Stevie Lancaster

Note: This is one in a series of spotlights on MOI staff members who have been named a “Keefer Fellow,” a monthly program aimed at recognizing staffers for their contributions to the museum and the community. This month, our programs educator.

Q: Explain what you do at the museum in 20 words or less.

Stevie: I run the student educational offerings at the museum, from monthly programs and special events to the school field trips.

Q: What’s a museum-related accomplishment that you’re particularly proud of?

Stevie: I am most proud of the success that has been built over the past few years of our monthly student programs and the school field trips. I measure the success of these endeavors by how much the students enjoy coming to the museum, how much the parents want to bring them back, and the little inspirations that I get to experience with the students every day.

Q: What do you do for fun?

Stevie: I am a music teacher and I love to play anything that I can get my hands on:  Singing, piano, guitar, djembe, marimba, a myriad of small percussion instruments, etc.

Q: What would you do for a career if you weren’t doing this (and if money were no object)?

Stevie: I would be teaching and doing administrative help at my local church, The Bridge Church, and teaching private music lessons.

Q: What’s the weirdest / most interesting past job you’ve had?

Stevie: I’m pretty boring when it comes to this, but I would say that my weirdest job (or at least the job that I had the weirdest things happen at) was being the store manager for the gift shop at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for 4 years. If you combine the craziness that can happen in retail with the craziness that can happen at a hospital, you get a pretty weird combination! Learned how to stay cool under pressure with that job!

Q: Name a setback in your life that has ended up being a good thing.

Stevie: My husband and I were just about to decide whether he was going to re-enlist and go for a career in the US Navy when he was unexpectedly discharged for medical reasons, and with only 2 weeks’ notice. We ended up having to move back home (Idaho Falls) from California instead of being able to go to a post in Italy. If that hadn’t have happened, though, I would not have grown as much as I have, professionally and personally, and I would not have gotten back into education, which I love very much.

Q: What’s something – large or small, useful or not – that you’re really good at?

Stevie: I was in color guard for 7 years in high school and college and can do all sort of maneuvers with a 6-foot flag (I’m only 5’6” tall), including a 2 ½ rotation toss, as long as it isn’t too windy!

Q: What were you like in high school?

Stevie: I was a typical band geek that also loved choir and history. I was an over-achiever that had to get straight A’s, so I spent a lot of time studying. I had a small, but really amazing, groups of friends that I am still in touch with today. I also married one of them, so I count myself pretty lucky!

Q: What’s your favorite book, movie, and TV show?

Stevie: My favorite books are anything by Randy Alcorn or Jane Austen.

My favorite movie is WAY too hard to narrow down…  I love mysteries like Murder on the Orient Express and Knives Out as well as classics like Daddy Long Legs and My Fair Lady. And, as a proud geek, most Marvel movies!

My favorite TV shows are probably Star Wars Rebels and Burn Notice. They both make me laugh so hard and have some really good storytelling!

Q: Tell us something about you that might surprise us.

Stevie: I lived in Japan for about a year and a half while my husband was in the US Navy and I loved every minute of it.  The people and culture there are very beautiful and a joy to be around.  I also experienced the Japan earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. We were scheduled to leave and move back to the states on March 12^th and we barely got out of the country before they had to shut down all travel because of the aftermath of the disaster.  It was the craziest experience of my whole life.