May brings with it a bittersweet goodbye for the Blessings to Share community! Liesel Urban, our Head CARES Coach, leaves her position this month to transition back into school. Liesel holds a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Oral Roberts University, and next will be pursuing her Master’s in Data Science and Analytics at the University of Oklahoma.
Liesel was our first ever CARES Coach and is responsible for much of the Coaching program development. Liesel’s co-workers, Coaching members, and member families all know Liesel as someone full of kindness and dedicated to excellence. As we prepare to say our goodbyes, we interviewed Liesel and asked her to share a little more about her time with our CARES Coach program.
Here are her responses:
How did you get connected with BTS?
I got connected with BTS through my professor at Oral Roberts University to spend my Senior Practicum with Blessings to Share as I was pursuing my bachelor’s in Social Work.
How long were you a CARES Coach?
I was a CARES Coach for 16 months. Being a Coach has been one of the most rewarding and shaping opportunities of my life!
What was most rewarding about BTS?
The most rewarding part about Blessings to Share has been being able to grow and walk alongside both members and other coaches in the CARES Coach program. It is rare to find a job where you can be making a difference while having so much fun at the same time.
What did being a CARES Coach teach you?
Among so many other things I learned during my time at BTS, being a CARES Coach most of all taught me to always look at the opportunity and see the potential in every person.
“Being a CARES Coach most of all taught me to always look at the opportunity and see the potential in every person.”
Liesel Urban
What do you love most about BTS?
I love the people! Every member, coach, and employee of BTS is so passionate about bringing about a better world for individuals with disabilities using their skills and strengths. It truly is inspiring to see everyone working together and giving their all to such a worthy cause!
What is one your favorite memories you made while working with BTS?
There are so many great memories – one of my favorites was our gym tour at the YMCA trying out the different machines and equipment. On every community outing, I loved to see the interactions between members and those in our community. The way that many community members’ days were made just through a fun and uplifting conversation with a CARES Coach member inspired me. It showed me the importance of community integration as a key to bringing out the potential and capabilities of the individuals that Blessings to Share aims to serve.
What are you most excited for as you continue your education?
I am most excited about learning how to further merge the worlds of data and social good together to create new possibilities for social change in the Tulsa community.
We cannot express how proud we are of Liesel and how much we are going to miss her. She has touched the lives of everyone in our Blessings to Share community and leaves an incredible impact behind her. We have no doubt she is going to do amazing things in her next step in life! We’ll miss you, Liesel!