Theresa White

Client Success Representative

Years at Telcion: 11 Months

How do you prefer to start your day at work?

Most days I start my workday with a big cup of tea (splash of milk, never sugar) while I go over my tasks for the day and sort them by priority. It gets me caffeinated and oriented so I can tackle the most important things first.

What was your first job?

My first job was as an administrative assistant to my Grandpa, who is the President of his own business. I was probably somewhere between 10-12. I would go to his home office and file paperwork and edit spreadsheets – at one point he even had me calling banks to follow up on financial tasks! Looking back, I am very grateful for the opportunity he gave me to start building my confidence on the job and making my own money. Now I try to emulate him by supporting young people who work hard so they can have the same opportunity I did.

If you could add one thing to Telcion’s office, what would it be?

If I could add one thing to Telcion’s office, it would be a Fresno branch! I’m definitely a remote work kind of gal, but it’s nice to get a change of scenery and see coworkers once in a while.

What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from a bittersweet source. There was a guy a year above me in high school who passed away in an accident right before he graduated. He was a lively, friendly person who loved Jesus and was well-liked by most, but he was taken to heaven at an unexpected time. A few weeks before he passed, I had mentioned to him in passing that I often withheld myself socially because I was concerned that people would think I was uppity (I skipped two grades and was rather precocious, so I was frequently the youngest person in the room). He told me, very frankly and to the point, that I was being stupid and needed to stop caring what other people thought so much. He said I was smart and had important things to say, and that I shouldn’t worry about other people if I was doing what was right. It was the last conversation I ever had with him, and what he said has stuck with me ever since.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a kid, I had two big career dreams: to be a farmer and a teacher (not necessarily at the same time). To this day I have not let those dreams die! While one day I hope to have my own hobby farm and teach at the university level, I’m working on learning how to keep plants alive and sharing learning others on a smaller scale. Currently I’m leading a group of teen girls through the Book of Daniel, and it is filling my cup in all sorts of way.

What would we most likely find you doing on the weekend?

Right now I’m preparing for a concert. I’m performing with some friends at the end of the year, so you’ll likely find me practicing our set! I’m playing several different instruments including banjo, violin, and guitar, so it’s a lot to juggle. Music is one of my favorite things, though, so it’s a labor of love.

If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which would you pick?

Well, assuming that all of the default apps like messaging, calling, and internet browsing are still on there, I’d have to choose:

• Spotify (because my music and podcasts are a mainstay)

• MarcoPolo (it’s a video messaging app that I use every single day to keep in contact with people)

• Voice Recorder (because I’m a musician who writes songs, and I need a way to capture my ideas as they happen)

What book are you reading now?

I just finished Children of Dune by Frank Herbert, and now my main reading focus is on Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by E Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brian. It’s a fantastic book that is reaffirming to me that it is crucial to consider the original cultural context of any text, whether it’s the Bible or something else.

What’s one totally irrational fear that you have?

Cockroaches. Spiders are fine, centipedes are just dandy, but I will have a screaming hissy fit if you make me kill a cockroach. Trust me, I want it dead, but for some reason they fill me with an unspeakable terror and I get paralyzed.

Thanks so much, Theresa!

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