One of our former Ranch residents, Paul Stapleton, shared with us some of the things he learned at the Ranch and how those thigns help him in his current career path. Read Paul’s story here!
After completing his Master of Business Administration degree in the summer of 2011, Paul Stapleton moved to Little Rock, Ark., where he currently works as a Program Consultant for Methodist Family Health. In a position where he recruits, hires, trains and supervises direct care staff members to work with youth, Paul uses his six years of experience gained while living at the Ranch.
Paul remembers being a “tough kid” while at the Ranch. He recalls living in Keith Hall at the Bethesda Campus with his houseparents Bill and Gloria. He could often be found counting his savings at the office where he would have fun “pestering” Mr. Mike or Ms. Jamie. ”I was definitely one of the hard cases!” Paul recalled. Some of his fondest memories are of catching crawfish and swimming in the river. Paul even had a pet cow named Jessica. After leaving the Ranch in 1996, Paul moved to Seattle, Wash. He moved back to Batesville, Ark. in 2004 to attend Lyon College, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in 2007.
About his current job, Paul explains: “I belong in this field. It is the most stressful field in the world, but we
are helping change lives. I know it is possible for some of the toughest kids to make it! Our job is to plant seeds in the hearts and minds of our damaged young people. Some of our toughest kids have not allowed the light inside them to turn on; they keep it hidden and protected. As their caretakers, we must continue to plant seeds, even when it feels like nothing is growing. When they finally allow the light to turn on, all the seeds that were ever planted by people that care for them begin to grow. We must then continue to provide them with the tools to cultivate their harvest. I use this analogy to help paint a picture of what places like the Ranch do. I hope it gives people who work with tough kids (like I was) a little more energy to keep going.”
In the left photo, Paul is shown working out with Keith Nelson as a Rancher. A more current photo of Paul is shown on the right.
