Volunteer Spotlight: Dr. Allison Pierce

Please meet our new American Heart Association volunteer leader and Arkansas State Advocacy Committee member, Dr. Allison Pierce.  

Please meet our new American Heart Association volunteer leader and Arkansas State Advocacy Committee member, Dr. Allison Pierce.  

Hometown: Dallas, Texas     Current town: Springdale, Arkansas

Favorite movie: Stand By Me
Hobbies: cooking, gardening, home improvement projects, playing with my dogs
Pets: Kizzy (4-year-old blue heeler mix), Red (2-year-old boxer mix), Bill and Pi (2-year-old carpet pythons)

Role model: When in doubt, I look to my mother, who taught me patience, accountability, honesty, kindness, and generosity while making sure I understood that life is precious and to be lived fully every day.

Greatest achievement: I am an aunt to a wonderful four-year-old named Lily, and there is another little one on the way. While this is not necessarily my own achievement, it has brought me more joy than anything else I have experienced, and I have absolutely loved getting to know my younger sister as the beautiful nurturer that she has become. As far as my own achievements, I am looking forward to finishing my psychiatry residency. The path to becoming a physician has required years of focus and commitment, so that day will be quite a milestone.

Two celebrities or historical figures you would want to have dinner with (living or not) and why them? This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many. Maya Angelou comes to mind since her writing has been an inspiration to me for almost my entire life. I hear she could throw a great party, and I would love to talk to her about life, love, politics, and a host of other topics. Slavenka Drakulic is another strong and passionate woman who has inspired me. She endured the oppression of communism and still found joy in life while standing up to her oppressors, often at great risk to herself. She has inspired me in many ways, and I would enjoy hearing some of the more personal stories that don't make it into her writings. If I were hosting a dinner for historical figures or celebrities, it would most certainly be a large group.

Why is advocating with the AHA important to you? Heart disease runs in my family, so it is an issue that hits close to home for me. In my experience as a physician, I have seen the far reaching social, physical, and mental effects of heart disease. It is largely preventable, and advocacy is an integral component in providing education and resources that will empower people to take care of themselves.