Rachel Sullivan

“Sean, is this is your daughter? Rachel, I’m so happy I finally got the chance to meet you. Your dad is such a great guy and wow; you look just like him. Do you want to be a CPA just like your mom and dad?” This is the standard greeting I receive at every work event in Boston or sports game my family and I attend. I don’t talk about it often, but my dad is the President and CEO of Watermark Donut Company based in South Boston. Watermark operates 37 Dunkin’ stores in downtown Boston, and is the largest franchisee of Dunkin’ right now in the Greater Boston Area. My dad’s successful career has financially supported my family and has allowed me to have all of the opportunities I have been given in my life. Although my dad’s extremely motivated work ethic and success story motivates me everyday, it has been the source of a lot of my anxiety growing up. I was so paralyzed by the idea of failing at something, that I was afraid to try new things. I eventually told my dad to stop coming to my basketball games because the fear of failure was always in the forefront of my mind. In high school, I decided to join the cross country team because I just wanted to do something I didn't have the constantly stress about. Running has been the best thing I have done for myself; it has given me the ability to get outside of my own head and to slow down all of the anxious thoughts that constantly overwhelm me. Now, at my races I always look at my mom and dad right before the finish, and am proud to say that I tear up whenever I see my dad cheering. For a long time, I was so afraid of my dad’s harsh judgment that we didn’t talk much and weren’t very close. Sometimes I felt like my dad put his job before me. Sometimes it felt like my dad's stores were more of a priority than my own successes, even if they were small. Now I have realized that my dad really is my biggest supporter, and I would not be the person I am today without his guidance. Every now and then I check in with myself, and remember why I run; I run because I love it and because it makes me undoubtedly a better person.