As soon as I heard the word pink slip from my editors lips, my mind went to ... ok.... what's next then?
I feel this is an opportunity for me to tune my game, to reach out and tell stories about our community that need to be told - those stories that may fall under the radar during the daily grind of newspapering.
I love local newspapers and will continue to support my colleagues.
We are all in this together.
News and storytelling is what helps us define who we are as humans, and, in small areas, as a community. Each place has its own flare, its own overall feel, its own identity.
I've loved tapping into that and, hopefully, through storytelling, explaining it to a broader audience.
I am embarking on this little journey of this new website, not knowing where it will take me. Knowing I can't sit back feeling sorry for myself about being let go from a job that I love I must move forward..
It's not a job, it's a calling... I'm not done yet!
This Sunday, I will post at least one story. If filing for unemployment, figuring out health insurance and other real life matters don't take up too much time, perhaps I'll have more than one story to share.
During this scary time of a virus we can't really understand, I hope we all understand one thing....we are in this together.
And we all have stories to share.
Today I took the time to meet up with an incredibly uplifting human being, who has the future in mind way beyond tomorrow. This is the kind of stories I hope to share!
This educator is passing her gift of learning to those willing to take it on. I wanted to document this.
GEMS stands for Girls Excelling in Math and Science. Jones started the program prior to moving to Venango County and it has since spread throughout the world.
Over the years, she has stockpiled supplies and lessons that she is now distributing to the classrooms around the county. She wants to ensure the next generation of GEMS teachers are prepared to help their young ones excel.
In her social media post, Jones said, she's trying to retire. But anyone who knows her knows she isn't about to stop.
She is hoping others take the reigns of GEMS so she can move on to the next thing that will help young learners grow.