It was back in 1991 that Shari Graff and her family made the move to Corbett from the nearby Reynolds School District. Shari was in the 6th grade when she started school in Corbett, and ended up graduating from the high school in 1999. Shari has one older brother, Brandon who also attended Corbett schools. After graduation, Shari went on to Southern Oregon Univ. for two years to study journalism. She then came home to work at the Gresham Outlook newspaper for six years. During this time she also owned and operated "Beyond Events." When Shari decided to take her last drink in 2003, her life began to change. She realized that it was too difficult to be in a "party scene" with her business of event planning. She decided to go back to college and do it "right" with a clear mind, focused on her goals. In 2008 Shari was at a friend's wedding and ran into someone from Corbett she had met only once before. Once again, Shari's life was in a transition period. Shari and Dan Graff dated six months, got engaged and then married Sept.19, 2008. College completion slowed down a bit as Shari became a stepmom to Dan's children, age six and ten. Both kids came to live with them full-time. Deciding to add to the family, Dan and Shari now also have a two year old son together. Although motherhood is a full-time job and one that Shari loves, she just recently completed her college degree, finishing with a 4.0 GPA and a degree in business administration. With no desire to work a 9-5 job, Shari is now a business consultant, wanting to help others learn and know how to grow their own business. Shari says her biggest passions are in raising a strong family. Having a blended family has stretched her in ways she never knew, and she loves the fact all their kids are now living in and growing up in the same home where she was raised in Corbett. It is a joy for her to watch them climb the same trees she has and play in the same yard. Although she had the opportunity to visit Australia as an exchange student when she was a 15 years old and loved it, she says her heart is in Corbett, and she cannot imagine a better place to raise her family.
