Family has always been at the center of Mogan Ridenour’s life. Originally from Bend, Mogan was surrounded by five brothers and two sisters. Growing up being the only girl, she was granted her own room and would spend hours dreaming up possibilities for decorating her space. Her passion for design carried into her adult life where, through different family moves, she would create new spaces for herself, her husband Chris, and their two children Estee (3) and Titus (2).
“I’ve always enjoyed designing and creating spaces that are more beautiful, functional, welcoming and fun…watching a space come alive from an idea in your head to an actual room is really rewarding. That being said, I’ve always been a dreamer, but have trouble pulling the trigger in actually pursuing a dream.”
Mogan’s strong family bonds are ultimately what encouraged her to pull the trigger and attend Heritage. As a resident of Bend, following her dream meant driving to Portland each weekend for 24 weeks in order to complete the Masters Program. As a weekend Registered Nurse, mother, and wife this was understandably a daunting task. Chris and Mogan’s family (to include brothers, sisters, parents, and cousins) provided an immense amount of encouragement for her throughout this program. All in the central Oregon area, they were able to provide much needed support to allow her to commit her time and energy to something new and challenging. Mogan’s job was also flexible, allowing her to drop down to one day a weekend throughout the six-month time frame so she could take advantage of this opportunity.
That kind of commitment and determination takes a special person. Her motivation to push through and complete the program was multifaceted: she wanted to prove it to herself that she could get outside her comfort zone, she wanted to show her children the importance of following a dream, and she wanted to make Chris proud. While she accomplished all of these things, she has also become a valued member of our Heritage community.
“Heritage was a really wonderful experience, I felt like I learned a lot and grew as both a person and adesigner. My classmates became life long friends and the entire staff at Heritage constantly surprised me with their warmth, knowledge and endless encouragement. Heritage has a way of making you feel like you’re part of something special, a movement of sorts, I felt excited and passionate, alive! Although making this commitment was exhausting and trying at times, I feel so fortunate to have had this experience. I feel like moving forward, I have the tools and knowledge necessary to build a career.”
Mogan is currently working towards starting her own design company in Bend. She is looking forward to creating her brand and allowing her creativity to lead her to more opportunities and future success. And she has already landed her first job – a church remodel!
Through her unwavering dedication and determination, Mogan has been extremely inspiring and shown us that no matter the circumstance, it’s always possible to follow your dreams. Congratulations Mogan and we look forward to seeing all your future success as a designer!