"To whom much is given, much is expected" Luke 12:48 ---Toni Nardiello

TDL: Who is Toni Nardiello? -as a beauty queen, -artist, -member of the community, -voice of the youth?

TN: I’m the 22-year-old daughter of John & Ellen Nardiello. I am truly blessed to have a loving and supportive family who helps me achieve my dreams and goals. I’ve chosen to pursue a career in education because I see it as a great opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of young children in the community, and it’s a lot of fun working with kids! Throughout high school and college, I have been active in the Filipino community serving as “Miss Fil-Am 2002-03 and “Miss Federation of Georgia 2003-04. I also won the national title of “Miss Philippines Tourism 2003-04,which entitled me to serve as an Ambassador of Goodwill. At the University of GA, I served on the executive board of the Filipino American Student Association (FASA) as Philanthropy VP. Im an advocate of Gandhi quote “BE the change you would like to see in the world. I feel that being a role model in the community means living as a good example for others to follow, and I make an effort to do just that.

TDL: What are the most valuable lessons that others need to know about?

TN:   After traveling around different parts of the world and visiting my mother's hometown of Tanauan, Batangas recently, I realized that people can live with a lot less than American society would lead you to believe. Material things are NOT what make a person happy. Money, to me, is sort of like a necessary evil. Its definitely something people need in our American society, but we all need to realize and keep in mind that LOVE is the most important thing to give and have, and we need to recognize and appreciate it above everything else everyday in order to be truly happy. In my life, I have been truly blessed, and my favorite bible quote is Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much is to be expected. I try to remember each day not to take anything for granted, and I think I should help others as much as possible because I can. If everyone thought more like this, the world would be a better place! But no matter a personal situation, having a positive attitude is the one very important thing we CAN control.