Saturday, January 28, 2012

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.

16 comments:

Jana said...

Congratulations!

Ellen said...

Fantastic news! Our lives are an accumulation of experiences, and sometimes I think they coalesce in unrecognized ways until suddenly they all come together at one point. It looks like this might be one of those times: the experience you've had in several institutions, the recruiting, the desire to take what you've learned and apply it to a new situation that has different needs than the previous ones did, etc. Plus, Lake Tahoe. A busy but exciting time!

Matthew said...

Congratulations Ray!

I know moving is a pain, among other things, but being in the right place is a great compensation. :) God bless on your journey - I hope everything goes smoothly.

Clean Cut said...

Very excited for you, Papa D. Best wishes on this new adventure!

Christy said...

I wish you the best.

Anonymous said...

Sounds wonderful,Ray, I'm so glad that life has qualified you to influence so many lives for the good.I hope it feels like home for you all very swiftly.

I will miss the frequency of your posts,but know that you owe your life the best attention. I was hoping the other day that one day you might break out of the ghetto of the bloggernacle and I might see an article by you in the Ensign. Hoping that day will come.

Sam said...

Congratulations! And should you ever want to visit San Francisco, you have a place to stay here.

Stephen said...

Congratulations. Very much wish you the best.

Barbara said...

Congratulations! I enjoy reading your blog and appreciate your insights.

Mormon Women: Who We Are said...

Congrats! Hope the transition is smooth.

Gwennaƫlle said...

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes :)

Papa D said...

Thank you, everyone.

Firebyrd said...

Congratulations, Ray, and good luck with the move!

Kevin said...

Ray, You will love it there. My wife and I lived in Reno when we first got married, and my parents lived there for about 14 years, so we were frequent visitors. The winters, at least in Carson City, are reasonably mild, , and while the summers are hot, you get a cool western breeze out of the Sierra Nevada's every night that makes it quite pleasant. And since Incline Village is a big ski destination, the road is usually well maintained in the winter. But I'd definitely look at an AWD vehicle just to be safe, if that's possible. Plus we had great experiences in the church while there. You find you can totally ignore the gambling presence with a little effort, but you might end up home teaching a pit boss, like I did for a while.

Mama D said...

Ellen, your insight helps me gain some needed perspective about applying lessons learned to new situations. Kevin, your experience is invaluable in easing some anxiety about the unknown. We both grew up out west, but not in NV. Besides, any unfamiliarity or change takes some adjustment.

The support of friends, including online ones, helps during this time of transition! My thanks is added to Ray's for each of you.

Patty said...

Congratulations! I am truly happy for you and your family.