It Happened in Crawford County: Amber Robertson finds her place in the community
Amber Robertson is the daughter of Dave and Beverly “Brandy” Robertson. Amber started out at Norton School where she remembers her teachers first encouraging her to explore her creativity. They submitted two stories she had written to be performed by the Columbus Jr. Theatre, which sparked her love of the arts at an early age. Amber was in the first class that went to Carlisle for fifth grade and then middle school and on to high school. She was very active in school, marching band, choir, Girl’s Boosters, Student Council, and the fun experience of dinner theatre. Her best friends today are from those early school days up to high school. They have kept those long-lasting relationships and enjoy getting together.
The last time Amber’s story was in the paper was for the 2002 homecoming announcement. It was an unusual experience because two of the queens’ pictures were superimposed and each girl had four eyes, including Amber. The clipping went national when Jay Leno read his segment called "Headlines or Mishaps" about news stories that were messed up. She was on "The Tonight Show." It was hilarious. She thought “are you kidding me?” But she often gets to use that fun fact about herself in ice-breaker games like "Two Truths and a Lie."
When Amber and sister Carrie were young, they used to joke that they were “voluntold” — referring to all the volunteering their parents had them doing. It was for church, the American Legion, and other things their parents were involved in. They are still active in the Legion Auxiliary and St. Paul Lutheran Church at Sulphur Springs. Amber graduated from Bucyrus High School in 2003 and enrolled at Otterbein College in Westerville. She thought about teaching but, after visiting her sister’s classroom, she decided that wasn’t for her and switched her major to English, focusing on creative writing and art. Amanda thought her parents panicked when she said she wanted to do creative writing, but she had an internship with the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, which proved to be a good practical experience. She graduated in 2007 from Otterbein.
Amber worked at the ONLA the summer after graduation but wasn’t exactly sure what she would do in life. Then she came across a job listing for a “Willie Wonka-type factory,” the American Whistle Corporation. The minute they got the resume, they asked for her to interview, and she got the job. It was a neat little factory in Worthington, the only manufacturer of metal whistles in the US. She was in charge of marketing, giving guided tours to busloads of senior citizens and school groups, and managing their production. It was a neat experience. She loved the diversity, good friends, and plenty of things to do that living and working in the Columbus area offered. She was there for 10 years, but there was one big problem — she was missing the sense of identity she had growing up in a close-knit community.
Amber was still coming back home to help at her church and to spend time with family. Then the pieces of the puzzle fell in place when friend Erin (McMurray) Ross asked Amber to consider a job that was opening at the front desk of the dental office. She has been working there since 2017 and has never experienced a workplace that feels so much like family, with people who truly enjoy what they are doing; a fine example of what a work environment could look like. The job really hit her desire to be immersed in the community again, where she saw so many people she knew. It also led to her involvement at the Crawford Center for the Arts at 1810 East Mansfield St.
Amber has served on the board of the Arts Council since 2018 and is the current president. Everyone jokes it’s the best-kept secret in Crawford County, and they are trying to let the secret out. The gallery is open from 2–6 p.m. every Thursday so you can take in the work of local artists and browse themed shows. The next one will be a holiday open house Nov. 10-12. Art activities include classes for kids and adults to explore their own creativity. It’s a great opportunity to dabble in new mediums and to learn from artists. If you are a budding artist, an appreciator of the arts or if you have a heart for art, there is something for everyone at the center.
In closing, Amber feels it’s important to find your place in the community. That’s what brought her back home to Bucyrus, and she hopes other people can find an opportunity that makes them happy, too.
Go online for more of Mary Fox’s stories and photos on bucyrustelegraphforum.com. If you are interested in sharing a story, write Mary Fox, 931 Marion Road, Bucyrus, OH 44820 or email littlefoxfactory@columbus.rr.com
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Amber Robertson immerses herself in the community
