I'm very proud of the social media and email template work I produced for the 2022 season of the Virginia Film Festival. My thorough review of everything that came before me helped inspire me to try new things and get creative! It was my goal to have a constant and engaging presence across all social channels and I achieved that. Thank you to the entire team for giving me this opportunity to have fun and, more importantly, to make a difference in a positive and thoughtful way.

I just had a great conversation with a friend about the ups and downs of my job search since my decision to leave a company where I spent 22 years of my life. 

They suggested looking for videos or books about women making career changes after 50 and I’ve already found some great resources!

• Tips For Women On The Verge Of A Career Change At 50
• Becoming a Beginner Again at Midlife: Reinvention Secrets
• For Gen X Women, Changing Careers Is Complicated
• It's Never Too Late: 25 Famous Women on Switching Careers
• 5 Iconic Women Whose Careers Took Off After 50
• Career change at 50: why it’s the perfect age to rediscover your purpose​ 

A couple weeks ago I spoke to a counselor about a recent experience I had and how it reminded me of another incident from my past in which I felt the need to take a stand, to speak up. She reflected that I seemed to be a person who was driven by JUSTICE. I never really thought about myself in that way until she said that, but it seems to fit. I’m always trying to learn, to grow, and to make things better for others. I feel the most unease when I see others struggling, especially if they don’t have the skills or the courage to speak about their experiences. It’s risky to be vulnerable and honest, but it’s too uncomfortable for me not to be authentic and transparent.

I found myself in a situation where I had a lot of conflicting emotions and difficulty processing what had happened. I reached out to many resources including the Women’s Initiative, an employee assistance program, and an Ombuds. Each conversation helped me in a different way, but the Ombuds really shifted my perspective the most because she was focused on finding a way for me to get resolution and closure, even if it was me setting a deadline to move on. I received an evaluation form about my experience and this is what I. wrote:

If you work at UVA and have an issue, I strongly recommend contacting the Ombuds. 

​University Ombuds

Have a problem? Need help?

The University of Virginia Ombuds is a trusted resource and an advocate for fairness. The University Ombuds is an informal, impartial, independent, and confidential resource available to assist faculty, staff, and students in proactively addressing concerns early and before problems, complaints, and conflicts escalate.

Contact the Ombuds if you have a problem, concern, or issue and:

• You don't know where to go for help.
• You've been there, done that, and gotten nowhere.
• You are reluctant to go through normal channels for assistance.

Schedule an appointment with the ombuds

I had intended to run the 10th Rivanna Greenbelt Marathon and let my twin, the newest co-Race Director, to handle all race issues on Sunday, but life had other plans! Flooding from a broken fridge and a really bad virus sidelined me from running, but I had so much fun on the sidelines of another successful race.

I’ll write more about what all this has meant to me, but it’s so heartwarming and humbling. I put everything I have into creating a quirky little race that is so much like who I am and it worked! That personal satisfaction is priceless for this volunteer race director!

Thanks to all the other volunteers who made this race another amazing event!