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Getting to Know You
OLLI members respond to the question: When you were a child, what did you want to be as a grown-up? What did you actually do as a grown-up? "
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Ten OLLI members wanted to be a performer (actress, movie star, rock star, ballerina, musician, or dance)
And an equal number of members wanted to become teachers.
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Gene Amberg
As a youngster, I thought I had a vocation to be a Roman Catholic priest. Growing up in a large Catholic family, we had lots of close priest friends; and I admired their stellar educational backgrounds, their undying dedication and their overall zest for life. From age 14-19, I went off to the seminary for my studies - but never completed the journey to ordination. Semi-retired now, I spent 35 years in public K-12 schools, mostly (25 years) as a Superintendent of Schools in three different states.
Elizabeth Abraham
I decided in third grade that I wanted to be a teacher and indeed I did.
Carol Belber
I honestly don't remember exactly what I wanted to be when I "grew up." I probably changed my mind every week but settled on teaching. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I taught second grade for one year, moved to Germany (courtesy of the US Army) with my new husband, and taught kindergarten and did some subbing. It wasn't until we moved to CU and my children were in junior high and high school that I began my new career, the best job anyone could ever have! I taught Adult Basic Education at the Urbana Adult Education Center. My students were there because they wanted to be. I taught students from ages 16 to 94 how to read, how to improve reading and the importance of life skills. The staff was wonderful and I had amazing dedicated co-teachers. Nina Heckman (another OLLI member) and I taught together for many years.
Cheryl Binch
I wanted to be something (anything) on stage...Rockette, lounge singer, June Taylor dancer, beat poet. I did get to act/direct/etc. in college, and later coached high school speech teams. That was a great joy. However, I ended up earning a living as a sales rep for IBM and as a travel agent. And then, of course, the best job, mom.
Ivana Bodulic
When I was a child I wanted to be an archaeologist. I got a degree in archaeology and worked as an archaeologist for ten years. Then I came to the United States and worked as a travel agent for ten years.
Judy Braunfeld
When I was a teenager I wanted to make use of my musical education by teaching blind children about music. I ended up being a social worker with a degree in gerontology. I, therefore, have worked with people at the other end of the life journey -- the aged. I have never regretted my choice.
Morton Brussel
I wanted to be a Louis Pasteur. I started out studying biology, but switched to physics in college, which led me to be a physics professor/researcher.
Rabel Burdge
Growing up, I wanted to get out of poverty. Finally, I am an old college professor.
Chris Catanzarite
When I was a little girl, I wanted to grow up to be a movie star. Alas, no red carpets for me, but I have been lucky enough to spend much of my professional life teaching and writing about stars and their movies.
Pat. Chapel
My first desired occupation at 6 or 7 years old was to be a movie star. This was likely inspired by going to the movies every week so Aunt Matilda could build her plate collection (attendees got a free dinner plate at Tuesday night movies). My entire working life was dedicated to being a resource and advocate for volunteers and volunteerism at United Way.
Beth Chato
I remember being asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" by a reporter in the train station as my family moved from Toronto to Cincinnati. I was 13 at the time, and my reply was that I hoped to be an ornithologist. That never quite happened. I did major in zoology at the University of Cincinnati. On graduation I married and then worked as a lab technician at the U of I and then at Harvard Medical School to help my husband through graduate school. I then retired and raised three children. However I have pursued my birding interests throughout my life, as a citizen scientist, collecting bird data for the Urbana Park District and the Champaign County Forest Preserve District, among many other related tasks. I also was for many years a volunteer nature guide for the Urbana Park District. It has been a good life choice for me.
Willis Colburn
When I was young, I wanted to be an engineer or scientist. At age 7, I had an opportunity to peer through a large telescope at a university observatory and developed a love for optical instruments and astronomy. I loved it when my father would order a few lenses to play with. I earned BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering and worked for 35 years as on optical engineer, mostly for small high-tech companies.
Betty Davis
I always knew that I wanted to do something in a
scientific field, preferably biology.I graduated from the U of I with a double major in chemistry and biology, and my first position was Bacteriologist at the Michigan Department of Health in East Lansing, MI. After three years at the lab, I changed my career to mother to be with our three children. When we moved to Champaign after ten years, I looked for something a bit different and was fortunate to receive a stipend from the National Science Foundation, which was funding women with a scientific background for librarian positions at universities. For the next 30 years, I held the position of Biology Librarian at the University of Illinois, so I guess one could say that my childhood ideas very happily tuned into my adult pursuits.
Paul Davis
I recall wanting to be a fireman, coast to coast truck driver, and radio announcer. I became a radio announcer at age 15. In my adult life I was anchor/news director in television.
Claire Douglas
When I was a child, I wanted to be Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. I learned to dance, including tap, and grew up to be a journalist and artist.
John Elder
As a child I wanted to be a deep sea diver. I became a professor of comparative literature and a lawyer.
Sharon Neufer Emswiler
As a youth I wanted to be a missionary, then an elementary school teacher, and finally a director of Christian education in a local church. What I actually became was an ordained United Methodist minister, serving as pastor of several local churches, a district superintendent with responsibility for 75 churches in the Springfield District and a campus minister at the Wesley Foundations of two universities -- 14 years at Illinois State and 5 years at the University of Illinois. Most of my 35 years in ministry were spent serving with my husband, Tom, who also is a United Methodist minister and OLLI member/instructor.
Beth Felts
When I was 10 years old I wanted to be an advertising artist. I grew up and did that all through college and for several years afterwards. Then I switched to advertising sales (at the News-Gazette) because I wanted to be out of the office more. I was in advertising for 15 years, then went into college fundraising when I had an epiphany that I wanted to do something more meaningful for my fellow man.
Susan Feuille
Early on, I wanted to save the world as the future Princess of Wales until Prince Charles grew those ears! By the time I was 12, I wanted to be a nurse. I actually became an R.N. At age 40 I went back to school at the U of I, got two degrees, taught history and then worked in Alumni Relations on campus for 7 years. In my retirement, I have continued teaching etiquette classes. So I am not fully retired yet!
Joyce Francisco
I wanted to be a secretary because my mother was, and it seemed the only other option was to be a teacher, like my aunt, which I definitely didn't want to do. I eventually did become a secretary when I graduated from college, but it was in a publishing house where I learned copyediting and proofreading. These two jobs became my career. I stayed a secretary for only about a year.
Tom Galer-Unti
When I was little, I toyed with the idea of growing up to be a Marvel superhero. When I realized that was not possible, I thought I might do something with music. I noted that I wasn't the greatest at that, so I majored in accountancy at the U of I. For the last 31 of my 35 years working for the University of Illinois, I was the business manager for WILL-AM-FM-TV and the College of Communications/Media.
Marsha Gepner
When I was a child I wanted to be an archaeologist (or at least my idea of what an
archaeologist was). My grown-up occupation was about as far removed from my childhood dream as one could imagine. I became PR director for the Country Music Association in Nashville and later a TV writer/producer (e.g. TNN remote location producer for the original FarmAid telecast that took place right here in Champaign in 1985).
Sandy Hall
I wanted to be an
elementary school teacher. I was president of Future Teachers of America and was set to go to Kent State for that degree. Then as president of FTA, I got to monitor a class when the teacher had a medical appointment. That experience in my senior year made me understand that teaching was definitely not what I wanted to do. So, much to the dismay of many people, I went to business college to get a certificate in business as a secretary. I never regretted that decision and have met and worked for many interesting people in that career. In later years I went back to college and got an AA degree in Business Application (secretarial).
Kathy Hansen
I always wanted to be an elementary teacher. I have taught in many areas of education but finally taught my "dream" grade about 10 years ago. Second grade was everything I dreamed it would be. Loved it!!!! Now I teach reading and I love it as well.
Barbara Hartman
At one point during my teens, I thought being an architect would be cool. However as a "grown up," I became a business manager; and after obtaining a master's degree in labor and industrial relations, I worked in the human resources field.
Terry Haru
As a kid, I sometimes laid on the sidewalk at night, gazing upon the amazing number of twinkling pin dots of light scattered against the backdrop of a vast darkness. I imagined what it might be like to travel through this darkness and visit all the wonders within it. I envisioned myself an astronaut, or at least an astronomer. Unfortunately, school taught me that I wasn't
very good at math, physics, and the like. I ended up being a college professor (in the social sciences), a psychotherapist, and lastly, a senior executive for a behavioral health care center. So, instead of exploring the external universe of planets, stars, nebulae, and the like, I wound up exploring the inner universe of the mind.
Anne Heiles
I went through a series of aspirations, but for our eighth-grade assignment, I wrote that I wanted to do the cartoon artwork for the Yellow Pages! And indeed I was the editorial cartoonist for our college newspaper as well as its music critic. But my professional life was as a violist in the Detroit Symphony and then as a viola and music history professor at a few universities. My later life career was as a book editor and writer.
Bruce Hemminger
I have not a clue what I wanted to be as a grown up. As an adult, I spent 40+ years in computing: 15 years in university research computing and 25 with HP.
Kathleen Holden
I wanted to be a nurse. After a stint as a social worker, I had a long career as an administrator at the U of I.
Connie Hosier
I wanted to be a concert pianist and play in Carnegie Hall. Instead I taught kids kicked out of Manhattan high schools for truancy and bad behavior in a special school designated for naughty new yorkers. The only time I was in Carnegie Hall was as an audience member. Big dreams, bigger reality.
Barbara Hudgings I wanted to be a doctor. I became a teacher. Debra Karplus I wanted to be a wife and mother but maybe also a teacher. Instead I became an occupational therapist, accountant, entrepreneur and freelance writer, basically all at the same time. And, yes, I also became a wife and mother. Celia Kraatx When I was a kid, I wanted to be an actress or an anthropologist, and I wanted to go to France. As it turned out, I was a French teacher and a computer-based education specialist. Carol Kubitz When I was growing up I thought I would be a teacher or a nurse and didn't decide until well into college, when I had to choose an education curriculum. I taught for 14 years and then worked as a graphic artist, finally doing all my work on a computer -- which I loved and still do! Emily Lewis I wanted to be a teacher. I was a middle school teacher for many years in Champaign. Judith Liebman As a child I wanted to be reporter or a scientist. I became a professor of operations research.  | |
Several of our members noted that their childhood career dreams were affected by social and gender norms at the time, as some jobs were considered primarily "male" or "female."
In the past decade, we have seen greater awareness of the need to encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) - and these are some of the leading websites that feature more information about current trends in career preparation and educational policy:
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Germaine LightI wanted to be an astronaut in 7th grade. I also considered careers as a concert pianist, a doctor, and an attorney. In these endeavors I was not encouraged by any adults in my life, in fact discouraged on account of my gender, with the exception of concert pianist, where I decided that music was better as a hobby for me. In 1965, my 7th grade teacher discouraged me from trying to be an astronaut, saying that women were too "moody." In 1969 my high school counselor discouraged me from studying to be a doctor, saying that nurse or teacher careers were more appropriate for girls, despite the fact that I had excellent grades and loved science and math. My own father, an attorney himself, discouraged me from pursuing a law degree and tried to get me to go to business school. He was very old fashioned, born in 1906. I wish I had not listened to any of them and just worked toward whatever career I wanted. But I had some maturing to do. I worked a series of clerical jobs and then was hired as an animal groomer for a veterinarian in Normal. Then Bloomington-Normal Public Transit expanded their bus routes and hired me as a city bus driver, which I did for two years. During this time I vowed to return to Illinois State University and finish my biological sciences education degree, which I did. I became a high school biology teacher and taught in public schools for 28 years. I was careful to encourage girl students in careers not traditional for women! During this time I was also a union activist in the Illinois Education Association/NEA, and I continue as a union activist even after retirement. Carlton Mills I wanted to be an Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM) man on a B-52. When the B-52 was 'seen' by the bad guy's radar, the ECM person had to figure out how to jam the radar. Instead I came to the U of I in 1960, took Air Force ROTC, and became a computer bum. I actually touched Illiac I. Robert Morris Childhood interest: geologist. Adult career: urban planner. Mary Mortland When I was a little girl I wanted to be a nun. (I went to a Catholic grade school and was one of several girls named Mary in my class.) As a grown-up I worked in clinical microbiology labs and taught microbiology. Traci Nally I wanted to be a doctor and then became a lawyer. I was very good in math and science in K-12. Then my first freshman semester at the U of I caused me to run screaming from a science and math academic focus, due to two courses with horrible instruction: chemistry taught by blurry video and a non-English speaking T.A., and trigonometry with an actual, for real, live, but poorly skilled teacher. I am living proof that the quality of the educator does make a difference. My legal career has been good to me, though, so everything turned out just grand. Katie Newman I can hardly believe it now, but I expressed an interest in being my mother's maid! Presumably it was because I wanted to be helpful, a trait that eventually led me to become a librarian. I ended my career as the Biotechnology Librarian at the University, where I had the pleasure of helping scientists find the literature they needed for their biological research. I was well-suited to this role as I have a Ph.D. in Biology, myself, and thus could "speak their language." I retired from the University mid-2012. Pam Olson I wanted to get married, have 6 children, be a stay-at-home mom, and work with kids. I got married, had 2 kids, stayed at home with them (did without to do so and never regretted anything), have grandchildren I adore, and own a daycare. Life is great! Diane Ore Growing up, I wanted to become an actress. I became a speech-language pathologist. Not even close. Larry Pater I wanted to be either an engineer or a rock star. I became an engineer. I still think about the other... Patricia Porter I wanted to be a school teacher. My parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and several cousins were teachers. I married a teacher! I enjoyed many years in this profession as a fifth grade teacher, and am proud to say both my sons and their wives are teachers. Marilyn Resch When I was a child, I wanted to be a secretary in New York City. It sounded so glamorous and exciting. I became a lawyer in Central Illinois. By the time I reached high school I realized that doors were beginning to open for women. I started law school at the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington in 1970, one of the first years when women in "large" numbers (roughly 23 in a class of 220) were being admitted. I was the second female to practice law in Effingham County, Illinois. The first was Ada Kepley in 1881! My legal life has not necessarily been glamorous, but it has been interesting and fulfilling. I have never regretted changing my mind. Anne Robin
I wanted to be a ballerina. I became a Family Physician. But I still like to dance! Barak Rosenshine I never, ever thought about what I wanted to do as a grown-up. At 19, I decided to become a teacher. I became a high school teacher, and then did research on teaching at the U of I. Joe Rotman When I was a kid in Chicago, I wanted to be an Antarctic explorer. While in my warm bed, I read all about Scott and Byrd. The closest I came to the South Pole was when I was flying overseas and the fellow next to me had just finished the second of three tours there. And yes, it was bitter cold with terrible winds. As I was growing up, I was pretty good at math. All my family were immigrants, and the only one who had been to college was an engineer then working for GE. So, I was fated to be an engineer, whatever that was. But I won a scholarship to the university of my choice, and I chose the University of Chicago because my sister had gone there. There was no engineering there, but one could get a degree in liberal arts without declaring a major. I then discovered that one could get degrees in math, and so I did. I was very lucky, for I now know that their math department then was the best in the world. I joined the math department here, but I never did go to the South Pole. The kid's dream was not the adult's. Ann Russell When I was a child, I wanted to be an archeologist, but then I found out that you had to camp out. As an adult I have had two careers. First I worked as a programmer for the U of I administrative computer system, and then I became a social worker. Bill Salzman I wanted to be a sailor, ended up a preacher. Pat Schutt When I was 6 years old I began piano lessons in Cleveland, Ohio with Anne Taborsky Molnar, who had studied with Artur Rubenstein's brother. (She came to my house once a week and it cost $2.00 per lesson.) But, by the time I was 11 years old, while practicing 2+ hours a day and playing concertos, my fingers would lock and became painful. Before I was to give a public recital which was to be a surprise for my mother, the best orthopedic specialist in Cleveland told us that I should never touch the piano again - "...don't even dust it!" What he thought I had was "worse than arthritis." Well, plans for Juilliard and a concert career were dashed and it took me years to get over the fact. At Miami University I was not allowed to major in music because I couldn't give a recital, so I became an elementary school teacher and realized later that it would have been very difficult to combine a concert career with having a family. I have not played my beautiful antique baby grand piano at all in 20 some years. Veronica Shavitt At the age of 8-10 I was fascinated with mixing my mother's eau de cologne with her face powder and so I wanted to be a chemist when grown up. I soon gave up the idea. But I married a chemist. Later I became more interested in art history, so I got a degree in that and in interior design and worked as an interior designer until I retired. Cliff Schwartz There was a time when I was pretty young that I wanted to be a sheep herder when I grew up. I had probably seen a movie and it looked like a nice life. I grew up to be a chemical engineer, for better or worse. Mary Severinghaus I wanted to be a circus or zoo veterinarian. While I did get into the pre-vet program at Illinois, chemistry was an insurmountable obstacle to me. So I majored in zoology, acquired a Masters in biology, and wound up teaching biology at Parkland College. The one thing I swore I'd never do: teach. But I thoroughly enjoyed it, and like to think I was quite good at it. Delora Siebrecht I wanted to be an airline stewardess. Instead, I started working in banking and ended up working in finance at the City of Urbana and in charge of collecting parking tickets! You just never know where life will lead you. Cheri Sullivan When I was a child I wanted to learn every language in the world and become a translator at the United Nations. As an adult, I first became a medievalist, which required a smattering of languages, but later became a dietitian - no foreign language required. Susan Taylor When I was young, I loved school (still do) and I wanted to become a teacher. Thus, I became a teacher. Over my working days, it took many forms, in many locations, with all age groups and varying information to deliver. To this day, teacher/counselor is what I do best. Chris Todd I always wanted to be a nurse. I read all the nursing books I could find as a child and up until high school I was determined to be a nurse. Then I took chemistry from a very talented teacher. I loved it and majored in chemistry when I got to college. I did research for a professor as an undergraduate and loved the scientific inquiry but didn't love the nasty chemicals (I worked with a chemical that was essentially essence of skunk!) or the huge amount of time working alone. After a while I realized that chemistry wasn't for me. I worked as a secretary for a number of years but finished my chemistry degree. After I had my children I started taking courses in child psychology. My love for scientific inquiry easily transferred to the social sciences. I went on to obtain my Ph.D. in child psychology, followed by a career in human development that involved teaching, research and administration at the university level. I ended up teaching nursing students! Bob Valden As a child, I wanted to be a scientist - an astronomer or paleontologist in particular. I spent most of my adult life as a geologist, working with stratigraphy, paleontology, and education outreach. Alan Walworth When I was little, I wanted to be a garbage man. I would pile pillows and blankets on my bed, then sit on top, riding the "trash" in my truck. Sadly, that dream remains unfulfilled. Arcelia Watson I wanted to be a woman journalist. I became a public school teacher. I taught for 54 years. Diane Wardrop As a child, I wanted to be a nurse and read every Sue Barton (flight, army, hospital, children's, etc.) nurse book in the library. (How did Sue have the time to be all those types of nurses, I wondered.) As an adult, I became a rural letter carrier for the postal service. However, that was the middle of my working adult life, as I bookended my 15 year postal career with 20 years (split 15 and 5) as a working registered nurse! Two careers! Al Wehrmann As a younger person, I had the usual boyhood infatuations. My first grade teacher's son was a fireman and that seemed pretty neat. A son of my parent's friends was a mailman, and that looked like fun. But, first and foremost, like many my age, I dreamed of being an astronaut - I grew up during the "space age" and worshiped heroes like John Glenn and Chuck Yeager (X-15 pilot). During my years in high school, I had an interest in architecture. Then I found out it typically took 5 years to get a degree in architecture. My interest in math and drafting, as well as the desire to be able to work outdoors, led me to engineering and I did, in fact, complete a B.S. in Civil Engineering. I devoted 34 years in the engineering field as a hydrologist and, in particular, groundwater hydrology (wells, water supply, contamination, etc.). Rosalind Weinberg As a child entering my teens I had two very different ideas of being grown up. At first I wanted to be a hairdresser because they were some of the first people I met outside of my wide family circle and that seemed like a fun job. Then, as I entered my teens and my reading took me further and I started taking science classes, I wanted to be a scientist. This is an ordinary expectation now, but back in 1960 in London, in my Jewish middle class family where no girl ever went to college and few finished high school, it was as if I told my family that I was going to live on the moon. I did become a scientist, traveled, worked abroad, came to the US to get to know a brother who left home when I was a child and then, even though I did not have it in my long term plans, married and later taught science and took up fine art while raising our children. Tony Welsh Wanted to be: a Franciscan priest working as a clinical psychologist. What happened: married with kids working as manager of a group of computer technicians. Go figure...oh well, it is all good! Candace Wilmot I don't remember having any ideas of what to be when I grew up as a young child, but in 1953, when I was a sophomore in high school, I read a Reader's Digest article about this new thing called computer programming. I said, "Yup, that's what I want to do." And I spent 36 years at the University doing just that. | 
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