(December 11, 2013)

Staff Q&A with Tina Feldt

SHREVEPORT, LA — We often count our blessings during the holiday season, and for many members of the Centenary family, one of those blessings is staff member Tina Feldt, Director of Counseling and Disability Services.

Feldt was diagnosed with an invasive form of breast cancer last March and started a very aggressive treatment plan immediately including chemotherapy, major surgery, and radiation. This week Feldt, who is now cancer free, celebrates her last radiation treatment. She has one more surgery scheduled for the spring.

"I have had incredible support from my family, friends, treatment providers, and coworkers," said Feldt. "While I was off work, I could really focus on recovery because I knew that Christine Fitzgerald, Melinda Koch, and Lindsey Pringle all came together to take care of the students in my absence."

Feldt earned a B.A. in social welfare from Louisiana Tech University and a Master's of Social Work from Louisiana State University. She also holds the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Board Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (BCSAC) designations and teaches part-time at Northwestern State University.

She was honored as the Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), North Louisiana, and has received the Dorothy Schenthal Leadership Award from the Shreveport Region of the NASW.

Feldt is the next staff member to be spotlighted in our continuing series. She took time to correspond with Marketing & Communication and gave us a glimpse into her life.

1. Where did you grow up?

I was born in Oklahoma, but raised mostly overseas (Okinawa, Japan) and in Maine and Massachusetts. I am a military brat and have lived here the longest — this is home.

2. What would students be most surprised to find out about you?

I am a true introvert. I can talk in front of a big crowd people easier than I can make small talk. People (even those who don't know me well) often feel comfortable enough to tell me some of their most private thoughts. That is a great attribute for someone who does therapy, yet I can come across socially awkward just having a casual conversation!

3. Most treasured Centenary memory?

I have lots of them: When I see people overcome difficulties or succeed despite challenging circumstances. When I see students cross the stage and get their diploma knowing that they struggled with a disability or difficult personal or family circumstances. When they make a good play in their sport. When a student tells me that a faculty or staff member said something to them — it was just the right words at just the right moment. When faculty and staff who give so much, do so without hesitation.

4. What leader do you most admire?

The first thing that came to mind is my parents— the leaders of my family of origin. They were far from perfect, but they instilled in us the importance of being a moral, compassionate, well-mannered and patriotic person who is obligated to do what he or she can to improve the world around us. They brought out the best in each of their children — a sign of a good leader. In the larger world, it would be anyone who has those characteristics mentioned before.

5. What's an item you still have on your bucket list?

A trip to Australia or Alaska!

6. What is your goal this year?

To be well, do well, and live well.

7. What advice would you give your students?

We all have choices about almost everything that happens in our life. It is the seemingly small decisions we make every day (going to class, doing the right thing, being healthy, etc.) that will put us in the best position to make the bigger, possibly more important decisions about our future.