An Exclusive Interview with Mallory McPherson-Wehan
hard-hitting questions from me to me
I had the pleasure of sitting down this week with Mallory McPherson-Wehan, who just finished her first year at Midland School. We had a wide-ranging conversation about navigating a new work environment, making friends as an adult, and managing a long commute. Please enjoy this excerpt. To listen to the whole interview, give her a call.
Mallory (interviewer): It’s been a big year for you. On August 1st, you had your last day as the assistant director of health promotion at GW, where you worked for all of your adult life, and then on August 2nd you left Arlington, VA to drive across the country with your husband, Ryan, and your dog, Fitz. Not even a full week later you started your role as health director at Midland School. Tell us about that transition.
Mal (interviewee): Well, first of all, thank you for having me. It’s a honor to chat with you. Yes, it was quite a transition. I literally left work on August 1st, had a going away party that night, and then left the next morning to drive across the country. We did the drive in three 12-hour days, reaching Ventura on August 6th (we did an extra day in Albuquerque, NM). I had a few days in Ventura before starting work on Monday, August 11th.
It was a whirlwind. Starting a new job, living in a new place, feeling completely untethered from all of the things that kept me grounded in Arlington. It was like drinking from a firehose. It was a solid 4 months before I felt any semblance of groundedness.
Mallory: And I know friendship is really important to you, so it must have been hard to move to a place where you knew almost no one.
Mal: Honestly, that was one of the hardest parts for me. You don’t realize how much you rely on a support system until you no longer have it in the same way. I spent a lot of time the first couple of months just grieving the distance from my Washington, D.C. support system. Ryan was incredible and so supportive, but a girl squad just offers something different, and it was really hard not having that.
Mallory: Let’s dive into some reflection on your first year living in Santa Barbara and your new job at Midland. What are you most proud of from this year?
Mal: It’s funny because I spent so much of the first couple of months feeling total imposter syndrome that it took awhile to feel proud of anything. But I’d say two things stand out to me.
The first was revamping a system at Midland that did not make sense when I came in. I won’t bore you with all of the gritty details, but there were a lot of stakeholders with strong opinions and I took all of their feedback and created a new system that everyone loved. I was really proud of my ability to listen and problem solve, especially in a new environment where I was learning the professional dynamics and the systems in general.
The second thing I was proud of was how well I did on the MIDterm trip through the Los Padres backcountry. For a full review of the trip, read this. I hadn’t backpacked in a long time and wasn’t sure how I would navigate a seven-day backpacking trip, but it ended up being one of the highlights of my year and was full of memories and time with students that I’ll remember forever! I was so proud of how tough and strong I was, even with lots of bushwhacking and long days.
Mallory: Both very impressive! What about something that surprised you about this year?
Mal: I was pleasantly surprised (though I’m not sure surprised is the right word here) by how much I loved working with high schoolers. I really loved working with college students and so I wasn’t sure how different it would be to work with 14-18 year olds. But I ended up loving the younger population of students, and getting to do public health work with a subsection of society that really needs comprehensive sex education, harm reduction skills, and a trusted adult!
Mallory: And they were so lucky to have you! What was one takeaway from this year for you?
Mal: When I left GW to work at Midland, I was pretty sure I’d be able to adapt to a new institution and role, but there’s always that little voice in your head that’s unsure. Starting at Midland, I was really hoping that I was right, that I was adaptable and able to take on a very different role serving a new population. And it turned out that I was right! This year gave me a lot of confidence that I can thrive in different types of jobs, from acute medical care to systems-level prevention work to case management. I don’t love all of it the same amount, but I’m fully capable of doing it and doing it well.
Mallory: Ok, last question. What are you hoping to take into next year? What do you hope is different or the same?
Mal: Because this year was so overwhelming and all-consuming I wasn’t really able to fully appreciate living in Santa Barbara. I really hope in year two at Midland I can spend more time enjoying nature, going on hikes, sitting on our porch in the sun. I know Ryan is hoping we have more buddy time next year because sometimes he feels like he moved to Santa Barbara all by himself and I just sleep here at night! I got much better at setting work-life boundaries as the year went on, so I’m looking forward to continuing to hold that line into next year.
Mallory: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat today, Mal. It sounds like you navigated this year with a lot of grace, persistence, and humor. Can’t wait to see what you do next year!