As we sit down on this day with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to thank you, our ETC community, for all you have done to support us this year. This year has taught us that ETC is resilient and can handle anything. We are on to the next act and I am so hopeful and confident in where we are headed.
We all wear many hats and are always moving on to the next program, the next task, the next class. It's nice to take a moment to slow down and look at how far we have come. As Managing Director, I have so much to be thankful for...
I’m thankful to be a part of ETC and that my journey has taught me so much over the past 15 years about teaching, administration and even about life lessons. I have found friends in this arts community that support my endeavors and encourage me to focus on what makes me passionate.
I’m thankful for the core staff that work hard every day with me to connect with participants and grow our programs to reach new communities. Each core staff member I have worked with has been influential to the growth of ETC and the little pieces they have left behind have turned us into the well-rounded, creative company we have become. You have taught me so much.
I’m thankful for all the teaching artists we have worked with throughout the years for their creativity and adaptability that has shaped and morphed our After School, Camp, SIS, Main Stage Residencies, Creative Age, and Devising Hope programs. You continue to awe me with your innovative ideas. Because of you, we can adjust and adapt, to continue providing programming no matter what.
We are on to the next act and I am so hopeful and confident in where we are headed.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to connect again with kids and adults in-person at our programming even if we are still wearing masks and staying socially distanced. As I sat and watched our first in-person musical in almost 2 years, I couldn’t help but get a little emotional. It gave me hope.
I’m thankful for an Executive Director who puts people first and supports us especially when we need it most. That support is also found in our board members, current and former, who cheer us on in all that we do. They are our safety net and they gave me courage at a time when I didn’t know the next step or how to move forward.
I am thankful for our ETC donors. Wow - you are such a vital part of the ETC Community. During a time when so many needed support, you still thought of us. I am so grateful for that. You kept us employed and allowed us to continue to offer affordable programming for all. You believed in us. To those of you who are regular donors, you gave us the confidence to plan programs in advance, knowing we had the means to reach our community in whatever way they needed - virtually, in-person, and both. Your support is invaluable to me.
I am thankful for YOU.
I am thankful for this community that has gone above and beyond to support us.
Thank you for the love, support, and trust you have given us this past year. We promise to keep moving forward and change lives as we go.
- Ashley