Cheryl Oberlin

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Do you remember the Santa Claus Christmas special showing the island of misfit toys? You know, the Charlie (not Jack) in the box and the red-spotted (not white) elephant?  Yeah, well, that describes me and my writing experience. I don't fit in a box and am super creative. 

I've written marketing pieces for corporate (Anheuser-Busch, Teradata, PNC Bank, etc), government (political marketing pieces for fundraisers for Senators, Governors, Wannabe Presidents, locals), non-profit (Yellowstone National Park, US Fish & Wildlife, Peter W Busch Family Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes and others), sports (ECHL hockey teams, NASCAR Dale Jr) and postsecondary education (community college and an R2 university). 

Thus, my writing style and capabilities are diverse as the industries I've worked in. I'm not a fan of dry and boring. No one wants to read that stuff. I spin stories and walk folks through scenarios so they are actively engaged in creative projects, marketing, and training.

As an eLearning content creator and instructional designer, my knowledge of adult learning principles helps me create user-centered, scenario-based designs. My passion is helping people improve their lives through education. Not all learning is done in a school or college; much of it is done where people live and work. Often, people say they are "done learning" when they start a new job or change careers.  My vision of new adventures in learning is the exact opposite, so it challenges me to share the bright side of learning with others.  

I'm also a copywriter. My father passed down the gift of never meeting a stranger to me. Meaning, I can write to and about any audience and topic, and I'm never afraid to ask questions, have a chat, or listen to you as I sip my favorite coffee. I listen to learn and not to respond. 

When creating eLearning stories I focus on allowing your employees to grasp new information, and at the same time, engaging them and leave them wanting to learn more.  My experience teaching more than 2000 people how to design quality online courses also provides me with a wealth of information to share with others in the L&D community.  During my time in the post-secondary classroom, my passion for teaching others to write is coupled with teaching them to think critically and have active discussions about their findings. I never asked any student to write about a country, a boring history figure, or what they did last summer. Instead, I asked them to write about their passion and encouraged them to bring in props to supplement their writing and speeches. One student brought in his basset hound puppies, another brought his dirt bike in and we all went out to the parking lot to listen to his speech (yeah, the dean didn't think it was a good idea to bring into the actual classroom although I did ask her), and another brought in fresh-picked vegetables harvested from her grandmother's garden that morning. And, guess what? The audience was engaged and the students were more passionate about their speeches and their writing. And, you better believe their passion shined through on every assignment! 

My core values are non-negotiable. They are centered on family, lifelong learning, creativity, and kindness. My eLearning designs and my writing illustrates those same values. 

When I'm not tinkering with Articulate Storyline 360, Vyond, Camtasia, or writing a story for my wanna-be-famous novelist release, you can find me with my family, reading a book and sipping coffee, or mentoring teachers who are pivoting to the instructional design industry after COVID. 

Oh, and my kids call me an "academic letter collector." A recovering one. I promised them I wouldn't go back for another degree. So far, I've kept the promise. 

My Earned Degrees:

M.Ed. Education with a focus on Instructional Design & Digital Literacy

M.A., English Composition and Rhetoric with a focus on teaching writing.

M.B.A. Project Management

B.A. Communication Studies with a focus on broadcasting.

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