Last week, Gabby Huff joined the Side-Out team and began her role as a Program Support Specialist (Impact Coach)! Get to know Gabby and her connections to the below.
Who are you?
Hi, I’m Gabby! I am a recent college graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising from Mercyhurst University and an Associate of Applied Science in Fashion Business Management from The Fashion Institute of Technology.
I’m very excited to work for such an inspiring organization and to help communities have a platform to make a difference! I pride myself on creating a better world for those around me and The Side-Out Foundation gives me the opportunity to do so.
Where are you from?
I’m originally from a small town called Olean, New York. I spent three years in Erie, Pennsylvania where I went to college at Mercyhurst University and a year in New York City where I attended The Fashion Institute of Technology. I am now living in Arlington, VA and I am excited to explore my new home!
What is your connection to the volleyball and breast cancer communities before Side-Out?
I grew up playing volleyball! I played throughout middle and high school as well as on a club team. Many of my friends played as well and that time holds some of my fondest memories!
Unfortunately, many of our lives have been touched by the effects of breast cancer one way or another. I have seen family members, as well as family friends, triumph the disease and it became a huge inspiration for me.
What excites you about working with Side-Out?
Working for an organization whose core focus is to bring people together and create better futures is what excites me the most about working with Side-Out. I’ve seen the way that Side-Out is able to bring together communities while I played volleyball and attended the events. I know just how impactful and memorable these events can be.
Knowing that I get to contribute to an organization that directly impacts stage IV breast cancer is how I know that I made the right choice to work for Side-Out!
Do you have any hidden talents?
One of my hidden talents is being able to (almost) always complete the New York Times Crossword Puzzle! I even have the app so I can do it every day of the week, but Sunday’s will always be my favorite.
What three events made the biggest impact on who you are today?
During my freshman year of college, I lost two grandparents within a span of a few months. My grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer a couple of weeks after I moved away and passed about a month later. My grandmother’s brain tumor came back after seven years and she passed away shortly after that. Losing two people that I was very close within such a short amount of time allowed me to become a more resilient and compassionate person.
Moving to New York had been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember. I got that opportunity when I attended FIT and moved to Brooklyn in early 2019. Living in both Brooklyn and Manhattan, coming from a very small town, allowed me to experience many different cultures, people, and opportunities. Accomplishing this goal was a huge moment for me and opened my eyes to so many different things that have made me a better person!
A more recent event that I must include since it has affected all of us would be the pandemic. We have all been impacted in different ways and at different levels. I think because of that, we all have somewhat changed this past year. This past year has allowed me to put into perspective what is truly important to me and to not take anything for granted!
Favorite book and why?
I read a lot of books so it’s hard to choose a favorite! Some of my favorite books of all time include Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and more recently Normal People by Sally Rooney as well as Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I also chose these books because they all have, in my opinion, great screen adaptations! Reading books has always been an important part of my life and I often have one stuffed in any bag that I’m carrying.
If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be?
I believe that everyone should travel if given the opportunity and it is so important to experience different cultures! I have too many places that I want to see to list but some of my top choices include Thailand, New Zealand, Bali, and Spain. I hope to visit all of them plus many more!
