Allison Carroll Member Spotlight - Dec.
Name: Allison Carroll
Where do you work? Monks Coffee Shop
What’s your job title/what do you do? Owner; I spend most of my time wrangling baristas, putting out fires, and providing that life-sustaining, nectar-of-the-gods, go-juice for the good people of Abilene.
Where are you from? I’m from Midland, TX—born and raised.
How long have you lived here and what brought you here? I’m not from Abilene originally, but after being here for 17 years it’s definitely my home now. I came here to attend ACU, met some great people, and the rest is history.
What is your favorite thing about living in Abilene? My favorite thing about living in Abilene is the community created by people that inhabit it—you can always find a friendly face or someone willing to lend a hand, and it’s full of people working together to make our city better every single day.
What do you do in your free time? In my free time I mostly like to spend time with my family and friends, and I read every chance I get (although, if I’m being honest, I’ve also been known to binge-watch a show or two).
What does being an Abilene Young Professional mean to you? Being an Abilene Young Professional means having the opportunity to meet and mingle with peers who are also invested in the success and future of Abilene, without having to track them down myself! AYP events have been a great place to interact with awesome people who have big ideas, and create some real energy around making our vision of Abilene a reality.
Do you serve on any boards in the community or participate in any other groups? If so, what do you enjoy about your participation? I currently serve on the board of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, am President of the Abilene Downtown Association, recently joined the Steering Committee for The Mozart Society of Abilene’s own Philharmonic (y’all should join!), and am a member of Leadership Abilene Class of 2018 (which, I think we can all agree, will be the best class ever!). The thing I love most about being a part of these groups is having the opportunity to positively impact—and create genuine momentum in—my community, while working alongside some of hardest-working and best people I know.
What’s your favorite restaurant in Abilene? My favorite restaurant in Abilene is Krua Thai, hands down.
What’s something you’re passionate about and why? I’m passionate about encouraging deep, honest, and nuanced thinking in every aspect of life. How we think about things is foundational to how we treat each other, how we problem solve, and how we interpret and approach the world around us—it’s so easy to believe we’ve thought well by simply thinking a lot, but closer examination can often reveal our hidden biases, generalizations, privileged perspectives, and an alarming degree of intellectual and emotional dishonesty, all of which prohibit us from recognizing and achieving true greatness. I believe better thinking can lead to a better world. (I’m also pretty fanatical about coffee, puppies, and gender equality.)
