Member Spotlight: Paige Clark

Roots:
I’m very proud to have been born and raised in Austin. I spent four years in College Station (including one semester in Spain!) for college but came back as soon as I could. I love this city.

Family life:
It’s just me! I am very blessed to have a strong community of family and friends in Austin having lived here for so many years. My parents and two of my sisters live here, two siblings are away at college, and one sister lives in Colorado!

Work life:
I am the Director of Student Services at Academic Programs International (API). We offer study abroad programs around the world for college students to spend a summer, semester or academic year at a foreign university. We also coordinate opportunities for individuals to intern, teach, work and volunteer abroad. I’ve worked at API in a variety of roles for 9 years and studied abroad with them as a student – an experience that transformed my life.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned through my iGnite experience…
Through iGnite I’ve gained a greater understanding of the power of community and relationships. I am so thankful for the friendships I’ve gained by being an iGnite member! I’ve also learned about the importance of overall wellness. iGnite is so much more than just a challenging workout. It helps me remember to take care of my mind and spirit as well.

I’m most inspired by…
People who are brave enough to be honest with themselves and others about what they want for their lives and boldly go after their dreams, knowing they might not get what they want or what they want might turn out not to be what they expected. “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.” – Conan O’Brien

In my free time…
I love to run at the Hike-and-Bike Trail and spend time near water. Lake, pool, ocean – I’ll take it. I also love trying out new restaurants around Austin, especially those with patios. And travel. I love to travel.

My favorite color is…
Blue because it reminds me of the ocean and the wide Texas sky on my favorite cloudless summer days.