.041 Marisa Cordon

You can ask anyone to describe Marisa and I’m fairly certain they’d begin by describing her joyful and unbelievably sweet and grounded presence. When she walks into a room, I immediately feel lighter and happier. She may be small in size, but Marisa has such a big heart, full of such warmth and kindness that she gives out to those around her.

Marisa and I spent a few years together on the TEDx team, meaning that we spent many days and nights thinking big, working hard, being tired, and being excited. Throughout those years, Marisa always added to the moment. She added ideas, stories, ways to make things better and smarter, and she added a feeling of calmness to anything we were doing. I have vivid memories of her coming up to me after meetings with a big smile on her face, ready to run an idea by me. And I have vivid memories of watching her face fill with awe on event day(s) when she heard powerful poetry, meaningful stories, and endearing moments of connection.

Marisa, thank you for always brightening my day. Thank you for being such a pleasure to be around, no matter what the scenario was. Thank you for being so smart and so determined. Thank you for being such a good friend to those closest in your life, and for always putting kindness toward others above anything else. I’m so grateful for our time we spent in college and miss that energy of yours. I’m grateful to call you a friend and to have worked together on what I consider some life-changing moments of my life. Thank you for being such a lovely human being, and thank you for just being you.

-BD