Members of ACB Next Generation recognize the name Amanda Selm from before Next Generation was even an affiliate. She was instrumental in creating the affiliate and currently serves as its first president. She has been surrounded by blindness for much of her life. She herself is visually impaired and uses large print and magnification technology. She attended the Kentucky School for the Blind, and grew up around friends and peers who had varying degrees of vision. Her passion and love for leadership set the tone for the affiliate as it continues to grow. But when Amanda is not leading the affiliate to new heights, what is her passion?
Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, Amanda worked in a resource center at a school, and a writing center. To this day, she loves writing and enjoys helping people with their drafts. She holds degrees in interdisciplinary childhood education and psychology. Amanda’s life is primarily dedicated to her family, including her husband, Matt, and their two daughters, Charlotte and Meredith. She loves to be creative, helping Charlotte create costumes and projects for school. As spring brightens up their home, she plans to soak up the good weather with her daughters. They are looking forward to planting seeds and creating many sidewalk chalk drawings.
Many also know Amanda as a Mary Kay consultant. She is passionate about helping women feel confident in their appearance, which she believes helps inspire confidence across the board. She has worked with many blind and low vision individuals on using Mary Kay products, from creating makeup routines to learning about skin care regiments. From “dress for success” events, to helping girls get ready for prom, she enjoys helping all women get access to products that make their skin healthy. She experiments with the products herself first, and then is able to provide instruction to anyone who wants to use them, regardless of their level of vision. She notes that it was a blind woman who first taught her how to apply eyeliner. Mary Kay is more than just makeup and skin care to Amanda: “I want to customize their experience. I want to be able to get to know women, to build a relationship with them.” Mary Kay allows Amanda to meet women from all walks of life, and make some extra money for her family in a way that is both flexible and convenient as she juggles being a mom and volunteer efforts.
Self-care is so important, and when Amanda is not attending to her many responsibilities, she enjoys knitting, especially creating gifts for others. She also enjoys experimenting with new recipes. Her favorite comfort TV shows are Gilmore Girls and Gray’s Anatomy. She feels most connected to movies featuring female superheroes. She finds yoga to be centering and calming. If you have questions about where to get the best queso in town, she can direct you with enthusiasm. She also finds it relaxing to put together vision boards of places she would like to visit or hobbies of hers. She brings her passion and dedication to ACB Next Generation and to her other ventures.