From the Editor

When I started college in a journalism program years ago, in the back of my mind, I thought maybe, someday, I might work for a magazine. Having grown up on a ranch with a thriving horse program, of course, my target was more Western Horseman and Horse & Rider than Better Homes & Gardens or even Time. But as life often does, my focus shifted slightly and the opportunities at graduation put me on the path of newspaper journalism, something that was more accessible and still fed my need to share amazing and essential stories.

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Dreams, and life changes, are nothing new to women in the Coulee Region and around the world.

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As a young teen anticipating a new life in America, having crossed the Mekong River with her family to escape Vietnam and lived for years in refugee camps, Maomoua Vue’s dreams of her new home were based on what little she knew of the United States: Hollywood. Neither Pennsylvania, her first home in America, nor La Crosse offered palm trees, beaches and movie stars, but they did plant a new dream: college and a career.

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Today, Vue is an inspiration and a caring heart for other women in similar situations, especially non-English speaking women who receive the services of the Women, Infants and Children Program to help provide their families with the nutrition needed to thrive. 

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Her caring nature is matched by her determination to meet needs, working both locally and on a statewide level to bring culturally appropriate educational materials to families in the languages they understand best.

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Women of all ages from across the Coulee Region have shared with us their dreams: Entrepreneur Marcie Culver started her business 20 years ago based on her passion for animals and to fit her need to be present for her sons. Today, she has multiple locations and dozens of employees. She successfully found the right team members to handle the “business” end of things so that she can still spend her time on the grooming floor, hands full of fur and heart full of love.

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Megan Heacox shares a common situation for many dual-income families: one person must put some career dreams on hold to manage home life. But she is also proof that dreams delayed aren’t necessarily dreams denied. Having the right outlook pays off when the time is right to take those big steps.

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Carolina Guerrero left the Coulee Region briefly in pursuit of other dreams, but realized her calling was back here in the restaurant industry she had thought she wanted to leave.

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Samantha Hosch shows us you’re never too young to go after a dream. At 19 she purchased a business and is bringing little girls’ imaginations to life with slumber parties that delight kids and make it easy on the parents.

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Jane Wood has learned how to make any home her dream home by focusing on things that bring her joy and fit her needs at the moment. 

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It’s hard to dream, of course, if you aren’t getting the rest you need. Tomah Health’s Kelly Thayer provides advice for getting better sleep and addressing health problems that may interfere. Darker skies could be one solution—a local organization wants everyone to understand the importance of pushing back against light pollution.

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For me, 30+ years and many miles later, I’ve been lucky enough to fall back into that long-ago dream: editing a magazine full of stories about amazing women. With every issue, we are entrusted with sharing their dreams, challenges, successes and lessons with our community of readers, supported by our many advertisers also striving to bring their own dreams to life.

Thank you to all of you: readers, advertisers and story subjects, for letting us accompany you on this journey.