mportant profession

Maria Herman, OWLA Membership Chair
German Teacher, Maumee City Schools

Were you able to attend our annual conference at the beginning of April in Columbus this year? If so, you’ll agree it was a fantastic opportunity to network, recharge, share great ideas and unwind with people who understand your day-to-day responsibilities and challenges. And, you might remember meeting me, since I may have checked you in at the registration table. You probably also saw many other OWLA board members there, too!

However, did you know that your membership in OWLA not only provides you with opportunities like our annual conference, but also the opportunity to volunteer with our board? Yes, that’s right! All of us who helped to plan, organize and run the conference are regular OWLA members like you who decided to help our organization and our fellow colleagues by volunteering.  

I have been the membership chair for OWLA for the past 3 years, and my experiences in this position have been fantastic! I have gotten to meet so many wonderful professionals whom I now can call my friends. While I have loved every minute of my service to OWLA, I feel that it is important to share these responsibilities and see some new faces having the opportunity to volunteer and have these wonderful experiences, too!

Volunteering for OWLA has brought me a different type of career satisfaction.  As a teacher, I help my students. As an OWLA board member, I not only help my colleagues on the board, but I also have the joy of helping OWLA members at conferences with membership questions, event registrations, ideas for the classroom and even presenting at our OWLA events!

So, become an OWLA member, and ask your colleagues to join. Then, take the next step in your professional organization and ask how you can help out! OWLA opportunities range from doing just about anything you can imagine: a zoom presentation, committee work, helping with raffle donations,  . – The sky is the limit! Your OWLA organization has always been here to help you, so when you feel the urge to give back, become an OWLA volunteer, too!