Newman Director of Athletics Joanna Pryor, the only female athletic director in the MidAmerican Athletic Association (MIAA) Conference, shared some of her wisdom during a Women’s Career Conference at Bethany College March 7.
In October, Pryor was asked to be the keynote speaker for 500 attendees of the conference in Lindsborg, Kansas.
Angie Martin, associate professor of finance at Bethany College, said that when President Elizabeth Mauch, Ph.D., and the rest of the planning committee saw Pryor’s name on the panelist list, “there was a consensus that she would make an excellent keynote speaker for the conference.”
“The student population of Bethany College is more than 50% student-athletes, and we felt that Joanna would have a story that would resonate with our students and guest attendees,” Martin said.
The event wasn’t for another five months, but Pryor said she was “a nervous wreck.”
A self-proclaimed procrastinator, Pryor ruminated on what she was going to say. The night before the big event, she decided how to deliver her story.
Rising to the challenge
Bethany’s first Women’s Career Conference highlighted the achievements of women with the goal of helping attendees discover their own purpose in their careers. The audience was packed with college and high school students, as well as leaders in education, government, health care and executive management. The day began with Pryor’s keynote speech followed by breakout sessions with panelists.
“I am just a small-town girl trying to make a difference,” Pryor said at the start of her speech.
Pryor grew up in Attica, Kansas, with her three brothers. She played every sport she could during her childhood and fell in love with playing volleyball. As a first-generation college student, Pryor attended Cowley County Community College where she played volleyball and eventually graduated from Wichita State University (WSU) with a sports management degree.
Pryor became the head volleyball coach at Cowley at just 22 years old. There, she coached for eight years and left for Newman University, where she coached for two years, moved into a National Collegiate Athletic Association compliance role for eight years and has served as director of athletics for three and a half years.
Pryor’s speech touched on four major points: 1) Know yourself/ find yourself; 2) Take risks; 3) Stay committed; and 4) Make a difference.
Know yourself/ find yourself
“Do the things that you love to find your passion and purpose,” Pryor said. “I had a middle school and high school coach (same person) who encouraged me to play and pushed me down my path. Some people have a way of getting the best out of you.”
“It is OK if you don’t always enjoy every minute of what you do. Through challenges, we grow. Know what you are good at and what challenges you. Ask others what they see in you. Don’t be afraid to try new and different things.”
Take risks
“Don’t be afraid to make a mistake,” she continued. “That is how we continue to learn. Some people ask, ‘How do you know if it is the right decision?’ It has always felt right in the end. Something will tip the scales and push you down that path.”
Stay committed
“The path isn’t always an easy one and is generally not a straight one. … You must not give up. It can be easy to get worn down or frustrated. There will be things you can’t control. Stay the course and find a way to turn it positive.”
Make a difference
“Everything we do should have a purpose,” Pryor said. “Find it and stick to it. … And as you go down your path, remember to be humble. Know that opportunity is rooted in relationships. Don’t do it alone. Surround yourself with people who make you better.”
Learning from leaders
Pryor was on the panel with several female leaders throughout Kansas, including Angela Buckner, an honoree of both the Kansas Hall of Fame and the Wichita State University Hall of Fame for women’s basketball.
Buckner grew up playing in Wichita recreation centers and now oversees them as recreation director for the Lynette Woodard Recreation Center, Fairmount Community Center and Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center.
“I want to give back to the community that aided in my growth to who I am now,” Buckner said.
Pryor said she felt energized to listen to Buckner about her career path, job and her “why” in life.
“What I took away was that it’s important to remember why you do what you do and what energizes you in your own work,” Pryor said.
Presenting alongside so many diverse women with stories of failure, success and determination left Buckner feeling inspired.
“Joanna did a great job of stressing the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity that you come across,” she said. “My biggest takeaway was ‘know no stranger.’ Everyone you meet could have the potential of being your next employer or introduce you to your next employer. Sometimes you have to lean into the uncomfortable to go toward success. Surround yourself with people who strive to bring the best out of you professionally and personally.”
Buckner added, “I would just echo Jo and take advantage of every situation as it could lead to a truly great blessing in your life.”
Sometimes you have to lean into the uncomfortable to go toward success.
Angela Buckner
Joyce Pigge, a retired faculty member who helped bring athletics to Bethany College, recognized one of Pryor’s references in her speech: Sister Diane Leary, CSJ. Leary was recently honored by Newman as a Title IX champion as the MIAA celebrated 50 years of Title IX, and Pigge lit up when she approached Pryor after her talk.
Pryor said it was a special moment to share with someone who knew and appreciated Leary’s leadership as a former director of athletics at Newman.
Martin explained that Presser Hall at Bethany can be intimidating as the speaker stands alone on a stage that looks out at a huge hall of attendees.
“But Joanna simply was fantastic,” Martin said. “It was great to hear how she went from coaching to administration, and most of all, how others supported and encouraged her, which is one thing we wanted our students to understand.”
She added, “It is all about building relationships and having a mentor, and it’s evident that Joanna is a great leader.”
As stated in Pryor’s keynote speech, “every challenge is an opportunity to grow.” The idea of serving as a keynote speaker felt daunting at first, but Pryor realized that if she can be inspiring to others, “I need to own that.”
“I shouldn’t assume that no one wants to be like me or that I’m not as important as all these other female leaders,” Pryor said. “If I can pave the way for someone else, that’s important. Even in my coaching when I started having kids, I was excited to show my team that you can be a mom and a coach at the same time, it can be done. That it might inspire someone.”
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