My best ideas occur in two places – my car and my shower. So, it’s not surprising that most of my blog ideas originate between the rinse and repeat or while I’m on autopilot in my Honda.
I felt the impact of double inspiration during this morning’s drive. I was listening to the podcast of my pastor’s recent sermon on leadership. This quote from my pastor, Craig Groeschel from LifeChurch.tv resonated with me:
“I’m able to do what I do today because a few people believed in me.”
That’s a pretty big statement coming from a guy who graduated from my alma mater, Oklahoma City University, with a business degree and founded a global church with 13 campuses in the United States alone.
Craig’s words reminded me about how blessed I have been to have amazing mentors in my professional life.
My first professional mentor, Tim Bowman, was my high school journalism teacher. Mr. Bowman ignited my love for journalism and showed me that my God-given writing talent could become a rewarding career. Mr. Bowman also helped build my confidence by believing in me and guiding me through teen angst.
Where Mr. Bowman guided, my second professional mentor shoved. I spent most of my university years cursing Randy Splaingard. After all, Mr. Bowman taught me that I was a good writer. Randy did nothing but mark all over everything I wrote with his purple pen. It seemed that nothing I ever did was good enough for this guy. Randy set the bar high, and I eventually met it. The harder he pushed, the more prepared for my future I became.
I never was one of the students who got along well with Randy, but I respect him immensely. His passion for journalism and knowledge of the industry prepared me for a professional career in which I always have been employed in the media industry but never have applied for a job. Quite simply, I learned everything I needed to know about journalism from Randy. His dedication to our education resulted in my never being afraid to ask any question or intimidated by any source or story. If ever I have been a good journalist, I owe that to Randy. I only hope that, as I sit in his office, I’m able to lead students in the way that he led us.
My relationship with my third mentor still is developing. Dr. Peter Gade’s leadership style is an interesting mixture of Mr. Bowman’s and Randy’s. Dr. Gade would like to say that he “guides” or “nudges” students to their fullest academic potential. He shoved me off of the academic cliff.
Dr. Gade saw something in me early on that I didn’t see in myself. He realized that I have the ability to be a scholar, and he pushed me in that direction. For someone who always is surprised to be labeled “smart,” his faith in me and his (sometimes stern) guidance is an incredible blessing. Dr. Gade is providing me with the greatest gift anyone can ever give – knowledge.
My three primary professional mentors have changed my life, influencing who I became and how I continue to function. It is my hope as an educator that I can have even a fraction of this impact on my students.
I hope you all are blessed with amazing mentors in your life. I would love to read your mentor stories if you would like to share them.
