July 17, 2020
Mountain Shadows Foundation Welcomes New Board Member, Cia Farrar Knapp
By Sheryl Wilde
“I was God-smacked!” says Cia Farrar Knapp, new Mountain Shadows Foundation Board Member. “In 2016, I did the risk management/transaction management for Mountain Shadows when they sold 5 homes in Moreno Valley.
“I took a tour of Mountain Shadows in San Marcos. It was amazing. I visited the day care center and met all the employees and folks there. That’s where things really started for me with Mountain Shadows.
“That day, I was transported back in time. When I was young and stupid, I dropped out of high school. I saw no virtue in education. I had a 1.7 GPA and dropped out my senior year.
“I soon found my prospects without an education were small. So, I attended junior college and I had to take placement exams. My reading and writing skills were off the charts high. But my math was so bad, they said they didn’t have a remedial math class low enough for me.
“They were aghast by my test scores, so they sent me to a counselor. That counselor gave me another test. There were 100 questions on the test. They said to stop when I couldn’t understand the questions anymore. I got to #12 – and out of that 12, I got 6 right.
The counselor said, “I have a class for you.” I said, “Okay. Fine.”
“I was twenty-something at the time. They brought me to what they called a “special ed” class. I didn’t really know what that meant. When I walked into the class, I saw it was filled with Down Syndrome and other developmentally disabled students.
“They gave me a book, which was the equivalent of a coloring book. I was so embarrassed. But I knew I needed to do it, so I sat down at a desk.
“It was a life lesson for me. The students in the class were filled with kindness. They were so gentle and loving. They approached me, to help me. It was humbling.
“I actually enjoyed going to class. They were helping me. Their hearts were so big! I was able to learn and get my college degree. I was so blessed.
“As I toured Mountain Shadows that day, I was reminded of that special education class. It was an amazing experience. It was pure joy being in that class.
“When I sat down in that class by myself, not wanting to be noticed, the other students came up to me so lovingly. At first, I thought, “Oh, God!” But I could see their hearts. They wanted to help me.
“When I got stuck on page two of the coloring book, they could point out where I went wrong. They were not people driven by aesthetics. They were just being kind and loving to everyone. There were about 20 other students in the class. They were all better people than me. They lit up when I came in the room.
“Before my experience in that special ed class, I was a twenty-something driven by peer pressure. I had to drive the right car. As human beings, we sometimes get caught up in keeping up with the Joneses. I was very much that way.
“I’ve been there at that stage. I wanted to go to the best hair salon, wear the cool clothes. It wasn’t about that for the students in that special ed class.
“We lose sight of what’s important – often. They find joy in life because there are flowers and grass on a spring day. They see the blessings in life, not what they don’t have.
“I want to live life with the same joy that they do.
“When I was young, I was a piece of work. As I said, I dropped out of high school. Then I took teller training and embezzled money. When I was 21, I was arrested. By the grace of God, it was expunged from my record, but I’ve had to answer for this many times. It taught me to go the speed limit. I’m a rule follower now.”
Cia’s penchant for following the rules has served her well in her career. “I’m a rare individual. I have the gift of bringing order to chaos.”
Cia is currently a Real Estate Broker/Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist, where she specializes in transaction management for the transfer of real property through probate and trust administration. She has expertise in contract law and risk management.
“People bring their complicated issues to me. That’s where I’m in my element. I look at a contract and I see what others don’t see. I bring things to a place where the issue can be solved. I make things clear. There’s no ambiguity. Everything is airtight.”
In addition, Cia has more than 20 years of experience as an escrow officer, and four years in mortgage lending. She obtained her license in 2010.
Her prior professional experience includes: Licensed Realtor Specializing in Trust and Probate Sales at Windermere Homes and Estates; Operations and Marketing at American Capital Home Loans; and Office Manager/Escrow Officer at Continental Escrow Company.
Cia holds a degree in Humanities from the University of California, San Diego. She has been married to her husband, Jeff, for 34 years. Her passions include photography and dog rescue.
“I love my creative side – art, water colors, acrylics, interior design, writing. I’m also currently a volunteer for Bichon FurKids Rescue in Carlsbad.”
Cia was also a member of the Riverview Evangelical Free Church Deacon’s Board, and chaired the benevolence team for four years.
“My anchor in life is my faith in God. The message in the bible is love – first and foremost – love. That is my North Star.”
We are grateful your North Star has led you, from your loving special education classmates, to our loving Mountain Shadows residents, and we welcome you, Cia, to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.