Tag Archives: southern oregon university

Day 162: Happy Birthday Danya!

15 Sep

Today is my friend Danya’s birthday. She and I became friends when we were both earning our Master’s degrees at Southern Oregon University a few years ago. We were part of a group of four friends that studied together, drove to class together and generally supported one another through two years of study.

It really was important to me that I was not navigating the challenges of school, work and family alone. Each of these friends helped in their own way – but all of them were accepting, caring and encouraging. And as much as I enjoyed my classes, I think I learned as much from these friends who shared their life experiences with me. They demonstrated grace, courage and determination – and helped me to do the same.

Since graduation, while we have not seen each other as often as we did in school, we have managed to keep in touch. We continue to share information, offer advice, give reassurance, and celebrate our successes. When we met for coffee today, we spent most of the time laughing. It felt so good to be with them once again and I want to let them know that I am most grateful for the gift of their friendship.

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Day 133: My friend Sam

17 Aug

Sam and I met when we were students at Southern Oregon University . We were both in the Master in Management, or MIM, cohort that began in the Fall of 2006.

One day on a break in class, Sam came up to me and introduced herself. We had some things in common – most notably, that we were both mothers. It gave us an added dimension. Clearly we thought that school was important but we also had people waiting at home for us when class was done.

Soon Sam and I were commuting to class (in Medford) together. It gave us some time to talk about the subjects that we were studying and also some time to decompress on the way home. I really appreciated having someone to share that time with. It was much better than when I was driving to and from class on my own crying and wondering what (in the hell) I was doing going back for my masters.

Sam has always impressed me. She is a patient and caring mother to her daughter. She is adept at social media and often coaches me in this arena. And she is the first Caucasian that I have met that speaks Chinese fluently. When you call her cell phone she has a message in both English and Chinese. I think that is pretty remarkable.

Through these past four years, Samantha has been a cheerful, helpful, even keeled friend and I am so grateful for that. This afternoon, I brought her a Raspberry Rhubarb Pie. I simply wanted to let her know that I appreciate her friendship very much.

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Day 76: Meredith

21 Jun


Guanajuato, Mexico

Meredith Reynolds has been my daughter Alex’s advisor/internship program coordinator for the past two years. Alexandra’s course of study took a very different turn when she opted to study in Denmark during her junior year at Southern Oregon University (SOU). When Alexandra decided to tackle an internship during her second year abroad (still in Denmark), Meredith was there to help her navigate the necessary paperwork to ensure that she was on track scholastically.

Copenhagen, Denmark
Meredith knows all about studying abroad. She has attained near-native fluency in Spanish language and Mexican Culture. She taught at the Universidad de Guanajuato for six years (from 1980-86). Guanajuato is the Sister City to Ashland, Oregon and there is a rich relationship between the two cities. In fact, my Alexandra “won” a contest when she was in 4th grade and was allowed to go (for free) to Guanajuato with a group of people from Ashland. Alexandra was 10 years old at the time but she was fearless and eager to go. I think that she was born knowing that she was a child of the world. I, on the other hand, did not get that memo.

It is wonderful that Meredith and Alexandra share a love of travel and cultures. Meredith has an amazing kinship with the people of Mexico, especially Guanajuato. Alexandra seems to have found that same kind of kinship in a small country 6,000 miles from the place in which she was born. I think that this is just a part of our ever changing world. And I count myself fortunate to have visited both Guanajuato and Denmark. What I have discovered is that with every new person that you meet you are given the opportunity to make a friend.

Today my friend Meredith was packing up her office. She is retiring from her position at SOU. I know that this is just a momentary pause for her for she has so much yet to give. I brought a quiche to Meredith today to thank her for all that she has done for my daughter and for all that she has done for Southern Oregon University. We are truly grateful for her passion and commitment and look forward to her next endeavor.

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Day 55: Liz and Denny

1 Jun

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

As parents we are often called upon to volunteer in the various activities that our children participate in. When your children are young and playing soccer, you may be asked to bring juice and orange slices to the games. As your child grows, the tasks become a bit more challenging, but you keep helping because you want to support your kids.

For three years my son was a member of the Ashland High School Nordic Ski Team. Every year the kids on the team were incredible. They worked hard at practices and willingly competed against much larger and better funded teams. It was my son’s freshman year when the Ashland boys won third place in the state finals. When they announced “Ashland” as the winner, my son and one other boy walked up to the podium. The emcee looked at the boys and asked that all the boys come up. My son looked at him and said, “We are all the boys.” Amazing.

The club has grown in the past few years – and so has the parent participation. I have helped in my own way with the team – often by baking scones or bagels for them to eat on the long rides to their meets. There is a bit of work involved but once I have delivered my goodies, I am free to stay home (and warm!). The more dedicated parents go to the meets and since this is a nordic sport, you can bet that they spend a lot of time standing in the cold. Liz and Denny are among the parents that are willing to go to the meets and help wherever they are needed.

Liz and Denny are the owners of Mihama Teriyaki Grill. In addition to helping with the Nordic Ski Team, they have been avid supporters of the Ashland Schools Foundation. Their restaurant is located on Siskiyou Boulevard across from Southern Oregon University.

We are lucky to live in a town where so many people give up their time and talents for the benefit of our children. Tonight I would like to recognize Liz and Denny for all that they do to help our children, and our community, thrive.

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Day 50: Debbie and The Journey Thus Far

27 May

Today is a small milestone in this yearlong journey of making pies.  Yes, there are still many pies ahead of me but it feels like a good time to pause for a moment and take an assessment.  If you were to ask me what I have learned so far, I would tell you that I have found that the simple act of giving someone a pie can have profound consequences.  Many times, though not always, I have felt that I have been in the absolute right place at the right time.  For example, I brought someone a quiche only to find out that they were incredibly busy that day and had not had time to even think about dinner.  And there have been a number of times when I’ve brought a pie to someone and was able to make a not so good day seem a bit brighter.

I will admit that this is not a project that make sense to everyone.  One friend saw me preparing to deliver my pie and said rather dryly, “Go on…. you go make someone’s day.” I left the house feeling a bit put off by his comment.  What was he trying to say?  Later, when I was leaving the house of that day’s pie recipient, she said, “You know Karen, you really made my day.” How about that. I was able to make someone’s day by bringing them a pie!

My friend Debbie told me that this is probably the best possible project for me – because I love to bake and I love to share stories about the people who have touched my life.  If you think about it, this pie adventure is composed of many different threads.  And as the threads come together they create a tapestry that tells the story of my life.  I am truly blessed – and very lucky that I am able to give thanks to those who have helped me along the way.

Today, I brought a Marionberry Pie to Debbie at Southern Oregon University. She is my neighbor, but she has also been a tremendous resource for my family as we have navigated the maze of financial aid for college.  And Debbie was the first person who “suspected” that a pie was awaiting her.  Seems this “project” is not as secret as I thought!

As I continue on this journey, I am buoyed by the encouragement and support that has been shown by my friends.  Below is an example of this support – a necklace that my friend Pam had made especially for me. Such a lovely gift. Didn’t I say that I was blessed?


YE78PAA4SUFZ

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Day 26: A Woman with Heart

3 May

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.

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