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Leslie Sweetwood

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Gardening

Reading

  • Cookbooks
  • Cultural
  • Art
  • Gardening
  • Health
  • Historical
  • Social Issues
  • True Story
  • Self-Help
  • Magical Realism

I read books multiple times a month.

Education

Purdue University Global

Bachelor's degree program

2021 – 2022

Majors:
  • Human Resources Management and Services

Walla Walla Community College

Associate's degree program

1986 – 1987

Majors:
  • Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Purdue University Global
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Manager

    Coffee/Gift boutique

    Jan 1996 – Jan 1998

  • Board member

    Community Services · Dayton Food Bank

    Jan 2020 – Present

  • Health educator

    Local Goverment · Columbia County Public Health

    Jan 2017 – Jan 2020

  • Owner/Opperator

    Consumer Services · The Sweetwood Studio

    Jan 1999 – Jan 2020

  • Council Person

    Civic & Social Organization · City of Dayton WA

    Jan 2009 – Jan 2013

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Non-Profit Organization Management
Dream career goals:
Team Leadership
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Politics
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Ginny Biada Memorial Scholarship
My mother became a born again Christian when I was very young. It was the focal point of our family and social activities. Mom always volunteered at our church functions and had us help also, this was our life. As a young adult I too raised my family in a church environment, teaching child bible classes while my children grew into teens. My mother has always been an amazing support and prayer warrior for me and my children. We have had some heavy sadnesses in my life. My adult son died unexpectedly and sent me in an extreme depression. Mother moved to my town to be close and offer strength and help to my well being. Though she is getting into her late age of life, she is still the strongest spiritual woman I have ever met. Her encouragement and faith has helped me to turn my pain into a purposeful desire to help other struggling youth and families. Mom was very young when she started her family and had never finished high school. When my siblings and I started middle school, she started taking college classes one at a time. By the time she was a grandmother she had earned her nursing degree and on to her master’s degree in social work. I took the trade school path and became a hairdresser for 30 years. Eventually needing the benefits and security of a job that would be easier on my body than standing with my arms out stretched for 12 hours, I took a county job working for the Public Health department. That job ended as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. By this time my son had passed and mom had moved to my town. This was a tremendous emotional hit, but mom was there and encouraged me to continue my efforts to earn my degree. My desire to help families and youth to find hope and another path from drugs, abuse, and hopelessness, demanded a 4 year degree at the minimum. Mom has been right there cheering every assignment I complete and essay I write. At times when the heaviness of loss is just too much, mom is there with a hug, prayer, and a “I believe in you, and so does our Savior”, to help me back on my feet. I am in my last year of my bachelor’s degree in Human Services, and mom has started writing a book that will tell the stories of how her life’s journey in the mental health field has brought her to know that Jesus is the answer to all of our problems and there is hope. No matter how low we are He will always be there, and my mom has been one of the most valuable agents in my life to prove it.
Leslie Sweetwood Student Profile | Bold.org