Annette Annette’s Story
Interviewed by Wendy Lee Nentwig
Annette loves causes and has a heart for helping. She regularly volunteers with worthy organizations like the Make-a-Wish Foundation. In her spare time, Annette works as a Star Wars model, attending events and conventions dressed as the slave version of Princess Leia. She’s also studying to be a teacher and looking after her Yorkie, also named Princess Leia, who isn’t just a pet, she’s also a therapy dog.
It was while working as a model, though, that Annette found a situation where she didn’t know how to help. On the job, she found her friends and coworkers falling prey to the dangers of drug abuse, often using cocaine and other drugs at work. She felt helpless.
“They had so much promise and potential, and they did all these drugs and were just gone,” she recalls. “Seeing them and knowing I couldn’t do anything to help was a horrible feeling.”
Then her willingness to volunteer led her to the Moments of Change Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida. She was amazed to see how many people were available and willing to reach out a helping hand to people like her old friends. She was particularly inspired by those who have used their addiction past as the impetus to start recovery-based businesses and help others.
“It’s my first convention of this type, and it’s great because it actually means something,” she says. “It makes me want to get out there and help out more!”