It was a mission trip to Ghana her junior year of college that made Beth Conner fall in love with other cultures. Now, it’s brought her to Catholic Charities as a family wellness educator with Migration and Refugee Services.

“I noticed right off the bat from an organizational standpoint that Catholic Charities loves people really well,” she said. “It’s cool to come to an organization and see that they’re going to love people regardless of where they are in life.”

Where Beth and her husband Spencer are in life right now is busy. He is Student Pastor for a local church in Shepherdsville and Beth is thoroughly involved with his ministry. “I fully realize now why none of my youth pastors’ spouses had full-time jobs,” she laughed. She and Spencer have a 15-month old golden retriever, Tuck, who “keeps us busy,” and they like to hike, especially at Bernheim Forest and in the Mammoth Cave area. Beth recently took up photography, and already has taken photos for some couples and high school seniors.

She and Spencer are serious movie buffs, and in February for Beth’s birthday he converted their third bedroom into a media room where they project movies onto a wall. Right now, they have a couch in there but are hoping to upgrade to recliners and a popcorn machine.

They’re big fans of Marvel movies, Harry Potter, romantic comedies, and suspense. Beth in particular likes scary movies, includes 10 Things I Hate About You among her personal favorites, and says Pride and Prejudice is the movie she goes back to  most often. They also binge on Parks and Rec, Friends, and The Office, and are two-time champions of their local The Office-themed trivia contest.

At work, Beth said she especially appreciates the diversity of the MRS staff with people coming from different stages in life, different backgrounds, and different beliefs.

As a family wellness educator Beth works with refugees who have been here more than six months but fewer than two years, diving more deeply into topics initially touched on by caseworkers. Those include health, hygiene, financial literacy, parenting in the U.S., and other important life skills that will help new neighbors “to have a really successful life here.”

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