Meet Your Neighbor
Nancy Stevenson
Interview by Seth Allen
Starbucks seems to be the place to meet. That's where I met Nancy Stevenson. Surprisingly, she is not a frequent visitor to the coffee emporium, but she treated us both to beverages as we sat together and chatted. The long time St.Francis member also heads up the Stephen Ministry. She is quite the traveler and I was lucky to catch her. Meet Nancy Stevenson.
ME: Where were you born and raised?
NS: Bradford Woods, Pennsylvania.
ME: Why is that familiar to me?
NS: Barbara Eiswerth is also from Bradford Woods. We lived five doors apart. I was older than her, so I didn't know her growing up. But, when I met her, she told me that my dad changed her life. He encouraged her to apply for a Rotarian Scholarship which she won.
ME: WOW! Talk about six degrees of separation. Small world. Where did you go to college?
NS: I have a degree in Health and Physical Education from East Stroudsburg. I spent two and a half years with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica right after college. I also have degrees in Bilingual/Bicultural Studies from U of A and Counseling from Plymouth University.
ME: What did you do with the Peace Corps?
NS: I was teaching teachers. I went back home after the Peace Corps, but it was hard. So I got on a Greyhound Bus with $500 and went about six thousand miles. From Pittsburgh to New Orleans to Texas to Colorado to Phoenix. Then I came down to Tucson. The town was really small then. Then on to California, Portland, Oregon and home to Bradford Woods.
ME: How did you end up back in Tucson?
NS: I got a job as a teacher at Treehaven School. Tatum O'Neal went there. Not while I was there. It was a private boarding school out on Tanque Verde. I was a dorm mother, PE teacher, Athletic Director, 4-H leader. We got 36 hours off every other weekend. I left after one year. The school closed for child abuse allegations. I actually testified.
ME: Wow. Then what?
NS: I spent 12 years in Marana Schools. Then I went international. I was in Turkey for six years, South Africa for seven years, and then China for two years. I came back to Tucson in 2006. Spent 5 more years in Maran and then took a Counseling Post with the Shang-Hi American School. I was there for four years. The government kicked me out when I turned 64. So, I retired. It was a wonderful way to end my career.
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ME: How did you end up at St.Francis?
NS: I played Women's Soccer on Sunday's, but somehow got talked into checking out the church. When I came back, David had retired and Jim Wiltbank was here. I got involved with the Welcome Team and the Church Council. Joyce Leissring asked me to join Stephen Ministry. I became a leader and now I head it up. We have information in the chair pockets in the Celebration Center if people want to know more.
ME: What is your hope for the church's future?
NS: We need to meet people where they are, greet them. Be open to immigrants and People of Color. We're not on a bus line, so we need to find a way to reach them and bring them in. We also need to cater to the needs of who we have by showing love and support and compassionate care for our congregation. Find out who we have and what they need.
ME: What's your favorite pastime or hobby?
NS: Plants. Spending time outdoors. Volunteering with Seeking Shelter Solutions, Stephen Ministry, Coalition of Caring People. Exercise. Hiking. I like visiting my three brothers. And, international travel.
ME: Where to next?
NS: No plans right now.
ME: What are you reading?
NS: I just finished 'Inner Child' and am starting 'The Fifth Agreement'.
ME: If your life was a book, what would the title be?
NS: Life's A Trip.
ME: Who would you want to play you in the movie version?
NS: Shirley Temple.