I am from the
USA.
I grew up in
a small town in Pennsylvania.
Born to hard-working
parents, I am the oldest daughter in a
family with five
children.
After graduating
from high school,
I married my
high school sweetheart, Wayne,
who took me on
a 20-year Air Force career adventure.
After our first
assignment in Denver, Colorado, we were sent to
Bitburg, Germany
where I volunteered at the Thrift Shop,
worked as a secretary,
and started taking college classes at the
University of
Maryland.
Right before
leaving Germany for Edwards AFB, California,
Wayne and I had
our first child, Holly Lynn.
During the time
in the desert, although I was a full-time mom,
I volunteered
with family services and took a few college classes.
The next assignment
took us to Boston, Massachusetts
where our second
child, Michael, was born.
Shortly after
Michael's birth, the family moved to San Antonio, Texas,
where we resided
for five and a half years.
During this assignment,
Wayne worked on his Masters
while I played
tennis, learned gourmet cooking, and was a full-time mom.
The next assignment
took us to Aviano, Italy,
where the family
enjoyed traveling.
And the final
Air Force assignment brought us to Montgomery, Alabama.
While I worked
on my degrees, I contracted with the bases and taught tennis part-time.
It was here that I was finally able to finish my B.S. degree
in Psychology
and get my Masters in Counseling and Human Development.
I worked with
Alabama Council against Child Abuse for two and a half years
discovering that
this work can be very painful as well as rewarding.
I also worked
two years at Maxwell Federal Prison Camp
teaching a Parenting
Class to the male inmates.
I have my LPC
(Licensed Professional Counselor) certification.
I have served
as Vice-President, President, and am currently Treasurer
for ASERVIC,
a local group of mental health counselors.
My volunteer work
with the International Wives began in 1985.
My first IFOP
experience was with the Juniors, but in the fall of 1985
the Chairperson
for the Wives, Cathy McClaughlin, asked me
to help organize
monthly coffees for the wives.
That was the beginning--the
following year I co-chaired the wives
and have been
in the program ever since.
Working with
the wives has also meant teaching an ESL class
in the fall for
many years.
My
volunteer work with the Internationals is
the
best job anyone can ever be lucky enough to have.
