Name: Jordyn White
City, State: Washington, D.C.
Age: 34
Profession: Program Officer at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and General Manager of Washington Prodigy Women’s Football Team
Website: www.washingtonprodigy.com
In a few words, how would you describe yourself?
Ambitious, tireless, quick-witted, nurturing, tenacious, and adaptable.
Your favorite hangout spots.
My house because I feel like I’m rarely home. I also like my picnic blanket and my yoga mat.
Favorite guilty pleasure.
Double stuffed oreo washed down with a glass (or two) of Carmenère.
Favorite quote.
“Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense. For the inmost in due time becomes the outmost.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Who is your biggest influence? And why?
My grandfather. My grandparents raised me after my mom died when I was seven months old. He was an amazing patriarch, and always encouraged me to strive for greatness—even if it meant him becoming a personal chauffeur service for all of my choir/sports/play/club events. The older I get, the more I appreciate the sacrifices he made.
Favorite event.
I’m a sucker for the simple things. Every fall I go apple picking with my girlfriends from back home at an orchard outside of Philadelphia. I love the fall, fresh food, and I’m a pretty damn good cook and baker. Going from farm to table like that and creating delicious foods as a result is one of my favorite things to do.
Do you have any regrets in life?
No regrets, but I wish I had learned earlier on how not to get so caught up trying to please people while neglecting myself and my own priorities.
Favorite lesbian celebrity.
Ellen Degeneres. I know it may seem cliché, and I know there are other lesser-known pioneers—athletes, activists, and women of color. But I can distinctly remember when Ellen came out on primetime TV. There had been no paradigm for it. I can remember how the world struggled trying to digest it; not knowing what to do with the news that changed nothing and everything all at once. She remains transparent, consistent, and unapologetic even now, two decades later. I admire her greatly for being a pioneer.
Any fun facts or anything else you want our readers to know?
I love to sing, but every time I do I get so nervous! And I truly believe that football makes the world go round; if you don’t like it we can’t be friends. Mean it.