Meet Mary Zieten!

Crystal Bruce · September 2018

Meet (and friend!) Community Ninja, Mary Zieten, with Canterbury School.

What’s one memory that always makes you smile? "Christmas at my Grandparents' house. It was always a huge family affair, with 9 aunts and and uncles, and all their children, it was always rowdy and noisy and fun. There were foods we only got there, and the stockings were AMAZING! The excitement of sitting on the stairs with all the cousins until we were released to see the presents. Suffering through the pictures parents wanted to take until then."What is one interesting fact about yourself most people don't know? "Interesting fact? I was born at home, and didn't have a birth certificate until I was 15!"What are three things on your bucket list? "Visiting Ireland, Visiting Japan, Visiting Norway." What advice would you give someone starting out in the non-profit field? "Breathe. You will get a lot of things thrown at you very quickly. And never let perfect get in the way of good. You're better off with a decent product, and less stress, than a perfect project, and no hair."What do you love about the Blackbaud Community? "It's great to be able to interact with other users, and find out how they're solving problems, and it's great to know that the developers are reading and responding!"


Meet Mary Zieten! This week's member spotlight shines on Online Express, Raiser's Edge, RENXT, BBMS, Financial Edge, FENXT, and K-12 ON Products user, Mary Zieten with Canterbury School. Mary Zieten's Community Profile
Tell us about your family (fur babies count!) "It's just me, my hubby, and 5 cats! 2 naked cats (aka Sphynx), 1 furry bobtail cat, 1 munchkin cat, and 1 super floofy British Shorthair/Devon Rex cross." Where do you live? "Cape Coral, Florida." What do you like to do for fun? "For fun, I read, I game (that would be mostly video games), and geek out about sci-fi and fantasy shows/movies!" What’s a life achievement you are particularly proud of? "I bought a house! It took longer than average, but hubby and I finally got to a point where we could buy a place to call our own! It comes with its own challenges and headaches, but it's something I'm super proud of."

Tell us about your organization: "We are a private independent PK3-12 School. We have approximately 650 students currently. Our baseball team have been state champs for the last 3 years!" What’s a typical day like for you? "Typical? What is this typical you speak of? I wear many hats, so the only constant from day to day is that the plan I had in place when I arrive in the morning will be out the window about 5 minutes after I walk in the door. I alternate between Advancement, Business and Admissions, and they all have their own demands, and their own up and down times. It's never boring, that's for sure!" What’s the best part of your job? "I'm discovering just how much I love pulling data out of databases! It's challenging, and it's fun! I knew I liked data entry, but had no idea that pulling the data out after it was done would thrill me so much."


Finally, if you were a sandwich, what kind of sandwich would you be? "If I were a sandwich, I would be a peanut butter, mayonnaise, banana and bacon sandwich! Tangy, sweet, salty, and not for everyone."