Unpacking Jere: A Different Kind of Growth Project
Personal Growth, Faith & Life, Reflection Jere Van Patten Personal Growth, Faith & Life, Reflection Jere Van Patten

Unpacking Jere: A Different Kind of Growth Project

Who am I without the titles, accomplishments, responsibilities, and roles I've spent a lifetime building? That question launched a six-month journey of self-discovery, healing, and honest reflection. In this post, I share why I've begun asking harder questions, examining old patterns, and learning that growth isn't always about finding new answers—sometimes it's about becoming honest enough to face yourself.

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The Ripple Effect of a Life in Theatre

The Ripple Effect of a Life in Theatre

Inspired by the Tony Awards, this reflection became something much bigger than a celebration of Broadway. It became an opportunity to look back on the people, performances, mentors, friends, students, and moments that helped shape the man I am today. From the first show I saw at thirteen to the classroom and rehearsal hall where I now spend my days, theatre has touched every corner of my life. This essay explores the ripple effect of a life in theatre—the extraordinary power of art to inspire, connect, and transform—and why, even now, I still believe there's time for one more dream.

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George Bailey was Onto Something

George Bailey was Onto Something

Somewhere between unanswered texts, sitting on bleachers at volleyball games, and wondering why spiritual growth always seems to come wrapped in suffering, I found myself asking a quiet but unsettling question: Does it matter that I’m here? This post is about feeling invisible in the spaces that matter most—at home, at work, in faith—and the reminder that our worth was never meant to be measured by how needed we are, but by how deeply we are loved.

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