Meet Rebecca Armstrong – LCC Class of 2022
Rebecca Armstrong grew up on a 40-acre farm near Beaver Falls in western Pennsylvania. An admitted “country girl,” Rebecca was active in her church; threw discus and shot put on the track team; and was a member of the Girl Scouts, earning the “First Class Award” which was the highest award for girls at that time.
Following graduation from high school, Armstrong attended Ashland University. There she earned her Bachelor of Arts in history with a double minor in family services and religion. She began working on her Masters in Library Science at Kent State University, until she took a semester off to work at a group home back in Pennsylvania and never returned.
Rebecca moved to Coshocton in 1987 when she accepted a position at John McIntire Library in Zanesville as children’s librarian assistant. She continued working for libraries – later at Loudonville Public as the head children’s librarian and then Kenyon College, where she was an assistant cataloger. Her time at these libraries was particularly interesting as it was during the transition from the traditional “paper” card catalog to digital records. Armstrong later pivoted to teaching, with her first position at Christ Covenant Ministries where she taught secondary history as well as serving as the school librarian. Following her marriage and the birth of her first two sons, she then taught at Coshocton Christian School. Since that time, Armstrong returned home and has homeschooled their six children. In 2020, she started her business, An Organized Journey as a professional organizer.
Armstrong has “always been very organized;” stating, “as a child, I needed to bring order to the disorder in my life.” She started helping friends and they mentioned she “should get paid for this.” She finally took it to heart and mentored under a professional organizer in Virginia. Despite the pandemic, she has continued to build her business. As a professional organizer, Armstrong calls herself, “Part counselor; part cheerleader; part drill sergeant.” Organizing is “more than putting things where they’re supposed to be.” She states, “Each client is different; each approach is different. The goal is to help them do it on their own. Everyone has a ‘hole’ they need to fill. I love what I do and am blessed to have a job I also see as a ministry.” Armstrong does not “organize people,” rather, she allows the client to take ownership, stating, “Ultimately, we find whatever works for you and your space.”
Armstrong is a member of the Institute for the Chronically Disorganized with certifications in The Aging Client and in Hoarding and is currently working toward Photo Management. She is a member of Fresno Bible Church, a volunteer at the Pregnancy Center of Coshocton, mentors a senior project at River View Local High School, and also mentors homeschooling families.
Armstrong was intrigued by Leadership Coshocton County for years but didn’t have the time to devote to it. She has often been told she was a “born leader” with a “servant’s heart” and recognized that leadership isn’t just “wearing a suit and tie” or having “letters after your name.” She wanted to learn about herself in order to become the best version of herself and so better serve others. She also strongly feels that “if you’re going to live somewhere, you need to be a part of it.” She states, “For years my contribution was how I raised my kids. Now my question is, what is the future you’re leaving?”
Of the community, Armstrong states, “I love Coshocton County. I could have moved anywhere after the birth of my firstborn, but love the small community. It is a great place to have and raise a family.” She is excited about the revitalization and seeing people take ownership of the community they live in instead of expecting others to fix it. She would like to be a part of that.
Armstrong views Coshocton County “on a good trajectory right now,” and goes on to say, “What will keep the momentum going is for the community as a whole to take part, even if in a small way. Because of the division in the nation and society as a whole, we need to go back to ‘love thy neighbor’ even if they don’t love back.”
Armstrong would recommend Leadership Coshocton for others, as much for “helping you discover your actual self; to be more effective and impactful in your community, wherever life might take you.” She adds, “We all lead in some way. We have to lead ourselves, and the way we lead ourselves is how we lead others.”
Category: Clubs & Organizations
