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Debra Jenkins
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"I thank God every day for being in North Dakota and for the lifestyle it affords my family." |
Fulfilling dreams
UND graduate and graduate student Debra Jenkins (general studies '07) wondered what would become of her passion for the arts after moving to Rugby 20 years ago from Minneapolis. She feared her dreams could be fulfilled only in a large city.
"I wanted to write, paint, work in theatre and build community, and I've been able to do these to the fullest because of the opportunities available in North Dakota," she said. "My dreams are rooted and tended here."
When Debra's husband, Bob, accepted a management position with the hospital in Rugby, the couple and their five children left their life and families in the Twin Cities with some trepidation. But, they also viewed the move as a new opportunity. There was culture shock initially -- they were used to shopping and being able to stop by their families' homes any time.
"It took me a while to get used to the lifestyle here, but when I did it was like falling in love," Debra said. "I thank God every day for being in North Dakota and for the lifestyle it affords my family."
Benefits of small town life soon became apparent to the family, she said. "When we arrived here, we noticed the level of fear and apprehension about our children's safety evaporated, and we could focus on more positive things. We also were no longer tied up in commuter traffic. Here, everything is five minutes away, giving us more time for family activities during work days."
One of the positive things that became an integral part of their family life was involvement with community theatre through Village Arts, a non-profit organization sponsoring children's and community theatre and music. "Community theatre changed my life and also influenced my children's lives. As a family, we grew up together on stage every summer. It bonded us together, and we also became more a part of the family of Rugby."
Debra now teaches strings and oversees youth and community orchestras and the civic choir. "I wanted to teach music and work in theatre, and I have been able to do all that," Jenkins said. "People think about limited opportunities in small towns, but we've found opportunities to be greater than what we would have had in the Twin Cities."
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| "I often forget we are not ‘officially' related to our community friends." |
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A Community of Family
In Rugby, friends have become family. "I often forget we are not ‘officially' related to our community friends," she said. When Bob was undergoing cancer treatment a few years ago, Debra and Bob traveled extensively to medical centers. When people asked who was taking care of their five children, "the community" was her ready response.
When her family had to move from their home to a rental the day Bob was at Rochester's Mayo Clinic, an announcement explaining the family's predicament was made in churches. That day, a block-long line of cars and trucks continually transported the family's belongings to their new home. "When we came home, our new house was ready. Even the beds were made-all we had to do was lie down," she remembered.
Bob passed away in January 2004. "When my husband died, my community grieved with me and lifted me," she said.
Continuing Dreams
Debra completed her bachelor's degree in general studies from UND online in 2007 and is currently enrolled as a graduate student in UND's instructional design and technology program. She plans to fashion her career around her life in Rugby and hopes to someday design training instruction for adult and corporate education.
"The UND instructional design and technology program showcases the best of higher education and the best of North Dakota," she said. "There's tremendous drive and vision for the program from the faculty."
She also published her first book and is currently penning a series of short stories set in the fictional town of Mystic Plains, N.D.
The arts program will also continue to be a mainstay in her life. "Our family had the desire to be active in the arts when we were in the Twin Cities, but it's as if we only had the seed and no place to nurture it in an urban landscape," she said. "North Dakota is an environment that supports the planting of treasured seeds and tends to their growth."
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