Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Margo Snider. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Margo, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from my father. I grew up in a small farm community in central Illinois and my father guided me to learn about farming, hunting, fishing, and most importantly the value of a great education. He was actually President of the School Board and we had many discussions on the value of a great education. While he didn’t necessarily agree with my wanting to be a music teacher, he certainly didn’t try to stop me. His occupation was a
seed corn plant manager and I always saw how hard he worked and how committed he was to his job, family, and community.
My dad was a family man who cared about the conditions of others in our community. He made me realize the
importance of helping others and that kindness is a wonderful asset to share.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started my professional career as a music educator, then music administrator, and I ended my career as a principal of a visual and performing arts school for 4th-8th graders. I actually started the school and that was the
highlight of my educational career. I was able to interview the teachers for the school as well as the students had
to audition in one of the following areas: visual art, dance, drama, vocal music, and instrumental music. The focus of the school was not only to help create outstanding arts’ students, but also to integrate the arts objectives into the
learning objectives of the other subject areas such as math, English, science, etc. With the staff and I working together,
we created students that not only excelled in their arts’ area, but in the academic subjects as well. We were honored for excelling on the state standardized tests, highest attendance rate, hardly any discipline issues, etc. Of course
we also had very close connections with the parents of these great kids. I am proud to say the school began in 1994 and it is still in operation.
I retired in 2004 and am currently a water aerobics instructor, and work as a volunteer for a library and a Chamber of Commerce.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. My journey into education was solidified by 3 teachers that I felt truly cared about me and understood me. It is so important to have mentors that are willing to take the time to have discussions with you.
2. Having personal goals is very important because they can keep you on the path you wish to pursue. Be consistent
and don’t be constantly changing your mind.
3. Be willing to challenge yourself. For example, while I grew up in a small community of around 1200, I knew I
wanted to move around the United States and experience new things. I wouldn’t let anybody stop me.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Since moving to a smaller community, I have become involved with the Chamber of Commerce. While I don’t own a business, I have been asked to use my skills to get more folks involved, research new ideas, etc. The challenge comes from folks who are not excited about change.
Contact Info:
- Other: E-mail–[email protected]
Image Credits
My computer is out of date and recent pictures are on my phone. I can send those from my phone, but they won’t be attached to the article.
