My name is Monica Knauss, and I live in Martinsburg, PA, which is a rural community about an hour south of State College. I am an associate marketing director for a continuing care retirement community and have almost ten years of service with that organization. In addition, I have over twenty-five years of working as a paralegal in a variety of settings, from law firms, to real estate development companies. I am married and have two adult children; our daughter is a music educator near Philadelphia; our son just began his second year at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
I am in the BS/OLEAD program, which I began in 2015 after a 17 year hiatus from the classroom. I had previously obtained my associate’s degree, but having a bachelor’s degree has been a goal for a long time. I may have it before I retire! Regardless of whether or not I pursue a career in organizational leadership, I believe the courses I am taking provide a valuable framework in which many interactions occur. From providing guidance to my children, to chairing a committee at my church, to supervising the staff for whom I am responsible, to interacting with both colleagues and the community, I am able to apply the concepts and tools that this program offers.
Currently, my primary leadership role is supervising eight clerical staff, which I just undertook last fall, and which has grown from four to eight co-workers in that time. Because some of the positions have been newly created, and some staff are quite new while others have a lot of tenure with our organization, it has provided both a challenge and an opportunity.
My favorite quote is one that is questionably attributed to Ghandi: Be the change that you wish to see in the world. It’s not solely a leadership quote, but it’s one that I have repeatedly shared with my children, and one to which I aspire. How we treat one another, how we face injustice, and how we respond to adversity can have a ripple effect. It starts with us.
I look forward to getting to know all of you throughout the next several months!
Be the change…
Brian Redmond says
It is great to have you in this class Monica. I look forward to working with you this semester.
–Brian