I have always been curious about how folks find work.

Do they have a hobby that they have turned lucrative?

Did they do something they saw a family member do?

Were they already involved with an institution and found an opportunity there?

Historically, this is how folks have thought about finding work.

Then there is the big question: Are you happy?

Sometimes what we imagine will bring peace causes unforeseen struggle in other areas of our lives.

Sometimes we are in the right building near what we love, but the tasks become draining rather than energizing.

I worked in Higher Education for 15 years. In that time, I held a variety of positions, acquiring skills to support a career inside a bureaucracy. My favorite opportunities were when spaces could be created to help others reach their potential within that formal structure.

I have a master’s degree in Adult Education, where I studied how mindfulness practices can impact an adult’s ability to recognize the skills they have acquired.

Can slowing down encourage individuals to see where they are today, and where they want to be?

In 2022, my family moved to the Kansas City area, and I began working in Workforce Development at the State level. The work there is administrative, focusing on what opportunities are needed for citizens to earn a livable wage.

There are a lot of people in each State, and each of those people has needs and desires tied to their work capabilities. A wider variety of opportunities better serves a community.

I also serve my local community by sitting on advisory boards focused on youth education resources and the funding affiliated with creating spaces and opportunities for lessons to thrive.

I am a mother. I am an aunt. I am a neighbor.