Dear Members,
My 21-year-old daughter, Maddie, has been working part-time while attending college, and it’s been fascinating to observe her young career taking shape. She’s working towards a degree in aviation maintenance management where roughly 98% of the workforce doesn’t resemble her at all. As a petite young woman in a male-dominated field, she’s learning how important connections and mentorship within the industry are. I attended a conference with her recently and was struck by how much the established aviation professionals felt the need to connect with and mentor the young ones. I’ve been pondering why that is ever since. Perhaps they see an earlier version of themselves in the college crowd and want to provide guidance and support. It could be that they are excited about emerging diversity and want to help break down barriers in achievement. Maybe it’s just about passion for what they do. I’m not sure of the reason, but I’m happy that Maddie is choosing to connect, accept advice, and learn from others.
WSPTA Leadership Conference and the region directors’ retreat was a chance for our state leadership to make similar connections with new leaders and share our passion for PTA. When we love and believe in what we do this much, we can’t help but want to share it with others. The energy was invigorating, and I had a terrific weekend!
I hope that whether you are a new or seasoned PTA leader, you take advantage of mentorship and learning opportunities. Imagine the things we could accomplish for children and families if we invested a little more time learning from each other and sharing great ideas! In order to give you what you need most, we first need to listen. So we are making plans to do just that by visiting your region and meeting you in person. Stay tuned for more information on dates and locations.
I look forward to meeting you soon!
WSPTA President
