The Office: As He Leads

In the positions I’ve held in the past, there is a common question people ask when inquiring how a staff member acquired the job they‘re currently holding. The question is usually phrased something like, “What brought you here?” or “Howd’ju get this job?” or “How did you luck out?”

Not at Shepherds College.

The question most commonly asked of new staff members is, “How did God lead you here?”

At Shepherds, we each have our own unique stories and I would like to share them with you over time.  There’s something deeply comforting in knowing that the college faculty and staff aren’t here due to desperation, job hopping or because the position is another rung on their ladder. They’re here because God called them to serve students with intellectual disabilities.

I’ll start with Cathy Harvey’s story. She’s an encourager, prayer warrior, organizer, brainstormer, tutor, crafter, communicator, bulletin board-making genius. She’s also the Administrative Assistant to the Dean and a person you could potentially have a lot of contact with if you’re connected to the college in any way. We’d be floundering without her many gifts. 

Mrs. Harvey helps Pieter with Math

  

"When Tracy Terrill, the Executive Director of the college, asked faculty and staff members to share their stories of how God led them here, he asked us to use one concrete object to represent our journey here—my concrete object was a ‘pink slip’.

I survived a large lay-off at Trinity International University in the fall of 2008 where I was an administrative assistant to the seminary faculty.  However, continued difficult economic times required a second lay-off in the spring of 2009, and in February I was told my position would end in May.  My husband had been out of work for 14 months, so this was quite a faith challenge.

A co-worker of mine who had been a case worker at Shepherds for 5 years saw a job posting on the college web site.  It was for an Administrative Assistant to the Dean for the newly formed Shepherds College which was just ending its first academic year.  She encouraged me to apply saying that she had already sent a recommendation for me to the Director.

I was reluctant to apply.  Working with people with disabilities wasn’t something I had ever considered. In fact, two other people had previously suggested volunteer jobs to me that were also with companies helping people with disabilities.  Frankly, I did not understand why everyone kept saying I would be “perfect” for it.  However, due to my respect for my co-worker’s godly insights and sensitivity to people’s strengths, I applied and left it in God’s hands.  I submitted my application prior to the last day of my job at Trinity on May 18^th.

Mrs. Harvey with the Dean of Shepherds College, Angela Houk

Just as my severance pay was ending from my former job, I received a call from Shepherds to interview in early July.  I interviewed on a Monday, they called later that week, and I started the following Tuesday with only 2 weeks to go until Orientation!  Unbeknown to me, the VP of Communications at Trinity “just happened” to run into the president of Shepherds Ministries at Panera in Racine the day after my interview.  Somehow my name came up in their conversation and the VP also offered a recommendation for me—what are the chances that the VP of Communications from a school in Deerfield, IL would run into Dr. Amstutz in a restaurant in Racine, WI, the very day after I had an interview here!?!  How does God orchestrate that?!

Until I got to the interview, I had not thought about the fact that I grew up with a dear aunt who had cerebral palsy and a daughter with brain damage from infant meningitis.  Their lives were our norm which bred in me a compassion for those with disabilities well before God led me here.

I am sure I never would have found Shepherds on my own, but God had already prepared me, and when he opened a door via a lay-off, I walked through!”

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.