Meet Natasha McPartlin

Natasha McPartlin is the Director of Society Operations for the Sigma Tau Delta Central Office. She earned a BA from Western Illinois University, where she was a Journalism major with an English minor. She earned her MSEd in Adult & Higher Education/Student Affairs from Northern Illinois University. She has lived in the same small town (pop. 1,200) for most of her life, and enjoys going camping with her husband, their 10 year-old twin boys, and their lab-mix, Hawk.

1. My favorite movie is The Goonies.

2. I never leave the house without a hair tie.
3. If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be watermelon.
4. Growing up, I was sure I would be a teacher.
5. I know every word to the song “If I Had a $1,000,000” by Barenaked Ladies.

6. I know it’s cliché, but my kids are truly the best gift I’ve ever received. Being a mom to my twin boys is the best!
7. My nickname in high school was Tash . . . pretty much the longer someone knows me, the fewer syllables my name has!
8. If you find me in the kitchen, I’m typically whipping up anything with pasta! It’s my go-to dish that I know my family loves.
9. I’m more of a reader.
10. Best Book Title I’ve encountered was The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (I like a good play on words and this children’s book is full of them!).
11. The literary place I’d most like to visit is Avonlea . . . I know it’s a fictional place, but I loved the Anne of Green Gables books when I was younger!
12. My dream job is a beach bum . . . maybe selling seashell necklaces to make a few dollars.
13. An author I truly admire is Lois Lowry, for her ability to write funny stories and engage young readers, and also tackle difficult subjects and still appeal to a broad range of readers.
14. My go-to children’s book is Harold and the Purple Crayon.
15. The destination at the top of my travel bucket list is Germany . . . my grandparents were born there and I still have relatives there that I’ve never met.
16. My favorite part of being an English Minor was hearing all the different takes my classmates had on various literature. I enjoy working in the Central Office because I get to do a lot of different things I enjoy, in a field that I love.
17. The last book I read was The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
18. My favorite book series is Harry Potter! I just finished reading the series for the first time with my boys this year!
19. My favorite place to buy books is either online if I’m looking for a specific title or at yard sales. But I prefer the library whenever possible! (I am the President of my local Library Board of Trustees.)
20. As sad as I am to say this, I think that in 10 years the big trend in literature will be a pervasive digital presence; we’ll see fewer and fewer print books and brick and mortar bookstores.
21. My first professional job was as a Graphic Designer at a newspaper.
22. The last book I bought was The Cat in the Hat—a gift for my nephew—and I have read it.
23. The celebrity I’d most like to spend a day with is George Clooney.
24. If I could move anywhere in the world, I’d live anywhere close to the Ocean with a warm climate.
25. My Hogwarts House is Ravenclaw.