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My first teaching job was in Cokato, Minn., teaching junior high English and Spanish. From there I went to Glenwood where I taught English in the junior high, and then on to Central Junior High in St. Louis Park. In addition to teaching English, I had the opportunity to take course work at the University to become certified as a teacher of the visually impaired and to be the part-time resource room teacher for blind and visually impaired students.

My course work at the University steered me toward an M.A. in Orientation and Mobility for the Blind at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. I took a job in Grand Rapids, Mich., for a year before returning to a teaching position at Western where I taught in the orientation and mobility program and ran the low vision clinic.

While teaching at Western, I met my husband Jim through square dancing. I commuted from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo before I was asked to return to a dual orientation and mobility position with my old agency and the Intermediate School District. As the two programs grew, I became the full-time mobility instructor at the agency. Eventually I took over the low vision clinic. I retired from there as the assistant executive director.

Professionally, I’ve served on the board of our Michigan Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind (MAER), was instrumental in the organization of mobility instructors in Michigan, was on the board of the National Accreditation Council for agencies serving people with blindness or visual impairment (NAC) and have served on numerous accreditation teams for that agency.

Since retirement I’ve kept active with volunteer activities at my old agency. I m also kept busy with church activities.