Plot Twist:

And now, here I am.

The girl who never went to college is working for a college… My first day at AppState was August 17, which happened to be the first day of classes. There I was wandering around like the freshmen on campus, studying the map like my life depended on it.

My sweet parents called me the night before my first day to pray over me, and my new boss and teammates have already been incredibly welcoming and helpful as I figure out where I’m going, what I’m doing, and the best places to get some coffee!

I know this role will challenge me. Among roughly 21,000 students, 1,550 faculty and staff, and 300+ employers, I already feel a little overwhelmed and a little insignificant.

I’m going to see things on a college campus that I don’t agree with. (I already have.) But as a follower of Christ, I believe one of the most important things I can bring into this environment is love, grace, and kindness.

Jesus spoke truth, but He also invited people in. He built relationships. He met people where they were. That’s the kind of influence I want to have here.

Especially with the students! Let’s be clear: I am their parents’ age. (Wow…) And I can relate to them about as much as I can relate to a New Yorker…

But maybe that’s exactly why I’m here. Not just to have a job or a title, but to learn more from those around me, and grow even more as a believer, a professional, and as a relationship manager.

These past seasons have reminded me that my work— and really, this Christian life—is about people.

As my Dad loves to say, “I don’t have to… I GET to.”

I get to take the experiences, gifts, and opportunities (and a dash of wisdom) God has given me and invest them in others.

A big part of my new role will be building relationships with employers and helping connect students to opportunities through career fairs, events, and specialized engagements with the University.

I’m excited about that because I know firsthand: sometimes an opportunity is about so much more than a job.

Sometimes it’s the beginning of discovering your gifts, finding your purpose (and your people), pursuing your passion, and seeing how God can shape your future in ways you never dreamed of.

I’m grateful for every employer who took a chance on me, gave me opportunities to learn, grow, lead, fail, try again, and become the professional and person I am today. Some of those experiences shaped my career. Others shaped my faith. All of them mattered.

Now I get to help create some of those opportunities for someone else!

My prayer in this new season is this: "Lord, help me to lead with grace over judgment, compassion over criticism, and relationships over differences, so that in any interaction with me, people walk away encouraged, feeling seen and loved, or maybe even with their minds open to a possibility they didn’t see before. May it all be for Your glory and honor."

Go Mountaineers!

I’m not even sure where to begin.
Except to say, God is SO good.

Because… ya girl FINALLYYYY got a new job!

I’ve joined Appalachian State University as Assistant Director of Employer Relations, in the Career Development Center.

I look at this role and see so many pieces of my story coming together: years of corporate experience, administrative support, relationship management, nonprofit leadership, program development, public relations, and mentoring, all wrapped into one.

And somehow, even my summer job was preparation for this next chapter.

So, what did I do all summer?

After getting really tired of the job search, I took the first job from the one place that actually hired me. I worked at the Original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis. Shout-out to the team there! I made new friends, met people from all over the world, learned a LOT about retail, and had to exercise a tremendous amount of willpower not to buy all the things.

In July, I had back-to-back-to-back weekends with my family, and lots of catch-ups with friends, which was exactly the kind of time I needed. And before the end of the month, I received the answer to months’ worth of prayers.

I knew this answer would eventually come. But I had days of doubt AND faith. I never doubted that God could provide. I just sometimes doubted that He would provide for me.

Getting laid off in January was a huge blow to my confidence and my sense of value as an employee and leader. At times, I actually scaled back my prayers because it felt like I just didn’t deserve a bigger dream. And yet, I know others stood in the gap for me and prayed BIG. And all along, God gave me exactly the time I needed to reset, heal, dream, struggle, and grow - mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Thank you for visiting! Cheers!

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