"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler, long I stood ... " These words from Robert Frost's poem “The Road Not Taken” seem to provide an appropriate introduction for me.

From English teacher to newspaper editor to nonprofit manager, I have travelled many different career paths over the years.

After earning a B.A. degree in English education at St. Olaf College, I taught junior high English for two years in rural Minnesota. But following my marriage and relocation to Iowa, my career path turned toward journalistic endeavors, as I honed my writing, editing and proofreading skills as an editor on a daily newspaper. It was in the busy newsroom that I also learned how to work under extreme pressure and to always meet deadlines.

Then, taking a new road in the direction of community service, I spent several years serving as an administrator for nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities metro area. Now, I am working independently as a freelance writer and editor.

In all the positions I have held, I was called upon to be a skilled manager and calm, unflappable administrator. And yet, looking beyond these qualities, my greatest strength remains in the field of communications: I am just as comfortable writing brief summaries like this or 50-page fundraising proposals to national foundations.

In summary, and in thanks again to Robert Frost -- "two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."  It certainly has.

I can be reached at LJHWriteon@aol.com