Glaze and Grit
Glaze and Grit
April Stastny: Community Activist, Internal Wholesaler (Episode 05)
April Stastny is one of those women who radiates love, joy, and courage. The kind of woman you want to grab a cup of coffee with, cozy up in a comfy chair, and just laugh. A girlfriend you can be real and honest with.
April is an Internal Wholesaler for Midland National Life Insurance and is passionate about helping others. She is involved with BigBrother BigSister, YWCA, Churches United, JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), and American Diabetes Association.
April’s journey has thrown her several curve balls, one of them being a life changing diagnosis at the age of 23.
Courage, tenacity, and grit all make up April’s incredible and heartfelt journey. I cannot wait to share April’s story with you.
Stuff is going to get thrown at you. Like life is going to throw you lemons. And I think that if you can have yourself mental wise, like a positive self-talk and then surround yourself by positive people, you will enjoy life much more. And lastly, just to end, that is that life is short and you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. And I don't say that like the farthest from a scare tactic, it's more like enjoy the day that you have, try to be positive and enjoy that day because life is short.
Speaker 2:Glazing grid podcast was founded on the idea of shattering success, perceptions, and showcasing authenticity at its core. I wanted to learn more about the real story behind people's journeys with a focus starting in my own community of Fargo, North Dakota. What emerges through these candid conversations is honesty, strength, and courage with the ripple effect of connection and community. It all starts with a conversation. And on this one, I'm Jessie winter, Robin, and this is glazing grit
Speaker 3:Today's episode. I am so encouraged for you to hear more about our guest for heartfelt journey is filled with courage, love and loss. She is an internal wholesaler with Midland national life insurance, and is passionate about giving back to the community, including organizations such as juvenile diabetes research foundation. We dive deep where she shares, how she learned to shuffle cards in the state penitentiary to receiving a life changing diagnosis at the age of 23 here's April Stassney. Thank you so much for being on the show. I really appreciate it. Absolutely.
Speaker 1:It's my privilege.
Speaker 3:April, you grew up in Bismark, North Dakota. You attended Bismarck state college before enrolling at MDSU and North Dakota state university. And in 2007 while at NBSU you had a pretty incredible experience. What did you do?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I enrolled in a study abroad program. I enrolled in the MCTs. So as Maastricht center for transatlantic studies and that was in Maastricht, the Netherlands, I just enrolled by myself, did not enroll with anyone else. And then once I got over in the Netherlands, there was actually a group of five of us that were all from SDSU. The best experience of my life.
Speaker 3:Was it nerve wracking for you to decide to do that for a semester and go solo
Speaker 1:The plan or the program was already put together, right? Like they were like, you're going here. You need to book your flight, but then kind of gave you like a crash course on like being abroad. And so it really helped calm, you know, any overwhelming feelings having had that partnership through the college, but yet it's still nervous going to another country by myself while I'm at. But I have a huge support, especially my mom was, I mean, she was always my biggest fan. So she had just my back and was so excited and she, she visited me over there. I would recommend to anybody, if you have the opportunity, especially before, like you have, you're married and with kids, and it's just harder take that opportunity to study abroad and learn a different culture than your own. Cause it's, it's phenomenal
Speaker 3:At NDSC you majored in speech communications. How has that degree helped you in your career aspirations?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a great question. One for anybody who knows me, I love to talk. I think initially I had thought that I wanted to do like speech pathology, but then when I graduated with speech communications degree, it's interesting my path and what's led me to where I'm at now. You know, I work as an internal wholesaler in the sales and marketing department for Midland national. I feel like there isn't a job that you can't benefit from the speech communications degree and what it's taught me. I love to talk. I'll talk to anybody anytime, anywhere.
Speaker 3:So you currently live in Morehead, Minnesota, and mom to two boys. Your journey began in this Mark. Can you share what life was like in those early years?
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. I love Bismarck and I, I did a little bit of moving around when I was younger. My mom was a single mom. When she had me, she got pregnant at 17 and had me when she was 18. And then throughout my life was a single mom. And so we lived in Mandarin when I was born. And then we moved to my not North Dakota when I was in second and third grade so that my mom could pursue her teaching degree at my not state. And then we moved back to Bismarck for a couple of years. Then she accepted a teaching position in Regan, North Dakota. I'm like, I have to remember. Yeah, Regan North Dakota. The population was 50. My mom and I made the population 52. We were there just one year when I was in seventh grade. And then we moved back to Bismark and then did one year at Bismark state college. My dad, my biological father was in and out of my life. When I was born. My dad came to visit me in the hospital in handcuffs, accompanied by two police officers. And then throughout ni growing up in Mandarin Bismarck, I would visit him with my grandma at the Bismark state penitentiary. I learned to shuffle cards there. They would always play cards obviously. And I mean, it wasn't out of the ordinary, but now I'm so happy to say that, that I have a stepdad who's been in my life since I've been 16. And he has been a phenomenal, I mean, he just has been the best person. And so my dad was in and out of my life and still kind of is I still just, I feel like got somewhat of that male figure from my grandpa. And then once I was 16 from my stepdad,
Speaker 3:What is your favorite card game? Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay. Well, I've been lately playing a lot of, um, PNA if you know what that is from college, but I don't want to say it because I don't know, but anyways, but besides that, okay. But my favorite game is the card game Rummy. And I grew up playing that and I, I, I learned that a long time ago, so I'll, we'll, we'll go with that,
Speaker 3:Right? Yeah. Gin Rummy is maybe that's where my next get together is. We'll have a glass of wine in place and Rummy
Speaker 1:Romy night. Oh, that sounds amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Well, at 23 you experienced a traumatic and life changing event. What happened?
Speaker 1:I met my current husband at SDSU James and I got engaged while we were engaged. We started working out at the gym just to like get in shape, prepare, you know, for the wedding, nothing crazy. Like I was doing seriously, the treadmill or the elliptical. And then I ended up losing like 13 pounds and then I was drinking just a ton of water. And because I was drinking all that water, I was going to the bathroom all the time. Well, again, this is why my quote I'm like, you don't always know why things happen the way that they do, but it just, you know, in my head. So it was a coincidence that it's just like, wow, we're, we're working out like a lost 13 pounds. I'm drinking all this water. Which to be honest, I'm not working out that hard. But in that same time, I had just accepted a job, brought me into the life insurance industry. And so I got full benefits. So I got full benefits. So I was like, you know, I should go get a physical, right. I should go see my doctor. She was like, Oh, how, how are things going? And this and that. And I said, great. I said, but it is kind of interesting. I've been working out, not that hardcore, but I've lost 13 pounds. I'm drinking all this water all the time, going to the bathroom all the time. Well, those are three key, primary number one, two, and three symptoms of diabetes. And so when I said those three things, she said, Oh, April, she goes, well, I'm going to need to check your blood sugar. And I was like, what is that? What do you mean? And so she did prick my finger. We tested my blood sugar. It was very high. So then we did blood work. My blood sugar was 890. A normal blood sugar should be between 80 and one 10. I was diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of 23. And I'm now age 35. There's my life before diabetes in my life. Now, like there is no break. Every single thing I do in my life is directly impacted and has an effect on my diabetes. I did decide to be really proactive. Like I'm going to research more about the disease. I'm going to get involved. I'm going to take care of myself. So I will say that I give myself a Pat on the back because I do take good care of myself, but I also have an amazing support system and a support team that helps me as well.
Speaker 3:And you have been in the spotlight a number of times diagnosed. I mean, right
Speaker 1:Away, I wanted to know what support groups I could be involved in, what organizations in town I could be involved in. I initially I was at Essentia and I had a really good, uh, endocrinologist. And I asked her what support groups were available. And at that time, every other Tuesday at two o'clock was like a support group. And it was really geared towards type two. So I was like, okay, well, one I work too. I'm not type two diabetic three. I think it was kind of geared towards older people. So I was like that, that doesn't help me. I wanted to put together like a support group for younger people or for type one diabetics to connect and just to, so you didn't feel alone. But then I also, I got involved with the American diabetes association and I did a couple of their walks and I was on their volunteer committee and then the JDRF, which is juvenile diabetes research foundation. And when the JDRF came to town, I really got involved with them. The JDRF is specifically formed and for the reason of finding a cure for type one. So for the past couple of years, I've, uh, did fundraising for them. I had asked my company, which I'll give a shout out to Midland national and our parent company Sammons financial group. Every year, I ask them for a charitable donation and they have donated$20,000 every year. And I met so many great people and like specifically understand like the everyday struggles, you know, of type one diabetes. I've met so many great people through being involved in and yeah, creating awareness and type one diabetes can happen to anybody. Basically.
Speaker 3:Thank you for your work.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. Thank you for, for asking me in and hosting me cause I, I want to spread more awareness. So I appreciate that
Speaker 3:April. I want to transition to another moment in your life that for so many words can just fall short. Your mom was your best friend. Would you mind sharing a little bit more about your mom?
Speaker 1:So my mom was a single mom. Um, growing up with me my best friend, gosh, talk about your number one supporter and number one, cheerleader and someone who you could just go to for anything and like help me become the person I am and to take on going back to college, to get her teaching degree, when you have a second grader and we didn't grow up with a lot of money and she was just such an amazing, incredible woman. And she also liked to talk to anybody anywhere, anytime. So I get that from her. I lost my mom five years ago to suicide. That word is still hard for me to say, right? The word suicide, what I've learned in the past five years in going through grief of losing someone to suicide is that we don't need to be ashamed or a negative stigma. I think we just need to, again, kind of like type one diabetes, create more awareness, something that I've learned in the last five years and going to suicide support groups. So one word of advice we really don't like to use the word committed suicide because you associate the word commit to a crime, right? So that's why I, you know, I, I tend to say that I lost my mom due to suicide. She dealt with depression and anxiety, her whole life. I deal with anxiety in, in my life. And I think there's just this big, huge gap and whole in mental illness. I almost want to say like, you know, some people die from a brain tumor. You know, my mom passed away due to cancer of her heart or cancer of her brain, you know? And there's just, there's a lot that goes into that. But yeah, that's been probably the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life. My mom loved hot air balloons, just, she had a hot air balloon tattoo and she just loved hot air balloons. We were out at the Lake and Ross, my stepdad was out at the Lake with us and he still lives in Bismarck. So he had come out to Fargo and we went out to our lakes and we look up what's in the sky to hotter balloons and just give you goosebumps. But whatever you believe in what, whether it's a higher power or God, or it's a coincidence or whatever you want to believe in. I sincerely believe that that was like somehow a sign or like a April, like I'm, I'm watching over you. Like, I know that my mom didn't do that to me. My mom was in a lot of pain. It gives me some peace knowing that she's not in pain or suffering anymore, it doesn't take away the huge amount of loss and hole in my heart. I feel from her not being here on earth with me, but it does provide some peace knowing that she's in a good place refill, never go away. Like, I don't think it'll ever lesson to be honest that, you know, the bigger, the love, the bigger the pain, but I do think it goes in waves. And that one quote that I shared with you, um, that I think that you'll post on the website is that we may not know the reason why things happen. I don't know the reason or what good quote, good could come from losing my mom due to suicide. But I do feel that things do happen for some sort of a reason, even if we don't ever find out what that reason is.
Speaker 3:She sounds like such an incredible woman. I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing April, who inspires you?
Speaker 1:So many people inspire me. I think there's a lot of women in my life that have inspired me. Rihanna and Lacey have inspired me when, when you talk about like, just like empowering women and empowering your other mom friends, right? Or any woman who is just such a hard worker and just dedicated and has this, I don't know, enthusiasm for life and bring support like lazy and Brianna just have this way of like bringing you into this circle. And like, life is messy, but yet it's cool. And it's awesome too. Like in like you can enjoy it and surround yourself by good people. I mean, I did have my mom in my life for a long time and she inspired me and I, I mean, she still does and best friends, Amanda and Melissa and Carrie, they inspire me a lot of incredible women in my life that inspire me.
Speaker 3:What is a piece of advice that you would like to share?
Speaker 1:There's so many good things out there, but if I'm speaking honest, right. And just like, what comes to me? I feel like it's just creating your life, like creating an environment where you surround yourself by positive people. You have a positive self-talk. And if you do that, I think that you will just enjoy life more. And the reason why I say that is because, you know, I deal with anxiety and talk about it all the time. I'm open to talk to anybody about it. I just think with today's society and social media and being a mom and, and life being complicated and messy, it's just stuff is going to get thrown at you. Like life is going to throw you lemons. And I think that if you can have yourself like mental wise, like a positive self-talk and then surround yourself by positive people, you will enjoy life much more. And lastly, just to end, that is that life is short and you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. And I don't say that like the farthest from a scare tactic, it's more like enjoy the day that you have, try to be positive and enjoy that day because life is short
Speaker 3:April. What are you looking forward to in the coming months and years?
Speaker 1:Well, I look forward to the Lake every single weekend. There is a group of ladies out at the Lake that we have formed a really special bond in the coming years. I just, I look forward to enjoying life as much as I can, trying to keep the negativity out and keep the positivity in watching my kids grow, you know, working for the amazing company that I work for and continuing that and just enjoying life as much as you can. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Wait for you to go. I have a lightning round of questions. I want to ask you to end off if that's okay. Okay. Perfect. All right. Tea, your coffee, coffee, sweet or salty road trip or plane ride.
Speaker 1:Oh, can I do both right. I gave you a plane ride
Speaker 3:Tacos or pizza? All
Speaker 1:My favorites, you know, to be honest. Okay. Sorry. I know you said lightning round, but pizza is my absolute favorite and it's really hard for a diabetic because it just does not work. Great. I come to love tacos more just because they're easier for me to manage with my diabetes, all the tablets,
Speaker 3:Tent, or hotel, hotel flats or heels, peanut butter or jelly. All right.
Speaker 1:That ended. I love that. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. It's been a pleasure. Thank you so much. I just, I really think you lovely. Ladies who created this podcast, like number one obviously is local, which is amazing, but I just think it's so great what you're doing and just sharing people's real life stories. And it's just, it was such a privilege. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Oh, thanks. It's been fun. If you would like to learn more about glazing grit and the credible community leaders that are highlighted on the show, join the conversation where you listen to your podcasts and please subscribe, rate, and share. You can also follow the glaze and grit journey on glazing grit, podcast.com. I'm Jessie, winter Ravitch. And thanks for listening to this episode. Talk to you soon.