Reduce

Life is full of variables, and it can be impossible to determine which path you choose will prompt the results you’re after. If you frequently stay at the office past five, you could earn a promotion. Or if you enroll your son in soccer as soon as he can walk, he could become a D1 recruit. Or you could spend every evening at the office and never receive a promotion, or your son may eventually say he doesn’t want to play anymore.

During quarantine, many of us experienced a shift in priorities, especially when the offices closed and little league was indefinitely cancelled. While we were holed up at home, many of us were able to redefine our priorities and decide what we wanted to leave behind when we re-emerged from quarantine.

“Having a chance to slow down for a bit, I had the opportunity to really reflect on what is most important to me,” said Ryan Bogle, a senior investment analyst who graduated from Charles Page High School in 2007. “My attention has shifted from working grueling hours in hopes of future financial comfort to focusing on having gratitude for the many wonderful things I already have in my life.” Among them, Ryan said, “[I am thankful for] my amazing wife, the baby girl we are expecting in October, and my family, friends, and health.”

Mackenzie Bechtold, a recent graduate of Charles Page High School, said, without as many commitments, she’s had “more time to do the things that need to be done, [like] spending more quality time with my sister and loved ones.”

“I didn't drop anything necessarily, instead the [pause] has given me a chance to reinvent how we do education." -Sherry Durkee

"I've had more time to do the things that need to be done, [like] spending more quality time with my sister and loved ones.” - Mackenzie Bechtold

For Sherry Durkee, the superintendent of Sand Springs Public Schools, life isn’t much different than it was before the outbreak of COVID-19. “I didn’t drop anything necessarily,” Sherry said. “Instead, the [pause] has given me a chance to reinvent how we do education.”

“One thing that is blatantly clear,” Sherry said, “is the need to be able to facilitate change and still deliver quality. Preparedness is key, and we have to be ready for what the future brings.”

Sherry continued, “Life is full of obstacles, so it’s critical to teach our kids to problem-solve and think critically. It’s become very urgent to prepare

our generation for what life will bring. We have to do this in real time, so we have been busy making these accommodations for our kids, [who are] the next generation.”

Every Sandite has had a different experience during quarantine, which comes with differing challenges and realizations. Maybe it’s still important to pull long hours at the office. Perhaps it’s worthwhile to find a private soccer coach for a little one. The most important thing, then, is to realize what works for you and what doesn’t. Leave behind the things that don’t serve you. Forget the things you can that continuously make you feel stressed or weary.

It’s said that how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. It’s apparent that Ryan, Mackenzie, and Sherry, are all living well: committed to improving and enriching their lives and the lives of those they care about most - even if that means an entire school district of students, teachers, and staff.