Careers
Amazon employee shares her journey to living authentically
October 6, 2024Aveena Mathew faced many challenges to get to where she is today—living authentically and being her whole self.
When Aveena Mathew (she/her) was growing up, she never imagined that she'd be able to live openly with a wife and child like she does today.
Mathew met her future wife Alissa Mathew in 2017, and they quickly realized that they “were each other's one.” She asked Alissa's parents for permission to marry their daughter, which they granted. But coming out to her traditional Indian family and telling them about Alissa was considerably more difficult.
“We got engaged on a Friday, and I came out to my family the following Monday. It was so painful,” said Mathew. Despite her family’s disapproval, Mathew and Alissa tied the knot in what Mathew describes as the “best wedding in the world, hands down,” and they are now proud moms to their daughter, Sloan.