Several years ago I decided I wanted to go back to school and earn my Master’s Degree. My children were older and did not need me as much and I wanted to focus on me for a while. One day soon thereafter a group of instructors from Southern Oregon University‘s School of Business were having lunch at our restaurant and my husband encouraged me to talk with them about my decision. One of the instructors was a woman named Hart and she was in charge of the Master in Management (MiM) program at SOU. Hart told me that The MiM program is an advanced degree for “people who lead.” It sounded like it would be a good fit and a few days later I applied for the program.
For the next two years, I attended classes, met many new people, relearned some old information and was introduced to new concepts. At times it was incredibly difficult but Hart was always there to talk me through it. I poured my heart out to her on more than one occasion, and personally think that she should have invested in Kleenex based on my tears alone. But Hart was there for everyone – not just me. She’s a mixture of so many juxtapositions: Hart loves a good joke but is serious when it comes to work; she is sympathetic when you have a problem but demands that you do your best work. She was a good mentor for me (and many others) and I am very glad that I got to know her.
When I brought Hart her pie and told her that it was Strawberry Rhubarb (I swear, the garden is sprouting this plant faster than I can pick it!) she was delighted. And I was delighted to present her with a small token of appreciation for her endless dedication to her students.
Pie a Day Give Away 
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