Lani Fisher

With one bad grade and an angry outburst, everything changed for her. Through it all, she learned a valuable lesson.

That was it! “I quit!” Her professor, Dr. Ralston, stood in front of her, speechless, and watched as she stormed from the room. After all her studying, a D+? She disagreed and was going to show her exactly what she thought about it by quitting college.

A few hours later, she was still on campus and remorse crept over her like a wet blanket. She wasn’t in her office when she went to find her, so she came back the next day. She apologized and told her she was dropping out to which she responded by walking her to every single class for the rest of the semester. She refused to let her quit and took her under her wing.

Growing up, she relied on herself and no one else. She never had anyone who believed in her or what she was capable of. She often spent time on the streets as a child, scrounging for bottles to trade in so that she could buy groceries for herself. A large part of the time, she didn’t know when her next meal would be or where she would sleep at night. Over the years, she went from collecting bottles to making and selling bracelets made of yarn, to mowing lawns, and more. She did whatever she needed to in order to survive, never staying in one place too long.

With a faithful mentor, she finally had the support she needed to explore what she was passionate about. She joined all sorts of campus activities from Student Senate to The Pacific Islander Club. She hosted the first drag show ever done on a college campus and started the safe zone movement on her campus, which trained faculty and students on LGBTQ issues. She was president of several clubs on countless committees and she also created and taught in an assistant teacher program and created practice exams, tutored, taught extra classes, and reviewed sessions. Going to college was something she started out on a whim, a way to figure out who she was, and she almost quit at the beginning in one of her first classes. But she stayed and graduated from Tacoma Community College.

At the end of her final year, her baby brother passed away unexpectedly. Even though she took a bereavement leave from school, Dr. Ralston was there for her every step of the way and even made her promise to apply to a university. She did apply, not thinking she would be accepted, and got into the University of Puget Sound.

The last thing she wanted to do was drag herself to school after the year she’d had, still missing her brother, but her word is her bond and she followed through on her promise to Dr. Ralston. She went all four years and though it was tough (she attempted a triple major), she stuck with it. What she realized after all those years was what a difference one person can make if they advocate for another.

She’s been a REALTOR® since 2013 and enjoys her work, her community, and spending time with her partner. She cares about her home here, and the people here, and will do anything she can to help - from organizing school food drives to assisting individual families in need with holiday gifts... She can’t stand to see anyone go without, the way she did as a child and she does everything possible to keep it from happening to others. She loves being a REALTOR® because every day she gets to be that one special person for her clients, their advocate.

She's not your average REALTOR®, she's a real person and she knows that life can be complicated. That's why she's here to help simplify things for you. She wants to know who you are and how she can help you because she knows how important it is to have someone support you and fight for your interests. Whatever the best decision for you and your family is, whether it's buying the home we find today or waiting until next year, she will be there to back you up. When she makes a commitment she follows through, her word is her bond. She has years of experience and she knows this community. Not only that, but she also believes in it and that's why she is deeply involved wherever she can be, helping families and schools in need. No one should go without, and no one should be left undefended and if you choose her to be your advocate, she'll be there as your lifelong REALTOR®.