The Change at Which I Hinted Last Weekend: or, A New Adventure Begins

Everything is official and public now, so I can explain my post last Saturday in more detail here.

For the past two-and-a-half years, I have been an Admission Counselor at Culver-Stockton College - a wonderful, small, liberal arts college in Missouri.  My main responsibility has been recruiting students, but I also have functioned officially this past year as the Student Admission Assistants Supervisor, the Fine Arts Liaison, the e-communications Coordinator and the office's Lead Editor / Writer.  I essentially took over the duties of our former Associate Director of Admission when he left almost exactly a year ago, as well as those I had been performing previously.

I began looking for another job in earnest a few months ago, due to circumstances beyond my control.  There were a few positions that looked promising, but slightly more than a month ago I came across one that really jumped out at me - one that felt "right" from the moment I saw the listing and then communicated for the first time with the Director of Admissions.  I went through the application and interview process, and, a week ago yesterday, I was offered the job.  My last day in the office here at Culver-Stockton College will be two weeks from yesterday (Feb. 10th) - and I officially will start as the new Assistant Director of Admissions at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nevada on Feb. 20th.  (Incline Village is on the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe.  I know: Poor me!  lol)  We will live in Carson City - about 25 miles from the campus. 

Sierra Nevada College is another small, liberal arts college - a little smaller than C-SC, actually.  It has two athletic teams - national championship level Skiing and Snowboarding.  It was founded in 1969 - quite recently compared to the colleges where I have attended and worked.  (Harvard has been around for-freaking-ever, and C-SC was established in 1853.)  I am excited to help SNC continue to grow and figure out exactly how to do so.  I love organizational change management, and I honestly hope I have found a place where I can drop roots and work until I retire.  Obviously, there are no guarantees, but I am looking forward very much to this new opportunity.

I have loved my work, and I am so glad I made the career change that put me in college admissions.  I am grateful to Culver-Stockton College for allowing it to happen.  I am more than just grateful for the reasons we can see in hindsight for being here.  Our second son met his fiance specifically because of this move.  (Serendipitously, she was the first student I recruited who committed to attend C-SC, and I couldn't have imagined at the time that they would end up together.)  Our oldest son transferred to C-SC this past fall, and he absolutely loves the English & Theater Education programs and the friends he has made.  We met some incredible friends, and we were able to hold Seminary in our home - which has been a tremendous blessing for our daughters and the friend who attended, as well.  We have made wonderful friends, and I will be grateful always to C-SC for making it all happen.  Leaving is bittersweet in some ways, but I know we are supposed to be in Carson City as soon as the school year ends in a few months.

Due to the move and beginning a new job, my blogging time will be more limited than it has been over the past couple of years.  I am working to make sure I have the daily posts written and scheduled in such a way that they will continue to appear daily, but, as I said last week, my weekend resolution posts might suffer occasionally - or even more than occasionally for a while.

I want to end this post by thanking everyone who reads this blog and those who comment regularly and occasionally.  It has meant the world to me, and I just need to say that publicly and formally.

So, thank you - from the bottom of my heart. If any of you are in the Lake Tahoe area at any point, remember that our house has been know as Hotel DeGraw for a long time.  It always will be open to anyone who wants to spend a night or two (or those who need to spend a month or twelve - *wink*). 

God truly is good and mindful of our existence.  I don't believe He directs every aspect of our lives, but I know he is willing to put choices in our paths that can lead to great happiness and growth.  I believe it is up to us to strive to recognize them when they appear in our paths, and I am thankful for the times when I believe we have been able to do so in our own lives.  I have no idea how many times I have not recognized them, but I don't worry or dwell on that - since I am content and happy with my life as it is now.