Hometown: Humble, Texas;
Present City: Dallas;
Education: BA in psychology and BM in music therapy from SMU. MS in counseling psychology from UT Southwestern;
Profession: Retired U.S. probation officer, now a federal sentencing consultant;
Tell us about your family.
I grew up in Humble and moved to Dallas to attend SMU. My father was a veterinarian and my mother was a librarian. I love animals and books. Church and music were very important pastimes in our family life. I began playing piano at a very young age and continued playing until rheumatoid arthritis decided my fingers didn’t want to do that any longer. I started playing French horn in middle school and continue playing even now. I have a younger brother who is a professional oboist in San Francisco. I married Alex Rivera when I was 41. He’s a trumpet player. We have a dog and a cat.
How about your work or volunteer life?
When I was in graduate school my last internship was in the psychology department of the Juvenile Detention Center. I loved it. I got a job working as a juvenile probation officer while I finished writing my master’s thesis, and I just stayed there. I eventually left the juvenile department to become a U.S. probation officer (more money, better benefits, etc.). I stayed with the feds for 18 years until I took medical retirement. I loved working with defendants, but the system was and is very broken. I now consult with federal criminal defense attorneys and assist them and their clients as they prepare for sentencing.
What brought you to Wilshire and when?
I came to Wilshire in 1991.
Where are you engaged in Wilshire?
I worked with the Wilshire youth from 1994 to 2012 or so. I taught 7th grade Sunday School for most of those years and went to pretty much every retreat, Disciple Now, multiple choir tours — whatever the youth were doing. I think we figured out I went to Youth Camp for 18 consecutive summers. I look at a lot of Wilshire’s young leaders now and see a large swath of people I still consider “kids” I taught as 7th graders. I could not be more proud. Over the years I’ve been involved in Sanctuary Choir, Wilshire Winds and Carillon Ringers, but I’m currently playing handbells and serving as a deacon. I attend the Journey Sunday School Class.
What are your strengths, or what are some adjectives that best describe you?
I’m a 2 on the Enneagram, and my StrengthsFinder strengths are Harmony, Input, Connectedness, Empathy and Achiever.
*If you are interested in being featured in an upcoming I Am Wilshire feature, contact Carolyn Murray (cmurray@wilshirebc.org)