Craft Master
She proves you can control your destiny no matter the obstacles in the way
by Michelle Barber Lyhnakis (MPC ’06)
Megan Hoeppner (’03) is taking the craft industry by storm. She’s worked as an editor for an international scrapbooking publication, teaches classes for national brands, and has her own line of creative products.After graduating from Westminster with a degree in communication, Megan worked for McDonald’s Intermountain as the “I’m Loving It! Lady.” Her role in the public relations arm of the business was to work with Ronald McDonald at public appearances. Even after working dozens of parades and special events, Megan only knew him as Ronald. When she applied for a public relations position at Utah-based scrapbooking company, Stampin’ Up!, Ronald called to serve as a reference for her.
At Stampin’ Up! Megan’s career began to flourish. “I’ve always been creative,” she says. “I remember one of the best gifts I received as a child was a suitcase full of paper, markers, and glitter.”
After three years at Stampin’ Up!, Megan was offered a position in publishing as an associate editor for Paper Crafts magazine, a senior editor for Simple Scrapbooks magazine, and a creative editor for Creating Keepsakes magazine. Megan says this was her dream job. She was able to write, edit, create, and teach at crafting conventions. Her work led to her own blog, appearances on KSL TV’s Studio 5, and eventually her own line of creative planner products at Webster’s Pages.
At age 25, Megan was diagnosed with narcolepsy, a neurological disorder that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness.
“In a way, it was a good thing that I was diagnosed later, because many people with narcolepsy do not graduate high school, let alone college,” Megan says. She was determined not to let the diagnosis set her back. “My doctor said I’d never be an editor, but I’ve learned that you shouldn’t let people tell you how to live, or what you can and can’t be.”
You can follow Megan’s journey on her blog at meganhoeppner.com.
About the Westminster Review
The Westminster Review is Westminster University’s bi-annual alumni magazine that is distributed to alumni and community members. Each issue aims to keep alumni updated on campus current events and highlights the accomplishments of current students, professors, and Westminster alum.
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