By Samantha Mendoza |\u00a0Photography by Delores Holloway<\/em><\/p>\n Me\u2019Shae Brooks-Rolling considers herself, above all else, a \u201chybrid professional.\u201d She\u2019s accustomed to wearing many different hats, and wearing each one with commitment and compassion. In fact, it\u2019s this balancing act that brings her the most joy in her life.<\/p>\n As the director of Special Events and Conferences for Syracuse University\u2019s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, a community financial literacy tutor and a board member for the Syracuse Rescue Mission, WISE Women\u2019s Business Center and Upstate Minority Economic Alliance, Me\u2019Shae spends both days and nights in the office or at meetings. She often finds it difficult to sacrifice time for her favorite television shows, she admits.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s her commitment to serving others that keeps her going through long days and busy weekends. Me\u2019Shae \u2014 who will celebrate her 50th birthday this year and just celebrated a milestone of planning more than 30 professional conferences in her career \u2014 has recently reflected on her life experiences and goals, and crafted a personal mission statement to remind herself what she\u2019s working for.<\/p>\n \u201cI vow to use my talents, skills, gifts, and abilities,\u201d her mission statement reads. \u201cAnd to leverage the multitude of resources I have been blessed with to help other people achieve their dreams in life.\u201d<\/p>\n Me\u2019Shae\u2019s mission statement captures the type of person she is \u2014 the type of person who always puts others\u2019 needs before her own, and who has a clear vision for what she wants to achieve. But Me\u2019Shae didn\u2019t always know what she wanted to accomplish in life.<\/p>\n Born and raised in the small town of Anderson, Indiana, Me\u2019Shae pursued a master\u2019s degree in public administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. There she met her future husband James, a student at The College of Visual and Performing Arts, who was also \u2014 to the shock of her parents \u2014 a New Yorker.<\/p>\n \u201cI sort of freaked out my conservative Midwestern parents by moving to New York City after graduation,\u201d Me\u2019Shae said. \u201cAnd I eventually acclimated to the fast-paced lifestyle of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n Me\u2019Shae worked as a federal auditor in the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 1990, and eventually found a role planning special events for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.<\/p>\n But despite her success, it was her personal challenges of New York City life that led Me\u2019Shae to one of her true passions: teaching financial literacy.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a young professional trying to make it in the big city with my husband,\u201d Me\u2019Shae said. \u201cWhat we quickly came to realize is that, despite our graduate degrees, we were financially illiterate.\u201d<\/p>\n Me\u2019Shae became interested in learning about financial management and creating a budget, and her curiosity led her to conduct research and speak with other New Yorkers about their financial situations. She eventually published a book about financial literacy in 2006 titled \u201cHow to Save Money and Organize Your Finances\u201d that detailed her findings and offered advice for other young professionals.<\/p>\n The publication of the book led Me\u2019Shae to a crossroads in her life, a period she refers to as her \u201cprofessional desert.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had invested all this time in events and hospitality, but financial literacy had taken a special place in my heart,\u201d Me\u2019Shae said of her 15 years working in New York City. \u201cWhat do I do with that? Do I ditch one and engage in the other?\u201d<\/p>\n Her answer came when her husband was offered a job at Pennsylvania State University, where she was also offered the opportunity to teach financial literacy classes to university faculty and staff.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s when I fell in love with teaching,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n After two years in Pennsylvania, Me\u2019Shae and her husband both took jobs at their alma mater in Syracuse. In addition to her day job directing special events and conferencing for the IVMF, Me\u2019Shae also teaches financial literacy courses for women, minorities, veterans, youth and faith-based communities.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve come full-circle,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Since Me\u2019Shae began her work in Syracuse nine years ago, she has provided financial literacy training to more than 1,000 individuals across the city. She hopes her work will have an economic impact in Onondaga County and empower others, especially women and minorities, to get connected to resources that will benefit them.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to help people close the gap between people\u2019s perceptions of them and their actual capabilities,\u201d Me\u2019Shae said, \u201cto close the gap between dreaming and doing.\u201d SWM <\/em><\/p>\n For more information on Me\u2019Shae\u2019s work with financial literacy, visit rollingenterprises.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Difference Between Dreaming and Doing By Samantha Mendoza |\u00a0Photography by Delores Holloway Me\u2019Shae Brooks-Rolling considers herself, above all else, a \u201chybrid professional.\u201d She\u2019s accustomed to wearing many different hats, and wearing each one with commitment and compassion. In fact, it\u2019s this balancing act that brings her the most joy in her life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[172,198,197,165],"class_list":["post-647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-april-2017","tag-delores-holloway","tag-meshae-brooks-rolling","tag-samantha-mendoza"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_Inspire1_Online-1.jpg?fit=5200%2C3434&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":703,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=703","url_meta":{"origin":647,"position":0},"title":"Queen of Arts: Selma Selman","author":"Staff","date":"April 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Finding a Voice in Art By Samantha Mendoza | Photography by Alexis Emm In a small art studio at Syracuse University, Selma Selman is surrounded by powerful women. Their expressions are both worn and fierce, suggesting they\u2019ve faced challenges in their lives, and have built up courage to overcome them.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Inspire-selma-ONLINE-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Inspire-selma-ONLINE-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Inspire-selma-ONLINE-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Inspire-selma-ONLINE-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Inspire-selma-ONLINE-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":546,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=546","url_meta":{"origin":647,"position":1},"title":"Lanika Mabrey","author":"Staff","date":"February 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Great Loss, Greater Gains By Samantha Mendoza | Photography by Alice G. Patterson Lanika Mabrey is a familiar figure on the Westside of Syracuse. She walks through its streets frequently, bundled up in warm clothing in the cool winter weather, distributing educational pamphlets about sexual health to local bodegas and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Inspire_Lanika-Mabrey_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Inspire_Lanika-Mabrey_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Inspire_Lanika-Mabrey_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Inspire_Lanika-Mabrey_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Inspire_Lanika-Mabrey_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2078,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2078","url_meta":{"origin":647,"position":2},"title":"Susie Ippolito","author":"Staff","date":"September 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Building a Brand in Syracuse By Lacey Roy | Photography by Alice G. Patterson Wearing a classic sundress and trendy frames, Susie Ippolito is magnetic even from a distance. Laughter and gratitude are sprinkled through conversations. With a Long Island accent you can\u2019t help smile at and an understated-yet-fashionable style,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Susie-Ippolito-0017.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Susie-Ippolito-0017.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Susie-Ippolito-0017.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Susie-Ippolito-0017.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Susie-Ippolito-0017.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2529,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2529","url_meta":{"origin":647,"position":3},"title":"FASHION FORWARD: Wearable art","author":"Staff","date":"August 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"By Kathie Morris \u00a0 This is the education issue.\u00a0I liked math but I loved art. Learning to work with color, form and shapes, and to view things from different perspectives opened my eyes and my mind. In my teens, the arts programs were being considered for removal from the curriculum,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fashion"","block_context":{"text":"Fashion","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=103"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kara-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kara-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kara-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kara-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kara-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2994,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2994","url_meta":{"origin":647,"position":4},"title":"Membership has its privileges for local photographer","author":"Staff","date":"February 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"WBOC Leading Lady: Alice G. Patterson By David Tyler SYRACUSE \u2013 New ideas are hard to come by in the business world, but local photographer Alice G. Patterson has developed a new business model that appears to be entirely unique. Patterson, who has been a personal brand photographer in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/WBOC-Feature-alice-g-patterson-photographer-scaled.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/WBOC-Feature-alice-g-patterson-photographer-scaled.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/WBOC-Feature-alice-g-patterson-photographer-scaled.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/WBOC-Feature-alice-g-patterson-photographer-scaled.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":779,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=779","url_meta":{"origin":647,"position":5},"title":"Vincent Love","author":"Staff","date":"May 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Inspiration through Education By Samantha Mendoza | Photography by Alexis Emm As a young black man growing up in the Pioneer housing projects on the south side of Syracuse in the early 1960s, Vincent Love didn\u2019t have many role models who looked like him. His educators, principals and figures of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/SWM-4-30-17-Alexis-Emm-Photograffi-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/SWM-4-30-17-Alexis-Emm-Photograffi-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/SWM-4-30-17-Alexis-Emm-Photograffi-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/SWM-4-30-17-Alexis-Emm-Photograffi-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/SWM-4-30-17-Alexis-Emm-Photograffi-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=647"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":648,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647\/revisions\/648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}