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April 2012
Claire Crain Monroe
Zeta Psi, Loyola University New Orleans
Mother. Wife. Journalist. Runner. Leader. Writer. Risk-taker. All words that describe Claire Crain Monroe, a 1993 initiate of the Zeta Psi chapter (Loyola University New Orleans). After graduating summa cum laude with a major in communications, she began her first full-time television job as a producer in Biloxi, Mississippi. The news business took Claire to Asheville, North Carolina, where she met and married her husband, Nathan. The two then worked for news outlets in Phoenix, Arizona, and Raleigh, North Carolina, covering stories ranging from wildfires to the AIDS epidemic to professional BMX cyclists.
In 2007 Claire, her husband and their then-two-year-old, Maya, moved to the Atlanta suburbs to be closer to her family. Needing a change from the news business, Claire took a leap of faith and quit her job to begin working part-time for Weight Watchers, the weight-loss company that had helped her drop 30 pounds post-college. She began by leading group meetings to educate and inspire other people who are losing weight. Since then, she has added on duties as a special event planner, Public Relations Ambassador, and member of the company’s nationwide Field Advisory Board. In addition, Claire writes a weekly blog for Weight Watchers’ internal website, read by thousands of staff members nationwide. In 2011, Claire was named Ambassador of the Year for the Eastern U.S. to honor her media outreach and community engagement.
Now comes a new leap of faith. In addition to her work with Weight Watchers and regular freelance writing assignments, Claire has returned to school to study nursing. She anticipates graduating in 2015 and continuing on a path in which she can help change others’ lives for the better.
Why she’s real:
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I love having PJ days with my girls (Maya, 7, and Alexa, 2). We sleep late, wear our pajamas all day, play, and have fun girl time together! Spending carefree time with my family is what I live for.
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Why she’s strong:
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I won’t let being scared stand in my way. I moved 400 miles away from home to go to a college where I knew no one. I moved to far-flung cities and took on demanding jobs. I got married and had kids! I’m embarking on a new career. All these things have been terrifying, but each time I was able to dig deep and find a little bit more courage than I thought I had.
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Not on her resume:
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I’ve run four marathons and am really itching to do another one! |
Favorite quote:
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“A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” ~John Shedd |
Childhood ambition:
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A little bit of everything. Gift-wrapper at a department store. Brain surgeon. Architect. At one point, I wanted to work at the same company as my dad so we could have lunch together every day! My love of medicine came from my mom, a nurse, whose nursing magazines I started reading at around eight years old! |
Would like to dine with:
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I could have a year’s worth of dinner dates and still not talk with all the people I’d like to, but one person high on my list is my husband’s late grandmother, Mrs. Jewell Johnson. They shared a close bond, and she meant so much to him that I would love to get to know her. |
Favorite movie:
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Legally Blonde. Yes, it contains some silly stereotypes, but it’s a totally fun escape! |
Hobbies:
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Cooking, running, wine tasting and traveling. |
Most proud of:
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Following my passions – for my husband, for having children, for journalism, for running, for Weight Watchers, for medicine – even when people around me thought I was crazy! |
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