Teresa Scribner’s entire career revolves around being connected. Being the assistant communications manager for the Office of Public Affairs for the Seattle Public Schools requires constant communication, follow ups, and late nights. This is also true of her previous jobs, having worked as a teacher and for the “The Seattle Times” concurrently, where she often worked after hours. 

Scribner is a self-diagnosed workaholic, which is only perpetuated by her lack of roommates. Since graduating college in 2001, she has lived by herself, currently residing in Seattle. However, when her niece, Alexis, moved from Arkansas to live with her in 2019, she helped Scribner become more outgoing and present. Alexis is a foodie and an amazing chef, so she insisted they eat dinner together and go out to various restaurants. This insistence on social time didn’t mesh with Scribner’s work-life balance at the time. At one point, Alexis, feeling neglected by Scribner’s long nights, called her out. Scribner recounted her niece saying, 

“‘What’s the point of me being here if you’re never going to be here?’... Then COVID happened and we had all this time together, and we started doing all these…adventurous things.” 

Scribner changed her plans after this, as her previous goal was to get a masters, requiring more time away, to get paid more at her teaching job. She questioned her continued dedication to work. It was no longer the only thing in her life. She realized she had people to meaningfully connect with.

One of those people was an old student of hers — Christina. When considering adventures to go on, she came up. 

“I wasn't gonna get on a plane during COVID so it's like okay, let's drive…” Scribner said, “The options were Canada —the border was closed—Montana—what do Black people do in Montana?...So the only option was to go to California, and I had a [former] student who lived in California… and we're like, well, let's go visit Christina. So we got in the car and drove.” 

Another person she’s reconnected with in the past few years is her old college boyfriend, Jerome Shaw. After breaking up and not speaking for 15 years, she received a Words with Friends invite. The invite led to back and forth playing with no words exchanged, other than the ones arranged on the board. Whatever stage this is considered lasted for a few months, before they began texting again and met up in Sacramento. A lot had changed. He had been married, divorced, and had a kid. But they connected all the same. From there, the relationship blossomed and they began dating long distance. 

Today, Scribner is grateful for the connections she has made along the way.

“Having the two of them come in my life at the time they did, it has kind of forced me to reflect and slow down.” Scribner said.

Whether it’s Words with Friends or cross-country relocations, sometimes the strangest things connect people. These connections can change lives.