We recently connected with Lorrie Denson and have shared our conversation below.

Lorrie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear stories from your time in school/training/etc.

My education was in three sections over 2 decades. Once before marriage, once after and then I continued my education in my 30’s in my second marriage. Each return to the classroom gave me a different perspective and a different urgency in my quest for knowledge. When I was a child, I was not the brightest bulb in the classroom and was made aware of it by my teachers. I chose education because I promised no student of mine would ever feel like I did.
I have wonderful memories of most of my college years, one professor in particular stands out. Sis Mary Pat Lenehan (St Mary College KCK), she greeted each of us at the door on the very first day and told us she was happy to have us in her class and that we were going to earn an A in her class! Cool part is since this is what she told me, I believed it and did earn that A!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Although I began this journey as an elementary teacher. I worked in this capacity in Topeka & Kansas City, KS; Rockford IL and Victorville CA. I am now a public servant working very closely with my church along with serving on other communities boards.
I teach Sunday school, women’s group, youth groups. I am a Covid Ambassador and managed our Covid testing site for over a year (16 months), as well as, over a dozen Covid vaccination pop ups. I was able to give five other persons a job working with me during the pandemic.
In addition, I worked with United Way and the rental assistance program for three months until the program ended. I was able to hire 4 additional people to receive applications and help community members who are struggling with their rent and utilities during the pandemic.
I serve the First District of the County of San Bernardino as a Behavorial Health Commissioner. I also work with Desert Valley Hospital and serve on their director’s board.
Helping people is my Why?

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Although I always knew I wanted to work with children, I originally wanted to be a pediatrician. In my first 12years of education, not one teacher ever told me I could be whatever I wanted be. I struggled through my academic classes and did not believe I was smart enough to make it through the math and science courses needed to pursue medicine. . I never had a teacher that motivated or encouraged me to dream. I never had a teacher or counselor who believed in me or even spoke to me about attending college.
I now believe in myself and know that I could have been anything I wanted to be.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I married at 22 and was in my last year of college. Because I married and had to move to a new city where my husband was working, I had to drop out of college. I later became pregnant and following that another baby..it seemed my dream of graduating was moving farther and farther away. I refused to allow my dream to die so with two children and no support from my husband, I went to back to school in the evening. I even took my children when he refused to watch them.
Later, when we divorced, I transferred back to my original university, got a place with my Mom and she watched my boys while I went to school and worked two jobs. I was nominated as Student Teacher of the year, got a teaching job immediately after graduation and bought my first brand new car!

Contact Info:

• Website: Bushpower.org
• Instagram: Ladydenson1
• Facebook: Lorrie Denson
• Linkedin: Lorrie Denson
• Yelp: Lorrie D.

Image Credits
Elevated Media Group