Heather Rodgers Oral History Interview, February 10, 2020

Partial Transcript: So, Heather just to start off will you let us know a little bit about where you grew up and where you come from?

Segment Synopsis: Heather discusses growing up in Klamath Falls, Oregon on a cattle ranch. She talks about living there until seventh grade when she moved to Corvallis so her dad could pursue a degree in Veterinary medicine.

Keywords: Corvallis, Oregon; Klamath Falls, Oregon; Veterinary school; cattle ranch

Partial Transcript: We also moved to San Jose for about six months because my dad was fighting cancer and was moved their for treatment.

Segment Synopsis: Heather discusses her family's move to San Jose as her father battled cancer and needed treatment. She notes that Corvallis seems to be her "boomerang" town.

Keywords: San Jose, California; boomerang; cancer

Partial Transcript: What is one of the things you like most about Corvallis?

Segment Synopsis: Heather talks about loving the community around Corvallis. She notes that the Corvallis community is very caring and not tolerant of crime which are aspects that she likes.

Keywords: community; culture

Partial Transcript: So what made you decide to go to Oregon State?

Segment Synopsis: Heather talks about not wanting to go to college at first because of a fear of debt after watching her father incur a lot of school debt. She notes that her parents encouraged her to go to school and she began at Linn Benton Community College before transferring to Oregon State University.

Keywords: Debt; Linn Benton Community College; Oregon State University

Partial Transcript: And what program was that?

Segment Synopsis: Heather talks about studying Public Health at Oregon State. She talks about having an influential professor that sparked her interest in Public Health. She liked that Public Health was not only career oriented but also had aspects that she could apply to her everyday life.

Keywords: Public Health; career

Partial Transcript: What did you hope to do with your Public Health degree?

Segment Synopsis: Heather talks about being very involved in her church and through that getting the opportunity to travel abroad. Through her experiences abroad, she saw the lack of education and poverty in many countries. She notes wanting to be able to use her degree to work on disease prevention in another country while also serving a church. She talks about going to Hungary, which was an eye-opening experience as they went as the country was still recovering from a change in government. She talks about her trips to Mexico, Peru, and Israel.

Keywords: Church; Disease Prevention; Hungary; Isreal; Mexico; Peru; Travel

Partial Transcript: Tell us a little bit about what Real Life is.

Segment Synopsis: Heather talks about being involved with an on-campus ministry known as Real Life. She notes that Real Life's mission is to love others and love Jesus and make Him known in a way that is accessible to college students. She talks about their study of the Bible. She was on the worship team and served in every aspect that she could.

Keywords: Bible; Campus Ministry; Jesus; Real Life; Worship

Partial Transcript: After college, what did you go into?

Segment Synopsis: Heather talks about moving to Lakeview, Oregon after her father had passed away from cancer. She talks about finishing her internship with Oregon State University as a Physical Therapy Aide. She then transitioned into working in a medical clinic at the front desk. She talks about the challenges she faced working in these aspects as the jobs did not line up with what she had expected she would be doing.

Keywords: Challenges; Internship; Lakeview, Oregon; Medical Clini; Physical Therapy Aide

Partial Transcript: What is the School of Ministry?

Segment Synopsis: Heather talks about going through the School of Ministry at Calvary Chapel Corvallis upon returning to Corvallis. She talks about her studies on theology and practical ministry.

Keywords: Calvary Chapel Corvallis; Practical Ministry; School of Ministry; Theology

Partial Transcript: What did you do once you graduated from the School of Ministry?

Segment Synopsis: After graduating from the School of Ministry Heather decided to apply to the House of Charis, a Christian house for college students. She applied to be the house cook. She got the job by telling them about her desire to disciple and mentor younger girls. As the cook, Heather notes the challenges in the beginning, but the fulfilling work of being able to pour into the girls' lives.

Keywords: Christian housing; Cook; House of Charis; Mentor

Partial Transcript: How did you end up transitioning from the cook to the Director?

Segment Synopsis: Heather talks about her transition from cook at the House of Charis to the Director. She did both jobs for awhile until it became too much and then she transitioned into full time at the Director which she has been doing for a number of years. She talks about building the girls up in the house as leaders and how she gets to be their friend and help offer wisdom and counsel when they need it.

Keywords: Director; leaders

Partial Transcript: Do you think that you have used Public Health with what you are doing?

Segment Synopsis: Heather discusses the way that she has continued to use her degree in Public Health at the House of Charis. She talks about meal planning nutritious food, implementing regulations for disease prevention among a large house, and other strategies that she has used to intertwine leading a house of girls and public health.

Keywords: Disease Prevention; Public Health

Partial Transcript: What would you say are some of the core values of Charis?

Segment Synopsis: Heather talks about why the House of Charis was started and the core values that it was founded upon which includes loving Jesus and loving others. She talks about trying to equip girls to grow in their faith and to be able to be a light on campus. She talks about Charis being a safe and inviting place for anyone on campus, not just Christians, and her desire for people to come to Charis and get a warm meal and feel safe.

Keywords: Charis; Faith; Jesus

Partial Transcript: What are other parts of Ministry that you are involved with?

Segment Synopsis: Heather ends with talking about her work with Calvary Chapel Corvallis, one of the largest churches in the Corvallis area. She not only serves as the director for the House of Charis, but also helps her mother in leading the women's ministry at the church.

Keywords: Calvary Chapel; House of Charis; Women's Ministry