I have a couple passions in my life. One is my family. The other is my community. Having grown up in a small rural community, I am committed to ensuring future generations have the same opportunities I had. The quality of life found in rural Kansas cannot be duplicated anywhere else, and is why we are seeing trends of our youth returning home. My goal is to ensure these young adults know they are welcome to return and have leadership opportunities readily available. I believe strongly in the impact volunteering makes. The more vested people are in a community, the more viable that community becomes. I encourage my children and their friends to get involved. Too many times I hear people say, 'there is nothing to do in a small town'. If you think that, you simply aren't looking. I feel blessed to work for a rural telecommunications cooperative that shares my opinions and values. BVTC is known for providing advanced technology to the people it serves. Being one of the first in the nation to deploy Fiber to the Home, BVTC has always been on the cutting edge; understanding the importance of contributing to the quality of life in rural Kansas. Just because people choose rural doesn't mean they deserve less than their urban counterparts. BVTC works diligently to ensure the schools, hospitals, farms and ranches, small businesses, and everyone else living and working here has the technology they need to be successful. This was validated when we were awarded the title of NTCA's 2013 Smart Rural Community - an award all of us at BVTC and the communities we serve can be proud of! I am rural by choice and proud of it. I will continue to work hard to ensure rural Kansas is preserved for my children, their children, and their children's children.