I was a vocal music major in the first HSPVA graduating class. Though I think I appreciate music more than the average person, I don't think I have any more talent than the average person! Oh well...I am one who skipped some classes at HSPVA and who was often caught talking during class. Thank goodness to some faculty members who had strong confidence in me.

So perhaps surprisingly, I went on to UT as a psychology major followed by a Ph.D. in psychology from Ohio State. In 1983, I moved to California where I spent most of my life working as a professor. I retired in 2011 and moved to Portland, OR. Currently I am spending a lot of my free time storytelling for The Moth in Portland and meditating my way through life. I'd say I'm pretty happy with my life. I love getting back to my roots here in Texas!

Traveling has been my lifelong passion: Europe, India, Nepal, and Thailand, among others. Professionally, I got a Fulbright to Mauritius, a little island in the Southern Hemisphere. While there, I got to experience a dream of mine, seeing wild animals in Zimbabwe.

I have two amazing daughters, one a teacher in Portland and the other a Speech and Language Pathologist in LA. They are bilingual French-English.

My heart can't convey how much my years at HSPVA have meant to me. Even though I did not pay enough attention in certain classes (think algebra), I relished the creative energy, the caring, the examples made by faculty, the pushing of boundaries, and most importantly, the connection with students.

This is my first HSPVA reunion. Yay!