Julie Schenk
Nominated by Dawn Sonnenberg, ACTION

Many of us are familiar with the motto "Life is what
you make of it," and may have even tried living by
it. ACTION would like to introduce you to a woman
who has mastered this motto and is determined to
hang on to it.

Julie Schenk

For 15 years, Julie Schenk had been the manager of her family's business, Best Value Rent-a-Car. Early in 2003, her father announced he would be closing the business due to failing health. So Julie, who was divorced and dealing with health issues, would soon be unemployed. Because her father's version of a computer was a three-ring
binder, she had never developed the computer skills she would need to move on.

She could have wallowed in her pity, but she chose to live by her motto. She decided to make a new life for herself, and that would include bringing her skills into the 21st century.

Julie lives by advice she gives others: "Plan ahead to be prepared for a ‘what if’ situation." Instead of waiting until she was unemployed, she immediately began
researching training centers. Fortunately for Goodwill, Julie chose ACTION. As we got to know her, we learned that she had been battling chronic pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis for the previous ten years. There were days that Julie truly did hobble in. She was very determined to not let these illnesses get the best of her. She put herself on a daily exercise routine that helped build her muscle strength. Some might say she applied the concept "mind over matter."

During this time, Julie also found herself needing new living arrangements. She sought out the Appleton Housing Authority for assistance. Today Julie is a new home owner and works at Appleton Medical Center as an Administrative Associate in the Medical Surgical Oncology Department.

Congratulations, Julie! Thanks for bringing The Goodwill Promise to life, and for reminding us that "you can accomplish anything you put your mind to."