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Life and Work with Treena McCurdy

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Treena McCurdy.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It’s all about Garth Brooks…..seriously! I grew up in the small town of Roxburgh, New Zealand. At the age of 19, I fell in love with country music and traveled to Auckland to see Garth Brooks perform! It was 1994 and my first BIG concert! After the concert, my boyfriend and I had gone to a small bar in the middle of the city and I was fascinated watching the boot scooters tearing up the dance floor to “Boot Scoot Boogie” and “Achy Breaky Heart”. Fast forward six weeks later, I started my own line dancing club in my small hometown! Soon after, I moved to the city of Christchurch and immersed myself in the line-dancing scene there. In 1997, I had the opportunity to join a country dance tour to the USA. During that tour, I quickly decided that I wanted to come back and really engage in American culture, not just as a tourist, but to work and live! I found an advertisement about being an “au pair” in my local newspaper and three months later, I arrived in St Louis, Missouri to begin my year! It was the middle of July 1998, and I remember the sweltering heat and humidity hitting me as I stepped off the plane! Waiting to greet me with signs and balloons was my new family for the next 12 months. I was now a big sister to an adorable three months old baby boy and a cute little two years old girl!

My year as an Au Pair was definitely exciting! I made the most of every opportunity and got to experience so many different aspects of American culture and made many lifelong friends. From baseball and football games, concerts, county fairs, festivals and parades, and even a trip to a pumpkin patch, I definitely was feeling very “Americanized” by the end of the year! One of the highlights was the 4th of July Parade and fireworks which I attended with my host family. I also took advantage of my time off and traveled to Texas, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and of course spent as much times as I could line-dancing at the local “honky tonks”.

At the end of the year, I returned to New Zealand for six months with my new “American” boyfriend and worked on getting an International Student Visa so that I could return to the United States for another year and begin my teaching studies. Well, to sum it up in a nutshell, my boyfriend proposed and we got married two years later! I began my middle school English teaching career while living in St Louis, and also continued to teach/compete in country line dancing during these early years of being married. During this time, I had also attempted to write songs here and there, but I could just never get it figured out. However, in 2008 adversity hit when I found myself in the middle of a divorce at the age of 32, but for some reason the songs just started rolling off my tongue! The next ten years of my life saw me focus on my music, and sadly my dancing boots were left on the shelf.

Starting your life over at age 32 isn’t easy but I did it. I packed up everything I owned into a 24 foot U-haul truck and got on Craigslist to find someone to drive it for me to Denver, Colorado. I followed behind with my jeep and after a 14 hour drive, we parked the U-haul at a downtown Denver hotel for four days while I got back on Craigslist and tried to find a place to live! Once I got settled into my new surroundings, it was time to make new friends and of course I knew no one! I decided to check out the Denver open mic scene, and before I knew it, I was getting booked to play gigs for money, and suddenly I had so much material to write songs about (the crazy dating experiences of a 32 years old in Denver). That first year starting over, I was able to secure a one-year teaching contract at a middle school in Littleton, but alas, this was short-lived since the recession hit and in March 2009, I was told they would not be able to renew my contract due to budget cuts. Faced with being jobless and completely broke, I was left in panic mode! So what to do? Of course, I got online to look for any vacant teacher opportunities and low and behold…..the middle school down in Pagosa Springs, Colorado was hiring an 8th Grade English Teacher. My only thought at the time was “I have to get that job” and so away I went down to this small mountain town miles from the closest International airport…..to see if they would hire me. The first night, I decided to check out a local open mic night and very quickly saw that I would fit in very well.

As fate would have it, I was hired as the new 8th Grade English teacher and very quickly became active in the local music scene. After just one year, I was very lucky to have the opportunity to record an album through the guidance of local legend and producer DC Duncan, and blessed to have such wonderful musicians and friends to help me bring my album to life! I truly believe that there was something “up above” calling me to Pagosa Springs during that period of my life because never in a million years would the opportunity to record a music album have even crossed my mind! During my second year down there, I met my husband who was from Denver and we dated long distance for a year! Luckily, he came along just at the right time because I needed one more song to complete the album, so I wrote it for him with the title “Everything I Wanted”! I’d come full circle in four years, from divorce to some pretty wacky dating experiences, to finally meeting the one! We got married in 2011, and we currently live in Evergreen with our two children aged 5 and 8, our dog Koda, and six chickens!

I never did go back to teaching after my daughter was born eight years ago, and luckily I came across an opportunity to become a Local Childcare Consultant for au pairs and host families in my local community. As a previous au pair myself, and my passion for cultural exchange, I really think I have found my calling! The most rewarding part of my job are the monthly meetings I am required to host where I bring au pairs together for fun activities such as ice-skating, paddle-boarding, movies at Red Rocks, international potlucks, and of course line dancing at the Grizzly Rose!

So why Garth? When I hopped on a plane in July of 1998 to become an au pair for one year in the USA, I had no idea I would still be here 21 years later! Who knows, if I had never gone to that Garth Brooks concert in 1994, I would have never decided to teach country line dance which ultimately led me to wanting to live in the United States!

Thanks Garth! I do love the way it all turned out and I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My life has not been a smooth ride by any means, but I am grateful for my strong upbringing that helped shape me into the kind of person who was able to be resourceful in tough times! There is no point sitting around feeling sorry for yourself because things are not going according to plan. You are the only person who can change things, and sometimes it means picking yourself up, showing some vulnerability, and even taking some risks along the way.

Going through my divorce was the ultimate true test of my character and strengths. Thank goodness I had the guts, and resourcefulness during this time to turn my life around. I sought out opportunities, really opened myself up, and for the first time even felt somewhat “fearless” in a sense. I would never have walked into a bar of strangers with a guitar in my hand and performed before my divorce…..but I did it and thank goodness because it opened up so many amazing paths for me! Also, I just would keep hearing my dad’s words from when I was younger “the world is your oyster” and I truly believed that I could accomplish anything I set my heart on.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I feel so blessed to be able to work in an industry that really speaks to my heart and soul. My role as a Local Childcare Consultant with Cultural Care Au Pair has been the most rewarding experience over the last seven years and as a former au pair myself, the cultural exchange value that host families and au pairs experience with this program is the reason I love what I do! Currently, I support almost 30 families hosting on the program in my local community, and I also provide matching support and advice for families interested in hosting an au pair.

Definition of an au pair:
An au pair is a young adult between the ages of 18-26 from another country who lives with an American family for up to two years as part of a cultural exchange experience. The au pair becomes a trusted member of the family, and a beloved and consistent caregiver for their children. Au pairs are encouraged to make the most of their time in the U.S., traveling, experiencing American culture and becoming a part of an American family.

Cultural Care Au Pair is the largest and most experienced au pair agency in the world, and has been in operation for 30 years! Our au pairs are also provided training before arrival to their host families, and the screening and interview process is conducted by our own Cultural Care staff in over 25 countries! In addition, our agency has a strong support network of Local Childcare Consultants throughout the country who are passionate about cultural exchange and growing global families.

For me personally, the ultimate reward for this job is watching a young person’s personality grow from their year in the USA.! I have seen so many host families travel to visit their au pair after he or she has returned home, au pairs who return to the U.S. to visit their former host family, and host families and au pairs who take part in each other’s weddings and other life events. They have truly formed global families. I believe cultural exchange makes the world a better place and I’m truly grateful to be part of it!

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I work in an industry that is very much female-dominated, and even when I was teaching, it was the same! I don’ t face the normal barriers and I have only ever had such positive experiences working together as a team and feeling valued by my colleagues. This was true in my teaching career as well. In general, I feel that the barriers are gradually opening, and female leaders ARE finding their way and CAN find their way to the top. Slowly, very slowly, society is accepting our roles and of course I could not be more proud as a New Zealander to have a female leading the nation. I feel the only barriers are those we create for ourselves and that women can achieve anything they want to be if they put their mind to it!

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Image Credit:
www.douglaschapin.com

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