New Beginnings and Heaps of Gratitude
By Deborah Mersino
{Taking a deep breath….slowly exhaling…} Earlier this week, I accepted an offer to become the new Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) in Eugene, Oregon. It’s a role of a lifetime for me. Of course, saying good-bye to Ingeniosus and #gtchat makes me tear up…talk about overexcitabilities in overdrive {Shaking my head as I pay homage to Dabrowski}.
Please know I am already working with my Global #gtchat Sponsors to pass the baton, and am truly hopeful #gtchat will continue on without me. Global #gtchat really belongs to all of YOU, who have helped make it what it is today. Your verve, generosity, dedication, creativity, authenticity, and collaborative energy have propelled it forward every chat, every week, every month, and every year.
This has all happened quite suddenly; so, it’s a bit of a whirlwind in the Mersino household right now. We are driving out to Eugene, Oregon this Wednesday with the girls to find a rental home and look at schools. It’s hard to comprehend us moving in about a week and a half {Another deep breath in…exhaling…}!
As such, it may take a bit to flesh out the details of #gtchat amid travel, packing, and general moving chaos. Therefore, I especially appreciate your patience, as I look to lay the groundwork for continued global chats to benefit gifted learners and those who serve them. I will make an announcement about #gtchat just as soon as possible.
Collaborating with all of you these past three years has been such a privilege. I will never look at Fridays the same way again. You have enriched my life, my learning, my understanding, and my appreciation for global connections. With every blog post, response, update, retweet, reply, direct message, and fast-moving chat, you have ignited the power of digital communications for good and given me hope for the future of gifted learners throughout the world.
My passion for gifted education will not lie dormant! As many of you know, though, I am also passionate about 21st Century Learning and am utterly impressed with what ISTE has done and is doing internationally. I have had the good fortune of meeting with the Senior Leadership Council, which I will be joining, and the Marketing and Communications Division team members. The caliber of talent and drive at this organization is beyond inspiring. I feel quite fortunate!
Many of you have sent me kind wishes, notes, emails, and posts recently. My heart overfloweth with gratitude. As I travel down this new road, I will carry all of your goodness with me. {Packing it internally}. This will give me courage and conviction to step into the future.
Thank you all for being such an integral part of my life. Here’s to continuing advocacy, social responsibility, and collaboration ripe with ideation, compassion, and strategic vision to impart all that is good for learners everywhere {Smiling as I think of the continued influence you will all have…}.
“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs
Tags: #gtchat, Advocacy, Change, chat, collaboration, education, Gifted, global, GT, Ingeniosus, learning, sponsorships, Twitter
This entry was posted on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Advocacy, Change, Gifted, Gifted Education, Global #gtchat, Global #gtchat Sponsors, News, Social-Emotional, Twitter, Uncategorized, education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
21 Responses to “New Beginnings and Heaps of Gratitude”
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Claire Hennessy says: 01.28 at 5:37 pm
Many many congratulations on the new job, Deborah! They’re very lucky to have you.
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lilnerdette says: 01.28 at 5:42 pm
Deborah, this is great news! Congratulations! I know everyone’s heads must be spinning at Chez Mersino, including yours, so I hope the transition is as smooth as it can be.
I wish you the best in your future endeavors and many, many, MANY thanks for all you’ve done with #gtchat and for all you do with gifted advocacy.
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Mona says: 01.28 at 6:07 pm
This sounds like an amazing opportunity for you! I hope, as you finalize details and make the transition, that you will find wonderful treasures for each member of your family along the way.
Eugene is a terrific town and I know that you will settle in quickly amongst all the Ducks. And I can’t help thinking – you’re closer to me now (and we come down to Oregon frequently!). YAYAYAYAYAYAY!
Thank you for all you’ve done by creating a new climate of collaboration through #gtchat. Lots of love and hugs coming your way as you make this change!
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Sharon Padget says: 01.28 at 6:08 pm
Dear friend,
When a lost gen Ed science teacher found #gtchat her world opened to becoming a better teacher and was given a gift from friends she never knew existed. I am so honored and grateful for your friendship, love, support and shoulder to cry on these past 2 yrs I have been a stoogie. I send you hugs and happy thoughts as you begin your new journey. Thank you for coming into my life.
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Monica Muller says: 01.28 at 6:25 pm
Dear Deborah you gave me the opportunity to join a great group. It will not be the same without you, but life is change. I cheer your accomplishments and wish you success!!! Thank you for all!!!
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Leslinks says: 01.28 at 6:36 pm
Deborah,
Life has many roads, and we can but travel on them for a little while, before we come to a turn off which leads beyond the horizons of our dreams…you may never know how far it will take you, and the growth you will achieve. If you stay on the highway, life will remain, but always the same…
I am glad you have chosen to take your sliproad Deborah… I’ll shall miss you too, as will everyone else, but for you and your family I feel /think this new direction sounds like it is the opportunity of a lifetime and will be a major life changer for you all. You are fortunate.. Grasp the chance with both hands and all your lovely heart.. You’ll do well..
However, you do know you are a lifetime member of gtstoogiedom, and we’d be very sad if you did not look in on the lobby once in a while, just to say hellow, and let us know how your doing…
Leslie
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Ruth Ness says: 01.28 at 7:02 pm
What a blessing for you and your family! Thank you for all you have done for the GT community. Colorado will not be the same without you, but you are meant to do great things wherever you are.
Fondly,
Ruth Ness -
Lisa says: 01.28 at 7:59 pm
Thank you for all you have done for this community. Even if you’re not at the helm of #gtchats any more, I hope to “see” you there and elsewhere around the gifted community.
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Jackie Drummer says: 01.28 at 8:49 pm
Wow! This is great news! What a chance to meld your skill sets and to grow into a new challenge! Good luck to you and to your family as you begin your new adventures!
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Lisa says: 01.28 at 9:09 pm
Congratulations, Deborah!! I am so very excited and happy for you (and thankful for Facebook so that I can stay connected).
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Jo Freitag says: 01.28 at 10:30 pm
Congratulations, Deborah! Thank you so much for founding #gtchat and for all the wonderful chat sessions you have given us! And please do stay in touch!
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ljconrad says: 01.28 at 10:42 pm
Congratulations! I am happy for you, but I will not miss you … because … I don’t expect things to change!!! That is one of the advantages to online friendships … proximity is in the eye (or mind?) of the beholder. Always remember the words to the old James Taylor song, “You’ve Got a Friend” … you just call out my name, and you know where ever I am I’ll come running to see you again. Peace to you, my friend …
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christine says: 01.28 at 11:31 pm
So happy for yoU!
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Ted Mersino says: 01.29 at 2:45 am
I am appreciating my magnificent wife – for all that she has done to bring #gtchat to life, to invigorate individuals and organizations around the world, to connect and inspire not only others out there in the GT community, but also here in our home, in me.
I am inspired by your level of intention which fueled your weekly chats and the way you gave of yourself through your passion. You have stirred the hope, desire and passion in others, which has stirred many to connect.
Even though I have not been an active part of your global GT – I am grateful for what you have done for the GT community and as a role model for our daughters.
Thank you Deborah – for what you have done and what you are moving on to do.
Ted, your husband.
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Six things on a Sunday says:01.30 at 3:33 am
[...] dear friend, Deborah Mersino, is moving on from Ingeniosus and taking a dream job in Oregon. As a result, #gtchat is on temporary hiatus until she and the chat sponsors find someone to run [...]
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Siggi says: 01.30 at 3:08 pm
Fridays simply stopped working for me when my husband stopped working weekends, and we actually started going places as a family, but oh, #gtchat, how I’ve missed you!
Someone will take it on. I’ll be home some weekends. I will be there. Hopefully you’ll drop in sometimes, too.
I don’t need to tell you to make a difference at ISTE, as I know you will, but I *will* tell you to have a blast doing your dream job, just in case you forget sometimes, when chaos descends. Here’s to a smooth move, and congrats!
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Monica says: 01.30 at 7:21 pm
Congratulations on your new job!
Thank you for the encouragement to restart my blog, join twitter, and for all the inspiring #gtchat sessions.Wishing you and your family all the best,
Monica (demom2gifted) -
Larry Fessler says: 01.30 at 11:37 pm
You all may miss #gtchat, but her mother and I will miss our “wunderful”daughter, her husband Ted, and most importantly to a Grandmother and Grandfather, her TWO very talented children. Oh how we will miss those beautiful girls. They bring life to our home every day, and soon, we will look at each other, and say: They are gone. I’m sure, there will be many phone calls to Oregon over the next few months. One good thing, we now have another place to visit. I have to stop, and wipe away the tears as I write this. God Bless The Mersino Family!
GRAMPS
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Jeanne Bernish says: 01.31 at 2:59 am
Now I am convinced we will work together someday! Congratulations Deborah!
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kim/reluctant renovator says: 02.03 at 4:46 am
Wow, what an amazing opportunity. Congrats!
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Ian Byrd says: 03.24 at 2:18 am
Congrats on the exciting news and good luck with all the changes. You started something incredible with #gtchat and I can’t wait to hear about what you start next
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