My road to teaching was winding—Girl Scout camps, canoe trips, and a reservation school. Oddly enough, basketball sent me overseas; after refusing to keep coaching, my contract wasn’t renewed. At the University of Washington placement office, I saw a poster: Teach in Turkey. Four weeks later, I was in Istanbul. I meant to stay two years but soon fell in love with the people, history, and energy there.
For 34 years, I taught mathematics and later became Academic Dean, coordinating departments in five languages. Turkish came slowly, but when a partner fell ill, language became a necessity, and the community surrounded me. Turkey taught me trust—the kind where neighbors step in without asking.
I retired in 2014, and returning to the U.S. brought culture shock. Southern California felt foreign to someone who’d lived near woods and water. I found purpose by joining the Claremont Community Emergency Response Team, drawing on years of first aid and wilderness skills, helping during fires, windstorms, and community events. At Pilgrim Place retirement community, I’ve served on many committees, including the Safety Council and COVID response team.
Some meaningful moments came long after the classroom—students reaching out and colleagues honoring me. But the real value is in everyday acts: checking on a neighbor, offering care without expecting anything back. After decades abroad, I don’t feel strictly American. I feel like a world citizen. With so much diversity, the U.S. has a chance to learn from itself. In emergencies, people help instinctively; I hope that we remember that instinct in ordinary times and choose trust, generosity, and connection as a way of life.
For 34 years, I taught mathematics and later became Academic Dean, coordinating departments in five languages. Turkish came slowly, but when a partner fell ill, language became a necessity, and the community surrounded me. Turkey taught me trust—the kind where neighbors step in without asking.
I retired in 2014, and returning to the U.S. brought culture shock. Southern California felt foreign to someone who’d lived near woods and water. I found purpose by joining the Claremont Community Emergency Response Team, drawing on years of first aid and wilderness skills, helping during fires, windstorms, and community events. At Pilgrim Place retirement community, I’ve served on many committees, including the Safety Council and COVID response team.
Some meaningful moments came long after the classroom—students reaching out and colleagues honoring me. But the real value is in everyday acts: checking on a neighbor, offering care without expecting anything back. After decades abroad, I don’t feel strictly American. I feel like a world citizen. With so much diversity, the U.S. has a chance to learn from itself. In emergencies, people help instinctively; I hope that we remember that instinct in ordinary times and choose trust, generosity, and connection as a way of life.
