Shannon Allen

God, there is nothing I can do without God. I will tell you, this year has been probably the worst year, personally and professionally, for me, and I reflect on the fact that right now, I can say I'm at peace. And the only way I would have any peace about the things that are happening and going on would not be without my relationship with God. I'm so thankful that I also have a great team of individuals who are also believers, who we can pray together and work together. Because you can't, in my opinion, in my role, you can't do this work without God. I'm going to be held accountable for how I did this job, how I treated my kids, and the work, and the intensity, and the effort within which I did the work. I'm so grateful for the team that I've been working with for several years - they're phenomenal people, they're phenomenal leaders in the community. While we don't get everything right, we sure work hard to try to get everything right, because we know the ramifications if we get it wrong. First and foremost, you know God, and then really, you're only as good as the folks that you surround yourself with, so I'm proud of the team of people who I've been working with for several years now.

Do good work. What I find with individuals is everybody wants to be promoted - you want a job, you want the title - but you're not good at the job you're in, and you think you're ready for the next level of promotion. But are you a rock star where you are? One of the things I've done over the years is do more than what's required, and you don't ask for money. When I was a teacher volunteering and serving on campus in various capacities, I didn't know what I was doing at the time, but you're getting noticed because of the quality of the work that you are doing. I feel like today, so many individuals want promotion, but they don't want to do the work that goes along with that promotion. If I'm coming to this campus and I ask the question, well, who are the best teachers? Is your name gonna surface? Is your name really gonna come up in that conversation? I have served and lived my life so that while I'm not necessarily always seeking promotion, I'm doing my best work every single day. And if you do your best work every day, and you continue to grow, you take the initiative to grow, you take the initiative to learn more about your profession and what you're doing, the opportunities are going to be there for you. So don't have a level of expectation if you're not willing to put in the work by doing more, not asking how much am I gonna get paid. Just do it, because it's gonna help you grow, it's gonna help you learn. Work hard. Do good work. Don't battle with your current supervisor. What is your current supervisor gonna say about the level of work that you do? I've learned that over the years by doing more, not asking for money, but doing it because that's what you're supposed to do. You do the job until the job is done, and you do it well, and you make certain your name gets noted. If they're talking about anyone in your field, make certain they're gonna say your name. You do that through the quality of what you do. You don't have a bad attitude, you don't have a bad reputation, you get along with people. It's basic, fundamental skill - it's not even anything that's this big secret.