BYU-Idaho female professors learn to juggle work, family by setting priorities

by Ashley Andrus AND01049@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

Today there are millions of working women spanning the globe, fulfilling all types of occupations and roles including mother, teacher, wife, employee, boss, co-worker, nurturer and caretaker. In 2001 there were 20.5 million women in the U.S. work force, according to federal statistics, showing that women are steadily evening with working men who number 22.9 million.

Robyn Bergstrom and Beth Hendricks, both communications professors, are two of these working women who support themselves and their families by teaching at BYU-Idaho.

Bergstrom, who has taught at BYU-I for the past nine years, currently fills her schedule with interpersonal, small group, urban studies and public speaking classes. She also takes students to the Chicago Inner-city Youth Camp each summer, teaches Relief Society in her ward and coaches the BYU-I forensics team. Bergstrom is working on a doctorate, and is heavily involved in classes and studies.

“It takes a lot of prioritizing, and I think sacrifice, mostly of my sleep,” Bergstrom said, laughing. “But if I work out an hour a day, I can get a lot more done. Isn’t that interesting? I wouldn’t have thought that was possible. My day is pretty much finishing classes, jumping in the car, working out, correcting papers between nine and midnight. I study before I go to bed and I wake up at five every morning and do a lot of reading. Then I walk [with a group of women] from six to seven. We talk a lot and walk fast; it’s a psychological workout too. We solve the problems of the world in a few moments!”

Although Bergstrom does not have any children at home, she juggled just as much when her four children were there.

“We were really busy,” Bergstrom said. “I didn’t start teaching until nine in the morning, and I tried to get as much of my work done while I was at work and have it done before I came home. ... Also, my kids were involved in a lot of extracurricular activities and I would always beat them home. I also didn’t teach night classes so I would be around. I would drop them off at school on my way to school, which turned out to be some great one-on-one time.”

On the other hand, Hendricks is experiencing life as a working mother with two sons at home and one on a mission. In addition to teaching advertising classes full time, she and her husband are part-owners of a sports and fitness club where Hendricks handles the accounting. She also helps her sons clean their grandfather’s office, teaches her 17-year-old Sunday School class, and has plans to build a new home.

Hendricks said she feels blessed to have a husband who can help.

“I had a full-ride scholarship to BYU for my master’s degree, but I gave it up so I could put him through school at the University of Utah,” Hendricks said. “When I went back to get my degree, he was great about it. We just juggle our schedules with one another. He really helps out with taking care of the kids and so I don’t have to worry about that. When I was getting my master’s, he took the kids to school.”

Both professors say that they feel their family is most important in their lives and that setting priorities is a big part of success.

“Always remember that your first priority is family,” Bergstrom said. “Planning and prioritizing is more important. You can always make time for family, school, church and your neighborhood. And it’s okay to ask for help.”

“As far as young ladies are concerned, just go as far as you can with schooling,” Hendricks said. “Prepare yourselves now. I read in a book that the people that are prepared have more freedom because they can position themselves. If you have more freedom, you won’t get stuck in a job that says ‘You have to be here from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., we don’t care about your family life.’ You won’t end up being able to do what you want to do and you won’t be able to take care of your family. Professional freedom is worth a lot.”