A life of providing enlightenment
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Education, teaching, music, and faith have always been important facets in the life of Dr. Monica E. Breidenbach—and she has enjoyed remarkable success with each.
Breidenbach earned master's degrees in organizational manage-ment and musical composition and a doctorate in team management. She composed and performed her own music. She served her faith as a nun. And she has been a teacher for more than 50 years. She has researched, written, and published a book titled Career Development: Taking Charge of Your Career, now in its fourth edition.
How did she accomplish all this in her 78 years?
"It began the first day I went to school. I was in heaven," she recalled. "It was everything I wanted. I couldn't have been happier."
Breidenbach notes that school was easy for her and that she had outstanding teachers at every level who made a strong impression on her. By the seventh grade, she had decided she would be a teacher.
Breidenbach grew up in a large Catholic family of limited financial means in Mount St. Joseph, Ohio.
"We were a very close-knit family. And while we didn't have much money, we had a wonderful time together," she said. "We sang, danced, played games, and had fun as a family."
She started taking piano lessons and tap dancing when she was 4 years old.
"Tap dancing didn't do much for me," she laughed. "I couldn't get the hang of it. But I loved the piano, and that never changed."
She attended the College of Mount St. Joseph on a scholarship and graduated with a major in piano and music composition and performance and a minor in philosophy.
"I couldn't get enough of philosophy," she said. "I took every course I could find."
She was a nun for 18 years, then left the convent in order to "get into what I did best—adult education," she said, noting that she missed working with people one-on-one.
After a year in Washington, D.C., Breidenbach moved to the Kansas City area in 1978 and settled in Prairie Village.
"I'd never lived west of Ohio, but I'd heard good things about Kansas City, that it was a growing city and a good place to live," she said.
She opened her own career-consulting company for businesses and individuals and taught career development at the DeVry Institute of Technology (now DeVry University) and at the Kansas City branch of Ottawa University. She also taught at Johnson County Community College, where she is an adjunct professor. She has been associated with DeVry since 1983 and is a senior professor and adjunct professor.
"DeVry is committed to finding jobs for its students within six months after graduation," she said. "They've been highly successful at that, even during the recession."
Breidenbach's book is especially timely, given the present economic conditions and job shortages.
"Jobs are out there; they're just harder to find," she insists. "The problem is that not everyone is prepared to make a successful job hunt. Many have 'recession fear.' The recession is real, so jobs that many people really want are harder to find."
Breidenbach believes that the key for job-seekers is to highlight their particular skill and then find a company that needs that skill. Much of her book is for people entering or re-entering the job market and blue-collar and white-collar workers who aren't supervisors.
"You can find a lot of books about improving your job, but most are geared to the managerial level," she said. "I help people who aren't managers but want to improve their situation. That comes from self-knowledge."
She also notes that "Not everyone wants a career, but everyone wants a good job. Unless you are clear about what you want, you may not find it."
She urges people to hold their résumé to one page, including their career objectives, a brief summary of their education, and a concise description of their professional qualifications.
"The employer doesn't want your life history," she said. "He wants to know, 'What can you do for me?'"
She veered off her career course just once. Back in 1983, Breidenbach, a lifelong Democrat, made an unsuccessful run against Sue Weltner for mayor of Prairie Village, a Republican stronghold.
I've always been interested in politics and women's equality issues, but this was a one-time thing," she said.
Why did she enter the race?
"I heard a radio commentator say there were no Democrats in Prairie Village. I decided to show him," she said. "I just wanted to make a point. I lost, but I did get one-third of the vote!"
Breidenbach calls teaching her greatest achievement.
"I plan to continue teaching as long as my health is good," she said. "There's always something new in the teaching field. My goal is to live an independent life and to teach."
