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By Wendy Renneke
How many of you can relate to that tangible sense of relief when something you have been seeking is finally found? Or to the inclusiveness experienced when you discover a community of people who have similar interests or passions as you? Better yet, how many of you can relate to the experience of a weight having been lifted from you because someone finally took the time to mentor you, invest in your success, and offer their hard earned wisdom to promote your ability to succeed?
It is a truly amazing feeling when you are gifted the opportunity to engage within a community of “next level” learning and understanding. A new world opens up when you are fostered by the guidance of a mentor, or a group of mentors, who have been in your shoes and want you to benefit from their experiences, while at the same time allowing you to carve your own path as you are challenged and learn from your choices.
If you are reading this, you have the power to extend a hand and welcome imaging professionals into the fold of our AHRA family. What a fantastic gift it is to be welcomed! I recall how thankful I was to have been taken under Bette Drescher’s wing at the 2017 Annual Meeting. I left Seattle feeling I was on a solo adventure, but once I met Bette in California, I was no longer alone. I was welcomed, encouraged, and introduced to many members, making invaluable connections every day!
But what if there are others out there who feel like their participation in AHRA is an unattainable wish list item, perceived to be something saved for “that day” when they have more experience, more to contribute, or more respectable accomplishments? These feelings may also be compounded by financial limitations.
Every person reading this article has the ability to contribute to the AHRA’s combined strength and pull open the door for someone who is peering into AHRA from a distance. We have the ability to answer their knock, support their efforts, take them by the hand, and lead them into a community established on shared wisdom and mutual support. It can be as simple as inviting a peer to a local area meeting or through your valuable, tax deductible donation to the AHRA Education Foundation (EF)!
Through the efforts of the EF, we promote the growth of AHRA membership and support our membership’s ability to immerse themselves through opportunities such as the Osborn Scholarship, Annual Meeting Scholarship, or the AHRAEF Education Waiver Scholarship, all of which make attending our AHRA family reunions (meetings) a possibility for those who might otherwise be unable to attend.
With the 2018 Annual Meeting swiftly approaching, please consider a donation to the EF. Throw open the door of possibility for a member; give them access to the wealth of information and supportive community we have at our fingertips.
To every member who donated to the EF in 2017, I extend a personal “thank you,” and I challenge you to donate again this year. With each donation, you stated you found value in my potential and ability to participate in the big, wonderful community I now consider my AHRA family. Since being selected as a 2017 Osborn Scholar, I continue to seek opportunities to express my gratitude for your gift. I am a Cornerstone donor for the second year. I have volunteered in multiple ways, including assisting in creating a successful local area meeting, writing articles for Link, making a commitment to volunteer at the 2018 Annual Meeting, and finally, serving as a member of the 2018 Annual Appeal Committee. Thank you for hearing my knock and welcoming me to AHRA. I have grown personally and professionally over the last year in large part because you believed in our purpose as a professional organization and made the impactful decision to donate.
The Annual Appeal Committee is currently at 69% of our 2018 fundraising goal, and we have only 7 weeks remaining to reach 100%! Let’s link arms and continue to throw the doors wide open for others by supporting the efforts of the EF with your valuable contributions!
If you haven’t made the decision to contribute, please consider taking that step today by clicking here. Your donation will mean the world to someone like me, validating their hard work and recognizing their untapped potential within our AHRA family!
Wendy Renneke is the imaging supervisor at UW Eastside Specialty Center in Bellevue, WA. She can be reached at Varoom@u.washington.edu.
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