Bobbie Ashley, EfM Registration Specialist.
I was hired as a Registration Specialist 24 years ago. In 2014, I also added the additional title of Senior Database Coordinator.
I had never heard of EfM when I was hired, but quickly learned that EfM is a program and a loving community of people coming together and sharing their faith and beliefs. I have heard so many stories of how it has changed people's lives. I love working with something that genuinely makes a difference to people. There is a bond between our mentors and relationships that spans many years. It’s like distant family.
Registration has evolved from paper to online – like faxing to emails today. It is incredible how just during my time with EfM, things have advanced. What’s even more eye-opening is looking back on how things used to be done. All handwritten, every piece of paper filed, and books shipped by EfM staff.
Now, we are moving to PathWright, which is a learning and teaching tool. It is software that walks participants and mentors down paths that lead them through new teaching/learning platform. I like the demonstrations PathWright offers. We are able to walk step by step through the process. It is very beneficial to see the percentage of a participant's completion of a path. I also really appreciate the “help” option. Help can be a virtual immediate response; if it’s more complex, you are connected to a live representative.
The challenge we’ve faced is learning something new. We are all figuring out how to get this technology to work for us. We need to remember how much we need them so we can focus on and improve other aspects of the program. I believe the biggest challenge for our mentors and participants is encouraging them to read the directions! But, this will all get better with time as we get used to how PathWright works.
My hope for the year ahead is to have Pathwright work and do all the things we need it to do. We need accurate reporting, and we need to rest assured that the information we report is accurate and correct. I hope mentors become more relaxed, understanding that “new” is not “bad.” PathWright ultimately offers improvement for us all. My hope is to stay positive and keep the mission and practices of EfM in mind. We are all learning together, and we need to have a little patience and be kind to each other.
