. If you search for the negative or if you invite that negative in, it’s going to come. But, if you kind of focus on the positive and maintain that attitude every day, that anything is possible.
I really learned that from him when we first started dating, because he talked a lot about faith versus fear, and then all the positive that comes with that. It really helped me change my attitude in terms of not even worrying about the negative or what could come that could be negative, but instead always focusing on the positive. That’s been really, really helpful for me.
Toni: So who in Berks County inspires you?
Kristin: I think my family, number one. From my mom to my sister, my brother, my husband, my kids, my niece and my nephew. They’re all my world. I think the Reading School District and the students and the staff that are there, because I get to see hands on, up front every day what’s happening in the classrooms, and it’s amazing.
Toni: That’s awesome. What do you want your legacy to be, Kristin Boyd Edwards?
Kristin: I think it’s just that legacy of being kind. You never know what someone else is going through, so to offer a hand or offer a kind word. That’s what I want people to remember about me, that no matter what situation that I was kind to them or that they saw a kindness in me that they could carry on in their own life.
Toni: There are people who touch the world. You’re one of them.
Kristin: Thank you. Don’t make me cry, Toni!
Toni: Stay inspired, because you inspire others, particularly me.
Kristin: Thank you.
Toni: Thank you for showing up for the Get Inspired! Project.
Kristin: Absolutely. That feeling is mutual, Toni.
Toni: Thank you. Take care.
