Personal Statement

Rise Up, Persist & Prepare to Pivot

As a creative problem-solver, I returned to school to place an exclamation point on my abilities. It has been very validating to know that all the experiences and projects I have completed and the years spent raising my children have contributed to my ability to come up with creative solutions to solve a wide variety of problems. All of this is due to my ability to integrate ideas and concepts. That is why I chose to obtain my Bachelor of Science degree in the field of Integrative (Interdisciplinary) Studies. 

I come from a family of “fixers”, people who have a predisposition to see a problem or to imagine a better way in which to handle something. That something could range from developing cost-effective marketing materials to designing a cohesive branding and labeling design for a bbq business. When I am confronted with a situation I automatically see layers of issues. Things are never just black and white, they are always a myriad of colors and shades of need.

A frequent area of need that I have addressed in my current position is how to combine the tight budgetary needs of an aging church with modern and cost-effective solutions to reach out in ways that are appealing to the current and also younger demographic. Examples include developing advertising that is the most cost-effective and that leads the reader to share in the life of the church. Oftentimes these simple connections can provide a much broader level of interaction at very little if any cost. Many times we have a tendency to quit seeing something and we continue to do it the same ol way because that is the way we have always done it. It is very important to look at your work and home life with fresh eyes. It is like going to a new town on vacation, you see all the beauty and sometimes some of the issues that detract from the beauty because you are seeing it with new eyes. We must constantly be trying to see things with fresh perspectives. To see if what we are trying to communicate really comes through with what we have been sharing and the manner in which we shared it.

While serving at the First Christian Church in Pendleton over the past 16 years, I raised my children and built two businesses. My children are finishing up their college education at the same time as I am. It has been extremely rewarding to know that my ability to handle both the educational requirements as well as the social media interaction that permeates our society, is on track with my children who are both in their early twenties. I believe that my ability to understand the layers of family, work and education while also maintaining an appreciation of the long view, is due to experiences I have had over the past 25 years. Being a member of Generation X, the bridge between the Boomer Generation and the Millennial aka Generation Y, and adding in the perspectives of Generation Z has given me a broad range of information and understanding to draw upon. This knowledge has given me a leg up in understanding the interwoven tapestry of life and a clearer understanding of the value that my education provides me.

All of these experiences have given me a sense of confidence in my ability to access a variety of seemingly unrelated bits of knowledge...all of this combining to form an INTEGRATED communication solution that can usually satisfy most all involved in the original issue.