Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherry Barnum.
Sherry, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
If you would have told me a few years ago, I would be living and working in Texas, I would have laughed at you. You see, I was never supposed to leave Michigan. It wasn’t in my plans, but it didn’t matter because it was in God’s plan. I grew up attending summer camps. Each school year, I spent my time counting down the days until I could be at camp again, serving the Lord and having fun with my friends – I never wanted to leave. I loved serving others and helping them create memories, and I wanted to do that forever. Growing up in a family of teachers, I thought teaching was the perfect way to serve others. That is until I went away to college.
During my first year, I came across recreation – and I was hooked. I graduated in 2009 with my undergrad from Central Michigan University and spent the next year subbing and working at a bowling alley while trying to obtain a job in my field. When nothing stuck, I went back to school, obtained my master’s degree in sports administration and started working at a local newspaper.
It wasn’t what I wanted to be doing, it wasn’t recreation, but it was something. One year turned into five, and I was writing sports stories, coordinating special sections, covering events and filling in where ever else I was needed. I was tired. I longed for something else, and I felt like I was going to be there forever.
In July of 2015, everything changed. You see, my aunt and uncle had been trying to persuade me to move to Texas for years, and I kept laughing them off because there was no way I was moving. That summer, my uncle passed away. As I sat at the funeral, I felt a shove from the Lord telling me this is where I was going to be. It was time for me to be brave. It was time for me to move.
When I got back to Michigan, I put in my notice at the paper, and when October came around, I packed everything and moved. No job. No prospect of a job. Nothing, but a place to stay with my aunt. I can tell you one thing for sure, I do not do well sitting idle. I filled my days pounding the pavement looking for jobs and applying for everything I could find, nothing was sticking.
A week turned into two, and I was tired of trying. Disappointed, I took a part-time job in retail and continued to write stories for the paper from afar. Then one day, I decided to check my spam folder in my email. Just as I was about to hit delete, I saw an email from a Marny Tackett, subject: Recreation Coordinator Position. “This has to be a joke,” I thought. I opened it expecting a rejection, but, to my surprise, found an invitation to interview.
I quickly responded, went in for an interview and a couple of days later, this Michigan girl had a job. A job God had provided. If it wasn’t for the desire to bring joy into other’s lives and the service that the Lord put in my heart, I would have given up and moved back to Michigan. But He has a plan and purpose for me here, and I am excited to see where He leads.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road definitely hasn’t been a smooth one. For years after I graduated, I kept folders full of rejection letters as motivation to keep going, praying and never giving up, because God was working everything out.
There was a purpose for me staying in Michigan for so long, and there is a purpose for me being in Texas – although I had fought against it for years. The biggest struggle for me is being so far away from family. I am very family-oriented, so that has been very hard for me.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Plano Parks and Recreation – Oak Point Recreation Center – what should we know?
I am a recreation coordinator for the city of Plano at Oak Point Recreation Center. I coordinate adult fitness classes and most recently ‘Play in the Park,’ an initiative that started in 2016 to keep play a vital role in children’s lives. Play in the Park will be held every Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. at Willowcreek Park in Plano and will give kids a chance to get outside and participate in games like jump the river, tag, jump rope and other fun playground games from recess. I am very excited about this program because it will give me a chance to use some of my past camp programming experience.
Known for my love of tutus, any chance I get to make a costume, I will. For the past two years, you could find me passing out candy canes as an elf at Breakfast with Santa trying to bring joy to all the kids that visited. I’ve also played Minnie Mouse and the Ninja Turtle, Donatello for Halloween. I am very fortunate to work for the best parks and recreation department in the nation and to be a part of a department that is full of professionals that love what they do, aren’t afraid of hard work and go above and beyond in their calling to offer gold standard service to everyone.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My parents and family have been my biggest supporters over the years. With every defeat, they were there to lift me back up and motivate me. Without their love and encouragement, I would have never been brave enough to pack up my life and move 1,400 miles away to pursue the dream the Lord put in my heart.
A big thank you goes out to my former supervisor, Marny. She took a chance on a girl from Michigan and has been nothing but supportive of me. Her, along with the entire Oak Point Recreation staff: Tommy, Melissa, and Micah have always been there to help me and encourage me along the way. It gets tough being away from family, but I was lucky enough to have such awesome co-workers that turned into family and push me to be and do my best.
Outside of my work family, I have been blessed with a core group of friends here that have supported me in everything. Whether it’s sitting and listening to me cry if I’m feeling a little homesick at our weekly dinners or pushing me to do my best and stop doubting myself. They have truly been a blessing and have always been there to offer words of encouragement, truth, and advice (even when I don’t ask for it) in the easy and difficult times.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6000 Jupiter Road Plano, TX 75075
- Website: www.planoparks.org
- Phone: 972-941-7540
- Facebook: Plano Parks and Recreation
Image Credit:
Sneha Rudraraju
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