Overcoming Life's Hurdles
Social Science/History | Registration opens 1/5/2026 10:00 AM MST (Arizona)
Life is full of hurdles, road bumps, and challenges—some relatively small, some relatively big. If we overcome them and learn from them, we experience growth. We can learn new skills, develop new knowledge, and gain confidence along the way, which can prepare us for future challenges. Sometimes we face challenges alone, but sometimes, we may be fortunate to have mentors and allies. In this workshop we will talk and write about hurdles, road bumps, and challenges that we have experienced firsthand or vicariously. Of course, we don’t have to experience challenges
firsthand to learn from them. We can also learn from reflecting on the challenges that we witness when we read literature or history, when we watch a movie or television show, or when
someone tells us about their challenges.
Duane Roen
Roen, Duane - has been tracing his roots since his teenage years, building a database with more than 32,000 ancestors. He and his wife, Maureen Roen, have also been recording their family history since 1978 by writing more than 19,000 daily journal entries on their children and other family members. Combining his professional and personal interests, Duane worked with colleagues to establish courses on writing and recording family history at Arizona State University. He also is founding coordinator of the Project for Writing and Recording Family History in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU.