Connections

An inspiring person, a reunion for dancers, and other stories to share

Souphak Kienitz (left, courtesy of the American Staffing Association) and Company Project dancers (right)

Souphak Kienitz and I have not met in person, but our correspondence via email and phone has been wonderful.

Earlier this year, I was hired to write a profile on Souphak, who was named “National Staffing Employee of the Year” last fall by the American Staffing Association. I’ve written these profiles for the past several years, and always walk away energized by the subjects and the stories they tell.

After close to 40 years in this business — my first journalism job truly started nine days after graduating from high school — I rarely have prepared questions when working on a story. I know the basics about the subject’s background when the interview begins, but my preference is to see where the conversation leads us and come up with things to ask on the fly.

The day I spoke to Souphak was, in a word, stressful. I drove for five-plus hours on what should have been a three-hour trip, arriving at my destination just a couple of minutes before our phone appointment. With luggage and groceries still in the car, I walked in, sat down, opened the laptop, and dialed her number, hoping the conversation would carry the day.

Two hours later, we were still talking, having found a number of things in common. Her story, which you can find here, is truly inspiring and one I encourage you to read. But one quote in particular resonates:

"It took me a long time to figure out who I am and what I wanted. Now when I connect with people, I see others who are seeking the same things. Everybody has a story. Everyone’s story has value. If you’re present and there in the moment, you can see the value in everyone’s story."

Connecting Through Dance

Three days before students from Metropolitan School of the Arts were scheduled to perform at “The Company Project” in March 2020, the show was cancelled due to the pandemic. Postponed again in 2021, the school’s pre-professional companies came together on Sunday for their first live, unmasked performance in two years.

The theme: “Connection.”

Watching and photographing these kids as they performed with such obvious joy was wonderful to witness. I have worked as a photographer with MSA, the studio where my children first started dancing, since starting my freelance career in 2013.

To see more photos from the show, go to my Facebook album (you don’t have to be on the platform to look at them) or visit the online archive of my MSA photos at  www.metropolitanarts.smugmug.com.

More Freelance Work

Two of my stories, one feature and one column, have been published in this month’s American School Board Journal. Both are worth your attention because they focus on huge challenges K-12 districts face nationwide.

The stories are:

• Staffing Shortage Woes: As the nation grapples with the “Great Resignation,” school districts across the U.S. also are in an ongoing battle to hire and retain staff who are overwhelmed, exhausted, and feeling disrespected and underpaid. While the hardest to fill positions have been noncertified or part-time—bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, substitute teachers— numerous districts also are fearful that teacher and administrator turnover will further stress the education ecosystem.

• Healthy Connections: School communications can be isolating work. Even though you serve as a conduit of information from all areas of the district, chances are you are the only person doing this work unless you come from a large urban or suburban school system. And in highly stressful times, when threats and TikTok challenges pop up out of nowhere, finding work-life balance is difficult at best.

To see more of my freelance writing since 2017, click on this link.

Also Worth Reading

Jessica Wilen, a Yale University professor and executive/leadership coach, writes a “A Cup of Ambition,” a weekly newsletter for working parents. In a recent post, she spoke with five mothers who work in healthcare and are exhausted by the relentlessness of the pandemic. It’s a great read, and not just because I helped with the editing of it.

Thanks again for reading this newsletter. I hope you’ll take some time to look at these articles and photos and share my work with your friends. Back again on Sunday!