From First Car to Full Circle: Why This Volkswagen Partnership Means Everything

Some relationships start with a contract.
This one started with belief.

I became a brand ambassador for Volkswagen after meeting the team at the Abilities Expo. What began as a simple introduction quickly turned into something much more meaningful. The relationship blossomed naturally—because it was rooted in shared values, not marketing optics.

Volkswagen believed in the mission of the Just Hands Foundation so deeply that they donated a 2025 VW GTI to our fleet. Not loaned. Donated. And they didn’t stop there.

The entire VW team showed up. They supported us, celebrated with us, and even attended the Just Hands: For the Love of Racing Amazon Prime premiere. They invited us to the LA Auto Show and proudly displayed the car, amplifying not just the vehicle—but the mission behind it.

For those who know my story, this makes the moment even more personal.

The Volkswagen GTI was my first car.
It’s the car that made me fall in love with driving.
It gave me freedom when I needed it most.

So to come full circle—working with the same brand that sparked that passion decades ago—feels surreal in the best way.

Change inside a company is hard. Real change requires everything to align: the product, the people, the mission, the vision. Most companies talk about it. Very few actually do it.

Volkswagen does.

They care.
Not because it’s a campaign.
Not because it looks good.

They care because it’s who they are.

And if you look at everything else they’re doing—their investments, their actions, their people—it proves it.

All I can hope is that I, and Just Hands, do them the justice they have shown us. That I/we can make them proud. Because I truly care about them, too.

This isn’t just a partnership.
It’s trust.
It’s alignment.
It’s heart.

And I’m incredibly honored to be part of it.