There Is No Either/Or: Motherhood, Work, and Integration

In this episode of 3 with Bri, Bri sits down with Dr. Mary Westby, Program Director of the Athletic Training Master’s Program at Gustavus Adolphus College, for an honest and thoughtful conversation about leadership, adaptability, and motherhood.Mary reflects on her 17-year journey at Gustavus—from clinical athletic trainer to faculty leader—and the many moments where stepping into “the next size shoes” shaped her career. She shares how becoming a program director, launching Gustavus’s first master’s program, completing her doctorate, and welcoming her son all unfolded through seasons of flexibility rather than careful planning.Together, Bri and Mary explore what it looks like to integrate work and family life, the realities of uneven schedules, the quiet tension of never being home alone, and the importance of community support—from mothers-in-law to neighbors. Mary also speaks candidly about identity, verbal processing, protecting marriage in busy seasons, and why the narrative that you must choose one or the other in anything does more harm than good.This is a grounding, affirming conversation for anyone navigating leadership, parenting, and partnership—one season at a time.(Part 1 of a two-part conversation)Mary Westby is a Minnesota native, raising her son, Robby, with her husband, Nathan. Mary is the Program Director for the Athletic Training masters program at Gustavus Adolphus College.