Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.
It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.
In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of Campus Recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest Kirsten Schumacher, the director of University Recreation (UREC) at Seattle University.
During the conversation, Schumacher tells how she got involved in campus recreation and the path that took her to Seattle University where she is today. She shares about a few big leadership changes that happened right before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, she dives into the effects the pandemic had on UREC as well as the celebration that took place at their reopening.
Schumacher also reveals some unusual programming that’s apart of UREC — including intramural baking and Movement for Healing. Finally, Sheffield asks the question, “What brings you joy as a director?”
Listen to their conversation for her answer.
Show Notes from the Conversation with Kirsten Schumacher
- How Schumacher got involved with campus recreation at 2:52.
- After a winding road, Schumaker ended up in Seattle doing this at 8:03.
- At 8:53, listen to some big leadership changes that brought Schumacher to a crossroads.
- Prepping to reopen after about two years closed and with only one professional staff member onboard, Schumacher was thinking this at 12:59.
- Her first act as working director was something quite tough. Find out what it was at 16:35.
- The celebration that was reopening at 19:18.
- What Schumacher missed most during the pandemic at 24:04.
- Schumacher shares how UREC at Seattle University stands out at 24:55.
- What’s intramural baking? Listen to it at 25:44.
- The edible food forests utilized at Seattle University look like this at 29:13.
- At 30:06 Schumacher shares about the program, Movement for Healing.
- What does recreation mean to Schumacher and Seattle University? Listen to it at 31:25.
- The thing that’s most important for Schumacher in terms of her success as a director at 33:09.
- What brings Schumacher joy as a director? Listen at 34:24 to find out.
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