Meet Amanda McConnell - New Communications Coordinator

When I originally thought of Madison, I truly only thought of one thing—milk. Okay, maybe two things, the second thing being cheese. In all seriousness, I thought Madison was just a big dairy farm. Although there is some truth to that statement, I had no idea how deep of a community I would encounter here.
At the time, my long-distance boyfriend, Tony, was searching for jobs closer to Des Moines, Iowa, where I was located, completing my undergrad at Drake University. We both grew up in Colorado and the commute to see each other was getting a little annoying. That’s when Epic Systems popped up into our lives and four and a half hours of driving time became a regularly traveled distance.
We continued to travel to each other over the next three years of me finishing up school which included a summer of mine being spent in Madison. It wasn’t until that time here that I really encountered the Catholic community, one largely being SMG’s young adult group, which introduced me to the culture of Wisconsin—the unanimous love of Kwik Trips, squeaky cheese curds, and Spotted Cow of course. 
By that time, Tony had been in Madison for a year. He had already jumped deep into many different social groups within the Catholic community, but this was the first time I got to see a glimpse of his life and what could become ours one day. It was such a joy to see and take part in. Evenings quickly filled with Cor ad Cor, game nights with some Catholic roommates, Draft House outings, and now, a season filled with weddings. It’s kind of crazy to think about. All these Catholic roots started blending into many areas of our lives that we now get to share with little souls our Lord has gifted us to raise.
To this day, these people we’ve met years ago continue to inspire me and help me run to the Lord. We eventually went on to receive marriage preparation within SMG, dip our toes into the families with young children’s group, and participate (or cheer on from the sidelines) in the well-loved young adult’s event, summer sports league. Although our lives may look a little different in comparison to just one short year ago, I wouldn’t change a thing. The Lord has certainly shown me how to trust in His providence and expanded my heart in a way I had never thought was possible.
It was an answered prayer to be given the opportunity to help contribute to the growth of this Pastorate. This community has given me so much. I can’t wait to dig into this position that not only honors my role as a mother but my interests in design and all things marketing. Here’s to new beginnings!