As the grant writer associate for the Center, I get to work with the wonderful programs the staff provide by helping them put their ideas together in grant applications.
I retired in 2021 after 39 years of teaching science, serving as a high school principal, and finally serving as superintendent. I am proud to have been a Nebraska public school employee.
Not long after I retired, I found the Center. I was looking for something to do that was meaningful, with a purpose I believed in and could contribute to. The Center met that criteria, and I love the variety of work I do and the people I work with.
I am a fourth-generation Nebraskan who was raised on a small family farm. Rural America is important to me because I genuinely feel it is the heart of our country. The people, their values, and traditions are worth saving.
As an adult, I have only lived in rural communities, and while small-town living can be a challenge at times, I can't imagine living anywhere else. And, while I love living in rural Nebraska, I also like to travel. I enjoy seeing new things and meeting new people, but I always love coming home too.
Q&A
Do you have a motto or favorite quote that guides you in work/and or life?
“The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." –Laura Ingalls Wilder
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go, and why?
New Zealand. It is beautiful there!
What's something surprising about you that most people don't know?
After I retired, I went to coffee school in Auburn, Washington. I fell in love with coffee roasting. When I came home, I purchased a professional roaster and a shipping container that I converted into a roastery. In my spare time I roast coffee.
