New Director of Guidance and Career Services
A Life Overshadowed by God's Faithfulness
Naomi Ingram
Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: Cougar's Tale
| |
| |
|
A native of western New York State and a graduate of SUNY Potsdam and Regent University, Mrs. Dollenmayer had never heard of Clearwater Christian College until a year ago. While praying that God would show direction for her life after they moved to St. Petersburg in July, 2007, Dollenmayer's husband spoke of a friend who was a CCC alumnus.
"I never knew that CCC existed, Dollenmayer related. "I went online to learn more about the College and noticed that there was an employment posting for a Director of Guidance and Career Services. After reading about the College and the job description, I thought this would be a great ministry to serve the Lord, as well as a great career, so I applied." And the rest, as they say, is history.
Dollenmayer grew up in Attica, New York. Her father was a science teacher in the public middle school and her mother stayed at home with her and her two brothers. She double-majored in Education and English Literature at SUNY Potsdam in 1991, and then obtained her Master of Arts in Education, concentrating in learning disabilities, three years later. For the next twelve years, she worked as a teacher for students with disabilities in New York, New Hampshire, and Virginia.
In July, 2006, she met her husband Steve, whom she married on July 21, 2007. In describing the story, Dollenmayer said, "Since I was 20, I always had the desire to be married. When I turned 25, I remember being disappointed that my goal of being married did not happen the way I planned it."
Dollenmayer said some people had blamed her being single on expectations that were too high. She said she was looking for "a man that loved the Lord with all his heart, mind, soul and strength, was actively serving Him, had abstained from alcohol, never been married, and had saved himself for marriage." Dollenmayer said she claimed the promises of Psalm 37:4-5: "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."
Her years as a single woman strengthened her relationship with Christ, according to Dollenmayer. Then there came, according to her, a strange request from her father one night: "All he said was that I needed to sign up for eharmony.com. This is not how I envisioned I would meet my future mate. Friends also were urging me to sign up. I signed up, figuring what could I lose? and waited for eharmony.com to send me matches that met my criteria."
The initial results were not promising, until, however, she received a match from Steve, a man living in St. Petersburg. Then her story turns into a fairytale: "I was living in Virginia Beach at that time. We slowly got to know each other through e-mail and phone calls, and eventually met three months later. That was October, 2006. Then on Easter morning, 2007, at sunrise on the beach, Steve surprised me with a plastic Easter egg with an engagement ring inside. I couldn't believe it, after all these years, God was giving me the long awaited desire of my heart!"
Though her desire for a husband had not been fulfilled exactly when she had planned, God's timing had been perfect. The transition to Florida was not easy, as she admits that she "loves the Fall so much, but here I am watching sunsets at the beach and even learning how to water ski with my best friend and man of my dreams. We serve a faithful, powerful, and loving God."
Lisa Dollenmayer's office serves the campus in many capacities, including disability services. Some of these services include coordinating Kaplan practice testing, campus recruiting, co-sponsoring the Career Expo, and acting as a liaison between students with disabilities and faculty. She encourages students to drop by if they need help assembling a resume or are looking for an internship.
Her own life is an example, she said, "that God not only gives us what we need, He gives us our heart's desire. To God be the glory great things He hath done."
Be the first to comment on this story