Tune in to “20/20” on ABC this Friday, Oct. 24, at 10 p.m. to catch one of UT’s own discussing a project that changed her life.
Shortly after reaching her early 50s, Sherry Stanfa-Stanley, director of communication and fund stewardship at the UT Foundation, realized she was in a rut. She made the decision to “take a detour from the cul-de-sac” and compiled a list of experiences that would take her outside of her comfort zone and called it “The 52/52 Project.”Stanfa-Stanley began “The 52/52 Project” in May 2013, attempting to accomplish one new thing each week for a full year. She kept track of her progress and experiences on her Facebook page and blog .
“Undertaking a year of weekly new challenges broadened my world and opened my mind. It also taught me to be a bit more confident, easy-going and flexible,” Stanfa-Stanley said. “This proved incredibly helpful when a story editor from ‘20/20’ contacted me Monday morning about featuring me in a segment for this Friday’s show.
“I rode a crazy rollercoaster for three days, as they prepared to fly me to New York, canceled, and then rescheduled with an in-home interview — giving me less than a three-hour warning,” she said.
During the course of the year, Stanfa-Stanley completed items on her list, which included crashing a wedding reception, appearing as a college mascot, zip-lining, going to a nude beach, camping by herself and eating insects.
Since recently finishing “The 52/52 Project,” Stanfa-Stanley is planning the Stranger Party Tour, inviting her blog readers to monthly outings taking place across the country.
“It was an amazing final new experience for my 52nd year. It will be tough to beat the events of the past year, but I have a thing or two up my sleeve,” she said.