The stay-at-home-mom: Jepperson trades in college degree to care for her family

By: 
Jill Meier, Journal editor

Jill Meier/BV Journal 

Gretchen Jepperson is a wife and mother of four. She delights in being a stay-at-home mom, which allows her to be highly involved in all of the family endeavors.

 

Submitted photo

The Jepperson family: Gretchen, (from left), Slaten, Christian, Holden, Reagan and Ryan.

 

If you asked Gretchen Jepperson as a college student if she imagined herself being a stay-at-home Mom, her likely answer would have been a resounding “No.”

But life has a funny way of steering us down a different path.

And that’s the story behind Jepperson’s role as a wife and stay-at-home mom of four.

Jepperson, who grew up in nearby Luverne, Minn., ventured to Augustana University (then College) to pursue a degree in music education. Prior to wrapping up her senior year, she was eager to go wherever her degree could take her.

“I said, ‘I’ll go anywhere,’ and I truly believed that,” she said.

Then, she fell in love.

After a few months of dating Ryan Jepperson, she knew he was “the one.”

“I just kind of knew it in my heart that this is the one and I don’t want to go anywhere,” she said. “So, I narrowed my search down, went back to the career counselor and said I was reconsidering my zone of where I would like to go, and that’s how I ended up with my first teaching job in Sioux City (Iowa).”

She taught middle school music there for two years when she realized that she was “ready to be someplace else.”

“At that point, a job opened up at Papik Motors (the family business) for me, so I went from music education to accounting,” shares Jepperson. “It’s kind of funny how that works, but my heart has always been in music and teaching, and I have stepped back into it gradually by giving lessons and directing the youth choir for our church for many years.”

Her full-time job as a mother, however, is her main focus. And now, she can’t imagine her life any other way.

“The fact that I can say ‘yes’ to things and I can be involved in the kids’ activities, and when there’s a volunteer need, I know I can say ‘yes.’ It’s probably not the best thing how many times I have to stop by the school to drop something off that the kids forgot, but yet, I know I can do that and that makes me feel good that I can be involved and be a part of what they’re doing,” she said.

The Jepperson’s oldest son, Christian, graduated from Brandon Valley High School this year and will follow in his parent’s footsteps to Augustana University. But three more Jeppersons are coming up the ranks. Holden will be a junior this fall, Reagan heads to the eighth grade and Slaten will be a sixth-grader at BV Intermediate School.

Jepperson’s initial “involvement” came when Christian was a student at Fred Assam Elementary.

“Basically, I said ‘yes’ to going to a PTA meeting at Fred Assam, and I think that’s really where that all started with the volunteering,” she recalls. “I’ve been involved with all of the different PTAs, first at Fred Assam, starting there with the Fall Carnival, which I’m happy to report that they are going to start that up again. Next, I became involved at the intermediate and middle schools and I did a lot of work with the spring fling, and became involved in the Fine Arts Booster Club,” for which she serves as the club secretary.

“I have a feeling that I’ll have that position until Slaten graduates in 2029,” she said.

As her kids have progressed from one school to the next, Jepperson has found herself saying ‘no’ to some volunteer endeavors.

“Once I’ve done my part at some of the schools for the younger grades, as I get more involved in the kids’ activities, I let somebody else take over in those schools,” she said.

Jepperson’s own mother, Janine Papik, was somewhat of a stay-at-home mother herself, despite giving piano lessons in their home. 

“Ironically, we did not take lessons from her,” Jepperson said. “She had, at some point 40 students and we took lessons from somebody here in Sioux Falls.”

Like her daughter, Janine Papik was an avid volunteer for many of her daughters’ activities.

“Her biggest thing in school was that she was always the accompanist for every function that they needed a piano player. I always thought that was pretty neat to have my mom there being a part of that. Actually, she did somewhat of a similar thing as far as being able to be home, but she went as far as dropping off some items for my sister’s friends who forgot stuff. I remember she would tell that story, and I would think, ‘Yeah, I can do that.’” Jepperson said.

The Jeppersons use Snapchat to stay abreast of the multiple activities the family is involved in.

“They know they’ve got this built-in fan club,” she says. “We have a Snapchat group where we send stuff back and forth of different events and times of games and stuff, and we call it the ‘Cheering Squad.’ Now, we somewhat lovingly call each other that whenever it’s something that involves the kids, that’s where I send it to, is the ‘Cheering Squad.’”

In six years, the last of the Jepperson brood will graduate from high school. But this mom of four doesn’t see herself bowing out of her volunteer ways she’s become so accustomed to.

“I love the fact that I’m able to volunteer, so if I could be a career volunteer, that seems to be where my heart is. I have a tendency to say ‘yes’ when I’m asked to do stuff, whether it’s with the school district or church or community things, so I could definitely see continuing to volunteer my time and kind of have that be my career,” she said.

In today’s society, Jepperson’s job as a stay-at-home mom is somewhat of a rarity. Her husband’s career as a physician, fortunately, allows her to do so.

“I definitely do not take that for granted. I know that it is rare, and I think that’s why I stay as busy as I do, because I know that not everybody has the opportunity to get to stay home, so I’m going to make the most of being able to be home but yet do things for others and contribute and become a valuable part of a community,” she said.

When Jepperson isn’t cheering on her kids from the sidelines or helping behind the scenes, she simply enjoys quiet time in the courtyard area of their home.

“When it’s nice out here, one of my favorite things to do is sit out here with a glass of wine and listen to music. When Ryan’s out here, we sit out here and watch the fire and get to talk about our day, so this is probably one of my favorite places,” she said. “I also like to spend time with my friends, going for lunch, whatever that is. I like to spend time with family, of course, and I try to have some relaxation, but the moment I feel too relaxed I’m planning what I’m going to do next. I seem to always be plotting.”

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The Brandon Valley Journal

 

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