When women and children in the Okoboji, Iowa, area need a safe and supportive community, the Cherish Center is a welcoming place. At the helm of the organization is Shantel Pausley (’04, ’15) a Clarks Summit University alumna.
Pausley began her professional journey at the Cherish Center, which cares for women through pregnancy services, safe housing and knowledge-based programs. She went on to work in a private group practice before returning to the Cherish Center as executive director, where she focuses on donor development, human resources and evaluating and improving programs. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Registered Play Therapist and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, Pausley also provides counseling and facilitates support groups.
“Healthy mom. Healthy baby. This is our primary goal at the Cherish Center,” Paisley explained. “Pregnancy is a key opportunity to reach women with essential services for their own health and the health of their unborn child. Our safe and supportive home helps residents to not only feel comfortable at Cherish House but excited about their future.”
Pausley graduated from CSU in 2004 with her bachelor’s degree and in 2015 with her Master of Science in Counseling, cum laude. She completed requirements to become a Registered Play Therapist at Minnesota State University.
Pausley married her high school sweetheart, Jon (’03), who is CEO of Historic Arnold’s Park, Inc. It was through his family she first learned about CSU. She visited and quickly fell in love with the beautiful area and the community at the university. “I still remember coming onto campus,” she said. “It was like a little pearl hidden in the endless mountains of Pennsylvania.”
Being the first person in her family to attend college, Pausley knew being 1,000 miles away from home would stretch her in many ways. However, she says CSU’s “nestled campus and compassionate Christ-centered community helped me to feel safe, connected and right at home.”
While earning her master’s degree at CSU, Pausley flew back to campus for a week-long module. “I loved being able to come back to a space and time that held so many memories…The opportunity to complete my undergraduate and graduate programs within the same halls was a profoundly impactful, reflective and restorative process.”
Many faculty members had a significant impact on Pausley. “I come to tears when I think of the profound impact Dr. Kelly Bushey, Carol King and Dr. Lynelle Buchanan had on my life. It was one of the first times in my life I remember feeling like my heart had ever been truly seen,” she recalls. “Their life-giving guidance and wisdom will forever be pressed upon my heart and is often a passion I draw from when digging deep in serving others.”
She says, “Like most universities, CSU provides students a strong foundation of learning. What sets CSU preparation apart is providing a culture that feels safe enough to learn who you are as a budding practitioner, while engaging in robust hands-on learning experiences. I began internships already having the confidence built from my hands-on experiences, placing me at a large advantage in feeling comfortable in direct care from the start. CSU is passionate about empowering their students to develop and recognize their God-given strengths and how to integrate their unique talent into the workplace.”
God has given Pausley a passion for women’s wellness and postpartum care. She wants each person at the Cherish Center to know and live out one simple and profound truth: “We are cherished by God. No matter the woman’s journey that has landed her on the front steps of the Cherish House, she is…cherished…period.”
by Ainsley Hall (’22) and Erika A. Bruckner (’04, ’21)
