UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State alumna Bethany Pace and her colleague Hillary Livingston will share tips and insights about handling adversity, at the next Penn State Alumni Expert Series webinar, “Cubicles, Coworkers, and the Conundrum of Going to Work When It Feels Like Your Life Is Falling Apart,” on Thursday, Jan. 29, from 7 to 8 p.m. on Zoom. Registration for the event is open now.
About the talk: When life challenges an employee's stability and wellness and things begin to unravel behind the scenes, the workplace can quickly become one of the hardest environments for them to navigate. Whether it’s a divorce, a family crisis, a major transition, or a personal loss, employees often are expected to show up, answer emails, attend meetings and contribute as if nothing has changed. The reality is that everything may have changed, perhaps even including an employee's professional identity.
In their presentation, Pace and Livingston will explore the importance of optimism while navigating adversity, how identifying boundaries and values can counteract the overwhelming emotions inherent in major life transitions, and how to determine whether a work environment, colleagues and organizational leadership will provide an employee the support they need during this time.
Pace and Livingston are the creators and co-founders of Sincerely, Divorced, an in-person and online community built around reframing a difficult, shared experience. They offer compassionate advice with a dose of humor; research and teach about positive reframing; and help to spread hope for rebuilding one’s life after navigating adversity and major life transitions. Their show, "The Show About Divorce," features everyday people recounting the tales of their lives before, during and after divorce.
Pace, a former assistant provost at Towson University, has held leadership roles in higher education and private industry. Her research and speaking focus on divorce after long marriages; co-parenting; mid-life dating; and cultural and faith perspectives on divorce. An active community leader, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., serves on the Pediatric Family Advisory Council at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, and is vice president of the Penn State Alumni Association’s Upper Chesapeake chapter.
The Alumni Expert Series, presented by Penn State’s Alumni Career Services, shares career insights and advice from Penn State alumni each month, supporting the unit’s mission to help Penn Staters of all ages and experience pursue a lifetime of career success.
Penn State Alumni Career Services helps graduates of all ages pursue a success by mapping out a career path, finding a new job, planning a next step, or connecting to the powerful Penn State network. It provides alumni with objective guidance and feedback, career education opportunities, and a variety of programs to hone job-seeking skills. Penn State Alumni Association members have access to additional offerings, including professional document reviews, one-on-one career coaching, and mock interviews.
Penn State alumni can get started by visiting the Alumni Career Services website.