Introducing Grace Berger

I once ran a marathon.  And a few half marathons since then.  If you know me, I am not “a runner.”  My freshman year college roommate asked me to join a “Marathon Training Class” with her.  I told her she was crazy as I readily agreed to sign up.  Running what seemed like endless miles on the back roads of Oxford, Ohio in brutal January and February cold was even crazier.  Let me tell you, I was out of shape, I was tired, I was cold. I was uncomfortable.  But there was never one run, long or short, that I gave up on – plus, we were having too much fun, talking for hours (literally) while running and sharing good music to keep us going.  Sure, maybe I walked a bit along the way, but I never stopped moving forward.  May 3 finally arrived – the day of the Flying Pig.  Everything I had worked for over the last few months and the moment was right in front of me – nervousness stirred inside me with the mix of pure joy and excitement. The alarm sounded and the runners were off.  The feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing I was about to run 26.2 miles was overwhelming.  How can you feel so happy and so scared all at once? When training for a marathon, you max out around 20 miles, then ease down in order to be ready for the big day.  I had never actual run 26.2 miles before.  I thought to myself that I wasn’t sure I could do it. But sure enough, mile 21 approached, this was more than I had ever run.  “Only 5 miles left!?” I expressed to my roommate and mom, running alongside me as we supported one another the whole way. And before I knew it, I was leaping over the finish line.

That experience came to mind when reflecting on my journey to this point.  Every experience – both professionally and personally – has been another mile toward building my stamina and skill set.  Before I joined MECC, I was a teacher, then worked in management.  I have experienced moments of unknowing in those careers, similar to my feelings of being ‘nervi-cited’ as I begin here.  But in the end, I mastered those areas that initially stirred the uncertainty.  I left behind my impact with each experience – ‘I crossed the finish line with my head held high’.  What I took away from that marathon (besides my participatory medal and a lot of blisters) was the confidence in myself that I could do anything I set my mind to.  As I begin to explore uncharted territory here, I remind myself that I have grown the skills and gifts within me.  I have built the confidence to sink into the uncomfortable.  Vulnerability, as Patrick Lencioni explains, is the only way to display transparency, credibility and dedication. Anytime I feel discomfort when experiencing something new, I look inward to my gifts sharpened by displaying courage, resilience and lessons of the past.

When I began teaching, I was uncomfortable.  From my time with my 4^th and 5^th grade students, I ended the experience with a mastery of my ability to truly listen judgement-free allowing all of it and them to land on my big heart.  Another training run under my belt. Starting out in a management position, I was uncomfortable, but I sharpened my ability to communicate and share my opinion while working on a team of strong women.  One more test of my endurance. As I uncover new challenges here, just as when I reached new challenges in mile 21, 22, 23… difficult at times of course, but like the miles before me, a challenge I know I can conquer. My past experiences have been the miles running through Oxford, giving me what I need to start my marathon/journey here.  I have proven to myself and others that there is no obstacle too large in life. Rewiring your brain from “I have never done this; I can’t do it” to pulling from the faith in yourself to come out stronger has been displayed time and time again. I am ready to make my impact here.  Working with teams and building relationships is what I am most looking forward to – a combination of my past experiences that have tested my endurance and strengthened my resilience.  Learning alongside Meghan and Kristi puts me in the role of student as I build and grow my place here. Having known Meghan since 2015, I know I have been led here and I am ready for the adventure that awaits.

My shoes are laced up, I’m at the starting line. This time, my aim is organizational health and together, I am all-in to transform/heal the world. Everything that has come before has brought me to this race. So, with one foot in front of the other, I continue the momentum forward – embracing each step/lesson and finding joy in the journey. There will be new milestones, and with the support of those I love close by, I have everything I need to nail this marathon.