DIRECTOR'S CORNER: Allison Fields - TWU

[in-ten-shuh n]: an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result.  

[ak-shuh n]: the process or state of acting or of being active.

You know, there’s something to be said about the combination of intentions and actions. It’s one thing to think it. But to think it AND do it… well, that can open several doors. 

Let’s take Allison Fields, for example.

The Mesquite, Texas native knew at a young age that she wanted to be a teacher. When other kids wanted to play tag, Allison was the one who wanted to play school. And the older she got, the more specific this goal became.

“When I got into high school, I realized that my drill team director had the coolest job,” said Allison, a former Belle at Poteet High School. “She got to dance all day, and I wanted to do that!”

Her intention was set. She just needed to put it into action.

Allison, who had been dancing since the age of 4, attended Texas Women’s University and earned both a degree in dance and her teaching certification. Not long after graduating college, she was back at Poteet High School doing exactly what she’d intended.

“For a lot of people, being able to go back to your alma mater is so cool,” she said. “really enjoy teaching and working with students. I taught dance for fine art credit and drill team had a P.E. credit."

SUCCESS!

That valuable combo of intention and action helped Allison achieve a goal that she’d set for herself at such a young age. AND she spent five incredible years at her alma mater.

Her story doesn’t end there, though.

Allison closed her chapter at Poteet and began the search for a job with more flexibility, as she had a young son at home. She thought to look into positions at TWU and found an “event supervisor” position. The part of the job description that caught her eye, though, mentioned "supervising dance practices".

“I thought, ‘what in the world could that be?’ Because I knew we didn’t have dance team,” she explained. “So, I contacted one of my former professors and asked if she knew anything about this job and if I should apply. She said yes.”

The university wanted to start a dance team to help build school spirit and campus involvement. The news generated a buzz around campus, and both faculty and students were excited by the idea. 

Allison applied for the position. One of the challenges she faced, however, was her lack of college dance team experience. Rather than letting this hold her back, she took action. She did her research. She visited other college programs and picked the brains of other directors.

About one month after her initial interview, Allison became the first coach of TWU’s Pioneer Pride Dance Team.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would start a university dance team or be a university dance coach, but here I am!” Allison said. “To be here contributing to the university that contributed to my education is really exciting.”

Intention + Action, guys! 

It will take you far and help you achieve the things you never imagined. Do yourself a favor and bridge that gap between intention and action, today. Don’t just think it… do it!

Meanwhile, we can’t wait to see what Allison does with this fresh team, and we’re so excited to be a part of this new chapter!