The American Dream at Work
As a fifth grader in her native Romania, Adriana was asked by a teacher to write down what she would like to be when she grows up. Adriana did not hesitate. She loved singing and playing the violin. However, her dream had always been to be an English teacher. Ten years later, she would teach English in the United States. At 21, Adriana needed a new dream, a new challenge. She graduated from college, traveled the world, learned new languages, and gained valuable experience in customer service and publications management. After getting married to Matt, a Gatlinburg native and third generation owner of Best Western Zoder’s Inn, Adriana realized real estate is a career that puts to use all her talents and experience. Pictures of Izzy, the family’s  15-lb cat, grace her marketing materials now and then – a testimony to the balance between home and career in Adriana’s life.

Adriana serves on the Board of the Gatlinburg Anna Porter Public Library and participates in choir and string ensemble events for the community. It is a way for this Romanian-born American to give back to the country that has welcomed her from the very beginning.

“The greatest feeling was when I took a family to this one house and they literally started jumping up and down chanting, ‘This is our home’. To see their beaming faces and to feel the energy of their enthusiasm, that’s what this career is all about for me,” says Adriana.