GRAND Magazine - January/February 2018 - 24

n the course of interviewing some high-profile people, we've come across more stories
about the impact grandparents can have.
Pat Mitchell

Pat Mitchell, the media trailblazer and powerhouse and our
cover grandparent for the July/August issue of GRAND, often
speaks to groups about what inspired her to overcome obstacles and accomplish all she has. She was the first woman to
serve as president and CEO of PBS,
and she is also the former president of CNN Productions, where
she executive - produced hundreds
of hours of documentaries and
specials, which received 35 Emmy
Awards and five Peabody Awards.
When Pat was a young girl
living with her grandparents
in rural Georgia, her grandmother convinced her to believe
in herself and not be afraid of making mistakes. One of her
grandmother's favorite messages was that "even if you fall
on your face, that's a good first step because at least it's forward
movement."

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah lived on a farm in rural
Mississippi with her grandmother
during the early years of her childhood. "My grandmother gave me
the foundation for success that I
was allowed to continue to build
upon. My grandmother taught
me to read, and that opened the door to all kinds of possibilities for me. And had I not been with my grandmother, I probably would not have had the foundation that I had."
24 GRAND

JANUARY FEBRUARY 2018

Chelsea Clinton

Chelsea Clinton told us this
about her two grandmothers.
"Curiosity, tenacity, a deep commitment to their families and an
abiding belief that in America,
anything was possible, defined
my grandmothers Dorothy
and Virginia's lives-and the
way they raised their children and grandchildren. I miss them
every day and, equally, am grateful every day for their inspiring
examples."

family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know
that my debt to them is beyond measure," Obama said in his
2008 victory speech.

Dylan McDermott

After his mother was murdered
when he was just five, his grandmother, Avis Marino, stepped in to
raise him and his sister, Robin. "It was
my grandmother who raised me, and
living with her and my sister is what
I remember best. It was the family
unit that is special to me. My grandmother was the best,"

Carol Burnett

On her recent 50th Anniversary
Celebration on television, Carol
Burnett told the story behind a
gesture she made at the end of
each show. She'd tug on her ear as
a special message to her "Nanny"
who raised her that said, "Hello. I
love you."
She credits living with her grandmother in Hollywood after her parents' divorce for helping her discover her future path as
an entertainer. Her grandmother would work to save money so the
two of them could go to the movies.

Barack Obama

President Barack
Obama's grandmother
passed away on the eve
of election day. "And while
she's no longer with us, I
know my grandmother is
watching, along with the

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou "I loved my grandmother...I try to be the same kind of
grandparent I had," Angelou said.
"My grandmother was the best." My
grandmother told me that every
human thing I do helps some human
being in the world. I believed her 50
years ago ...and still do.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx's grandparents
adopted him as an infant and recognized his musical talents before
he even started kindergarten. Most
families worry about their kids getting into the entertainment biz,
but when he won a classical piano
scholarship after high school, his
grandmother told him that's how he
was going to make money. She was kind of right - he won an
Academy Award for Ray in 2005 and dedicated it to her.
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GRAND Magazine - January/February 2018

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