Our Town

— An EndResultz Media Company EndResultz.com

Our Town Gwinnett is published and direct mailed to select homes in the Gwinnett/Walton area. Opinions expressed by the writers and staff are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Our Town Gwinnett reserves the right to edit and/or reject any editorial or advertising content. Our Town Gwinnett is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space or for the validity of claims made by advertisers.

Entire contents copyright 2023 by Our Town Gwinnett. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden in any media without written permission from the publisher.

Publisher/Owner

Dr. Ryan T. Sauers Ryan@EndResultz.com

Creative Director

Elsie Olson

Elsie@EndResultz.com

Editor

Catherine L. Osornio Editor@EndResultz.com

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Photography

Emil Powella

Photography

Distribution Coordinator

Wendy Head

Cover Story

Feature Writer

Kristen Eleveld

Feature Writers

Victoria R. Crosby

Tana Poncsak

Traci Sanders

Contributing Writers

Jane Bishop

Bill Crane

Tanisha Turner

Pam Walker

H. Darrell Watson

Ryan’s Remarks

By Dr. Ryan T. Sauers

Hello there, Our Town community. I hope this article finds you in good health and high spirits as we enjoy the month of August. Wow, it is hard to believe we are already in the second half of 2023. August means school is back, and the fall season will be here soon. I wish all of our teachers, educators, students, and staff a great start to the school year. In this article, I want to highlight an acronym encompassing the essence of resilience and determination – GRIT. In fact, GRIT was a crucial finding in my doctoral dissertation on leadership as to why people are successful.

Grit cannot be easily taught or learned; it is forged through adversity, nurtured through challenges, and honed through perseverance. Grit is the fuel that propels us forward when the road becomes rough and the path seems uncertain. With that said, I have created an acronym to help us best think about GRIT.

G: Growth The first letter of grit reminds us of the incredible potential we have for growth. Life should be a continuous journey of learning and evolving, and we have the opportunity to grow the most in times of difficulty. I encourage you to embrace your challenges, which provide fertile ground for personal growth.

R: Resilience is the bedrock upon which grit is built. It is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to adversity, and keep pushing forward despite obstacles. Resilience is not about being untouched by hardships, but rather about finding the strength to rise again, even when life knocks

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