Taryn Strauss began as Director of Religious Education (DRE) in August, 2006. She holds a B.A. in Education and English, with a concentration in Theatre Studies from Guilford College. She grew up in Oak Park, IL, where she attended the 3rd Unitarian Church of Chicago in the diverse neighborhood of Austin. In Oak Park, Taryn lived in integrated community of Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and atheists who all learned, played and lived together in relative harmony. Her mother attended Meadville-Lombard seminary and soon became a UU minister. Rev. Lynn Strauss now serves a church in Rockville, MD. 

Taryn’s career path has been interesting, but has always made perfect sense. Working as a camp counselor, she honed her skills for group leadership and facilitation. She worked as a counselor/center assistant at Planned Parenthood in Asheville shortly after college. She spent the following four years as the Education Coordinator for the Western North Carolina AIDS project. Taryn traveled throughout rural Appalachia, leading workshops with high-risk women and youth teaching sex education, self-esteem, and effective communication skills. During this time, Taryn co-founded Scapegoat Theatre Collective, a non-profit theatre collective that produces socially motivated theatre and raises funds for local organizations creating positive change in our community. 

Serving as the DRE for the UUCA is the synthesis of all of Taryn’s skills and experience: It’s one part camp counselor, one part counselor, one part educator, one part play director, and there’s never a dull moment.  When she is not directing plays in Asheville, or coordinating programs at church, Taryn can be found traveling, eating and writing about fabulous food, and singing with her husband in their newly formed band, The Wind-ups.

In June 2010 Taryn's title was changed to Director of Lifespan Religious Education to encompass the Adult RE program at UUCA.

Sunday Services

September 6, 2009: Flow Like Water

REflections

Read Taryn's monthly column from our UUCA newsletter.