Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/834093
t m c » p u l s e | j u n e 2 0 1 7 12 12 I volunteer for several organizations, including The Post Oak School, Medical Bridges, Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce, the University of St. Thomas, St. Thomas High School and the American Red Cross. Q | Can you share a volunteer experience that was particularly rewarding? A | I traveled to Ghana with a group of women executives, where we equipped a small clinic in a remote village with medical supplies. On another trip to Guatemala with a Methodist church in Denton, we helped build a medical clinic in a small village that— before our visit—had no dedicated medical facility at all. Q | What are your favorite things to do outside of work? A | I work out just about every day, twice a week with a trainer and cardio and Pilates other days. It is a great stress burner that allows me to decompress after a busy day at work. But my favorite thing to do is spend time with my husband, Bob Sergesketter, my recently- married son, Jeff, and his lovely bride, Elyse, and our goofy 115-pound Newfoundland, Wilson. After a long week, Bob and I love watching sappy rom-coms at home. He'll kill me for sharing this with everyone. My favorite movie is Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn. But we also love to travel, so we take one long vacation overseas every year. We really enjoy visiting places that are a bit off the beaten path and that let us experience cultures that differ quite a bit from our everyday lives in Houston. Last year we went to the Balkans, visiting Northern Greece, Albania, and Macedonia. This year we will be exploring the Baltics— Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—and because we'll be in the neighborhood, we'll spend a couple of days in the small Russian seaport of Kaliningrad and then we'll wrap up the trip in Minsk, Belarus. Q | What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? A | I always like to finish what I start. Bob decided he wanted to buy a motorcycle and, before he bought it, he decided he wanted to take some riding lessons and he Don't give up on treating your depression. Many people with depression obtain relief with medication or talk therapy. If your depression persists, explore new options today at The Menninger Clinic. Our Center for Brain Stimulation offers safe, proven methods for individuals experiencing treatment-resistant depression. Call 713-275-5328 or email Brainstim@Menninger.edu today for a confidential consultation with our team of experts. MenningerClinic.com | Affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine and member of the Texas Medical Center Named a National Best Hospital in Psychiatry 27 Consecutive Years Menninger ad on treatment-resistent depression for TMC Pulse 4-2017.indd 1 4/6/2017 11:50:39 AM Castillo-Rhodes volunteering in Ghana. encouraged me to take the classes with him. I agreed and, keep in mind, I had never driven a standard vehicle in my life, so I really didn't know how to mechanically operate a standard shifting vehicle. The course was classroom training and training with an actual motorcycle. I was good in the classroom and horrible on the riding, but I am one of those peo- ple… I just don't give up. The instructor finally asked me 'Do you really want to do this?' and I said 'No, but I'm going to finish this course, dang-it!' I managed to get through each of the obstacles they had given us, passed the written test with flying colors and on the riding portion of the test, I was the last one and I actually scored better than Bob, who was the best rider in the class, which was amazing because I was the worst rider in the class. I didn't want to be out there, but I also didn't want to give up because I wanted to see this through. I now have my motorcycle license, but I have never ever driven a motorcycle since that day. Denise Castillo-Rhodes was interviewed by Pulse reporter Britni N. Riley. This interview was edited for clarity and length.