The Space College Leaves Behind

Why students and young professionals
need more than a degree to find
confidence, clarity, and purpose.

For more than 30 years, I lived in the middle of higher education.

I saw students arrive hopeful and unsure.
I watched them get overwhelmed, misadvised, lost in systems that weren’t built for who they actually were.
I saw advisors trained to focus on academics and requirements, not on relationship or the broader context of a student’s life.
Classes that checked boxes but didn’t build confidence.
Students who quietly wondered, “Am I doing this right?”

I also watched what happened after graduation.

Students who did what they were supposed to do, earned the degree, landed the job, and still felt unsettled.
Some realized too late they had chosen the wrong major.
Others discovered that knowing a subject didn’t mean knowing themselves, or how to navigate real decisions, relationships, and direction.

That space between confusion and clarity is what I call the murky middle.

It exists before college and after it.
Before the title and after it.
Before the next step feels obvious.

And I know it deeply, because I lived inside that system for decades.

Today, my work is about walking with people through that season.

I help high school students prepare for what’s ahead without rushing them or overwhelming them.
I help graduates and young professionals make sense of what they’ve learned, who they are becoming, and what actually fits next.

Not with more pressure.
Not with one-size-fits-all advice.
But by helping people understand their strengths, their values, and the language for who they already are.

Clarity doesn’t come from forcing a path.
It comes from understanding yourself well enough to choose one.

That’s the work I do.
That’s the middle I stand in.
And that’s where confidence begins to grow.

Responsibility | The Strength That Turns Commitment Into Action

Grateful for the chance to join the 34 Strong podcast with Angeline Soon hosted by Brandon Miller to talk about the CliftonStrengths of Responsibility. Here is a little clip of me talking about how Responsibility shows up in my life.

Make it stand out

It’s always meaningful to learn from others who lead with this theme and to reflect on what Responsibility looks like in my own life… the commitments we carry, the values that steady us and the purpose behind the promises we make.

The full podcast (42 minutes) - can be listened to here:

https://34strong.com/podcast_episode/responsibility-the-strength-that-turns-commitment-into-action/

A gentle whisper from a tree in my backyard…

This year brought unexpected change — the kind that reshapes you slowly and teaches you to trust what’s still being formed.
It wasn’t quick or tidy. It was quiet, slow, refining, shifting. From the inside out.

These remaining leaves captured in the image of the tree in my backyard, held a story for me. A reflection focused on holding on and being held.

Holding On With Strengths

Connectedness reminded me there is meaning woven into every transition.

Responsibility kept me grounded in my values when the path felt unclear and guided my next step.

Belief anchored me in purpose when the next step felt uncertain.

Ideation reminded me there are always new ways forward.

Learner guided my growth and curiosity through the unfamiliar.

Activator pushed me to take the first brave step when clarity finally met courage.

Each theme held a different thread, creating a kind of inner stability when everything else felt in motion.

Held in Faith

Scripture speaks in so many ways about being held — not by our own strength, but by God’s.

“Hold fast to the Lord your God.” — Deuteronomy 13:4
“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” — Colossians 1:17
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand.” — Isaiah 41:13

In every season, especially the uncertain ones, it is God who holds, steadies, and upholds us.

Wherever You Are in Your Own Season

Whether you’re holding on, letting go, or stepping into something new…

hold on with your strengths,

and move forward in faith.

May these words meet you with hope in whatever season you’re navigating.

Ignited by Strengths

Strengths were Ignited by the Young Professionals Network in Kearney. The ripple effect of the energy shared through strengths discovery and application will cascade through our community. Watch as they shine their light.

Illuminating Strengths with the FAMILY Committee

Still on a high from this morning’s session “Illuminating Your Strengths” with members of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services FAMILY committee focused on supporting and elevating families in Nebraska. Their goal is to ensure that programs and policies reflect the real-life experiences of the families they serve.

I am so grateful for the work they do! And how awesome to now see their strengths more clearly in this meaningful work. We explored their individual strengths, looks at their strengths as a team, and then connected their strengths to four critical aspects of their mission.

Excited for the one-on-one coaching sessions I will have with these members in 2026!

Growing in a Strengths World

A few weeks ago, the garden was still full of color. Zinnias reaching toward the sun, butterflies lingering on the last blooms of the season.

Now that frost has settled in, those flowers are gone. But I find myself remembering the beauty and growth. Savoring it a bit longer.

It’s the same with our strengths. Each season brings its own color, its own purpose, its own lesson in resilience.
What strengths are you leaning into this season?

Broken Yet Still Standing

Ever been blindsided by a storm you didn't see coming?

A storm rolled through last night with strong winds and soaking rain. Our sweet corn is now leaning east, our watermelon vines tangled, and one of our trees is still rooted, still upright yet lost a major limb. Storms are part of life in Nebraska. Sometimes they hit one area and leave another untouched. This one found us.

And this morning, when I saw the tree, it mirrored a memory.

At the beginning of this year, an unexpected storm came through my life and left me broken. My long-held role at the university was gone. After 35 years, I found myself cut off from a place I had poured so much of myself into.

But I was still standing.

Why? Because of my strengths.

• Connectedness became a lifeline woven through friendships, texts, quiet coffees, and the incredible coaching community I had slowly become part of over the years.

• Learner gave me motion as my curiosity turned into pages of notes, insights, and energy.

• Responsibility and Activator moved me to act by saying yes, reaching out, joining the Chamber, showing up.

• Ideation gave me options and vision when the path ahead was unclear.

• Belief reminded me: this isn’t just work, it’s calling.

We don’t get to choose the storms, but we do get to choose how we respond.

You may be weathered.

You may feel broken.

But you’re still rooted.

And your strengths are still alive within you.

If you're in a season like that, I want you to know that healing and new growth are possible.

It would be an honor to walk alongside you in the journey.

Big Idea Contestant

With nerves in check, I entered the 2021 Big Idea Contest. The first step was to record a 2-minute blurb about the business I was proposing. I utilized some of the work from my Special Project which was the capstone of my Master’s Degree in Youth Development that I completed in May 2021. I was selected to compete at the competition and provided my pitch to a packed house at the Nest, which included family and friends. The judges brought me to the next level which was then voted upon by the audience. I won 2nd place! And, I gained the confidence to being the journey of starting a business doing something that I truly love and see great rewards for those who unleash their strengths. Special thanks to Lisa and Aliese in the UNK Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development who were helpful and encouraging throughout the process.