I don’t have the stats, but I’m willing to bet that a whole lot of people, when asked what their “dream job” is, will respond with something wishy-washy like, “doing what I love while making a difference.”

Wishy-washy or not, I think we all strive to do work that doesn’t feel like work and to leave our mark on the world we live in. At least I do. So for me to say that I’m excited about joining the Ranch Ehrlo staff as a communications specialist is probably an understatement.   

Over the course of my time here I’ll be telling you a lot about the Ranch and the amazing work that is done here. So to switch things up a bit, I thought I’d tell you a little about myself.

Who am I?

My name is Cheyenne, which I hated until I got to be about 20 or so. No one could spell it and people often mispronounced it. But once I got older, it seemed more of a blessing than a curse to have a unique name. (Besides, it’s not really that unique once you get out of small town southeastern Saskatchewan, where I was raised.)

I’m married to my best friend, which is probably a giant cliché, but is true. We have four dogs (yes, you read that right – four) and so a lot of my time off is spent taking care of furry not-quite-children.

I’ve always been a writer – since the time I could put pen to paper, I was crafting stories. As I got older, I realized the value to telling stories of real people, and so decided to pursue formal education to become a journalist.

How did I get here?

I graduated from journalism school in 2011 and jumped feet first into a job researching at a production company. I learned a lot about film and TV and worked my way up the ranks to become associate producer.

Following my foray into film and TV, I decided to work for a newspaper and put my print skills to good use. Just when I felt like I was settling into what may become a lifelong career, life threw me a sucker punch with a cancer diagnosis - and that’s where we reach the point to this story.

I’m healthy now, but surviving something like that really ignites a fire in you to want to do something more than just earn a paycheque. When I saw an opening at Ranch Ehrlo as a communications specialist, I jumped (well I didn’t physically jump – it was more like a really fast click) at the opportunity to apply. You see, the Ranch is really well known for the life-changing work it does – so even someone who has had no direct contact with the organization knows that if you want to make a difference, this is a great place to be.

So begins a new chapter in my life and I’m very excited to use my writing skills to share the stories of Ranch Ehrlo’s successes. I can’t wait to hear more about the hundreds of youth, adults, and families that have been helped by the Ranch.