Nearly a year ago, I made a professional leap that surprised a few people: shifting from 4-H Youth Development into the world of Family and Community Wellness. On paper, it may look like an unexpected turn. In practice, it has been a return to my roots.
Before Extension, I spent two decades in banking—years that shaped my passion for financial education, practical skills, and helping people build stability. That experience never left me. It simply waited for the right door to open.
As I settled into this new role, I found myself returning to the business and leadership books that guided me through earlier chapters of my career. Dr. Tim Elmore’s Habitudes, Mac Anderson and Tom Feltenstein’s Change is Good; You Go First, and Spencer Johnson’s classic Who Moved My Cheese? have all resurfaced on my desk. Who Moved My Cheese?, in particular, remains a favorite. Its simple story about navigating change still manages to hold up a mirror, reminding me that growth often begins with discomfort.
Extension’s mission across Kansas is, in many ways, about helping people “move their cheese.” Whether it’s leadership development through 4-H, horticulture and livestock resources for producers, or workshops that help families make informed decisions, Extension exists to provide research-based tools that improve lives and strengthen communities.
Family and Community Wellness expands that mission even further—supporting early childhood development, nutrition, aging, and financial well-being. It’s a wide-reaching umbrella, but at its heart is a simple goal: helping Kansans thrive.
The forward to Who Moved My Cheese? includes a poem by A.J. Cronin that captures this journey beautifully:
“Life is no straight and easy corridor… But always, if we have faith, A door will open for us… One that will ultimately prove good for us.”
I’m grateful for the door that opened for me. This past year has allowed me to work with college students on budgeting and career readiness, and with adults
navigating Medicare, financial planning, and everyday money decisions. Each conversation reinforces why this work matters—especially in rural communities where access to resources can make all the difference.
At the end of the day, what’s most important to me is helping our communities not just survive, but truly thrive. I’m thankful for the small part I get to play in that ongoing journey.
Keep learning. Keep showing grace and kindness!
Michelle Beran is a Family and Community Wellness Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other K-State Extension resources, email Michelle at mberan@ksu.edu or call Cottonwood Extension District – Barton Office at 620-793-1910.
All Kansas Extension education programs and materials are available to all individuals without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.