About

Welcome! My name is Stephanie Knechtle (connec-lee), formerly Goethner (gertner). I married my best friend, David in October 2012, and we’re trying to figure out this whole “married life” thing. We did have a poll going before the wedding for which last name is worse…I think Goethner wins… I studied Communication Arts at Gordon College in MA, but you can read more about that on other pages. So…what’s not on the resume…I’m passionate about technology, women’s rights, Gen Y, the Middle East, skiing, and Christ.

Tech

I’m fascinated by technology (Apple all the way) and always have been. From a young age, my Dad taught me how to problem solve like a computer. Consequently, all my friends bring their computer and tech problems to me…it’s a gift and a curse sometimes.

Women’s Rights

I’m passionate about humanitarian issues, especially girls’/women’s rights. I’m also intrigued by women’s rights in business and in particular with Gen Y. For example, I understand women are paid less then men, but it’s more about women not negotiating and not stepping out as much.

Middle East

I studied abroad with the Middle East Studies Program in 2010. We lived in Cairo, Egypt for three months, and spent one month traveling to Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and Israel. People look at me like I have three heads when I say this but Egypt is another long term interest of mine; I visited with my mother in 2007. Even before arriving at Gordon College as a lowly freshman, I knew I would do this program. Yes, I planned all my classes around this semester, knowing that the credits would not count towards my major or core credit. In Cairo, we lived in a middle class neighborhood with a weekly food budget to purchase groceries, and therefore, ensuring that we learned at least basic Arabic.

Every Tuesday I volunteered with a few other students to visit prisoners that are a part of a church group. We really learned the value of one’s presence as most of the time we struggled with how we were actually helping them. We couldn’t get them out of prison nor could we bring them anything, but the men immensely valued the time spent in conversation.

While traveling we visited all the major sites, engaged with speakers from governments, religious groups, and journalists, and observed religion and politics in action. The relationship between religion and politics was the main focus of the academic portion of the semester. We studied the cultures at a key time right before the Arab Spring exploded across the region. It certainly was an interesting time to be in the Middle East.

Skiing

Ok, so I enjoyed being in the desert, but I also love winter. My Dad & Mom taught my brother and I how to ski when I was 3 (he was 2). Needless to say, skiing turned into one of my favorite outdoor activities. I was the captain of my high school race team senior year and we came in 2nd in States, granted it was CT. I’ve been skiing all over New England and Lake Tahoe. One of my dreams is to go helicopter skiing in the Chugach Mountains in Alaska.

Christ

Last but really first, if this all doesn’t seem random enough to you, I’m a Christ follower. I don’t really like “Christian” because it means so many different things. I’d rather have a conversation with someone about faith and what it means to them. While to some all these “passions” may seem random and couldn’t possibly work together, I believe God will use them to glorify His kingdom.