LifeGrid Magazine June 2017 | Page 21

B Life Grid About Me 'Giving Local Business a Global Voice.' Leah Rando - Local Editor by Leah Rando I was born and raised in the small south west town of Harvey, Western Australia, which was affec- tionately known as “Little Italy” and learned at a very young age the meaning and importance of “community”. I developed an appreciation for all things different and how these differences contribut- ed to what made my community so unique. My father, Fiore, a first generation Australian born Sicilian, not only taught his parents English, he became the bridge between the English and Italian languages for the local residents. In his capacity as a High School Teacher, I began to really see the impact of what was being established. I was witness to cultural diversity and the coming together of people from different paths, but with the common focus of making where we lived somewhere special. I can now see that developing a sense of community has been a part of my adult life throughout my 25 years of teaching, small business ownership, writing career and volunteer work. Bringing people together to achieve positive outcomes is an innate part of who I am, which is where the basis of my connection to LifeGrid and its philosophy lies. And it comes back to my community. The people in my community. The connections locally and glob- ally and how it all interrelates. Since my breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, I have begun to view the world and my experiences differently. Like many, I would be on that daily rinse and repeat mode, forgetting that there are oppor- tunities and experiences to be had. Due to the “forced” change in direction, I now look around at my community and connect with local businesses, community groups and volunteer associations with the mantra of “how can we do this better?”. I love what I do. I believe in the power of positive relationships and experiences. If you think about where you live, the people that you connect with through your daily routine, what you may have learnt from them and whether the experience was positive or not so, you will form firm opinions of what is relevant to you and what is not. My aim as the LifeGrid Bunbury Editor is to highlight the positive in the community, bringing people together from all backgrounds and experiences, highlighting what is truly special, but of course with my own original flavour. I look forward to connecting with you! Leah Rando Editor, LifeGrid Bunbury facebook.com/lifegridbunbury June 2017 MY FANTASTIC PEOPLE LifeGrid Magazine | LifeGrid.com.au instagram.com/lifegridbunbury