Sandra Green Sullivan, AIS Class of 1972 Slsullivan@juno.com

After Delhi, we ended up in Honolulu (Hawaii) after six months in New Jersey. I graduated from Kalini High School and, small world that it is, discovered that Steve Worrel was in my graduating class of over 800 students! My most embarrassing moment that year - I had to ask what homecoming was.

I went to college at Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in Elementary Education. I went to Iowa because that was where I was born, and my parents were from Iowa and we had lots of relatives there. I had only lived there a few years before Delhi and wanted to know more about where I came from.

From Iowa, I moved to Portland, Oregon for a teaching job. I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and have made it my home. I taught school for six years, the first year working with 7th & 8th graders in math and reading, then spent three years in an university hospital home schooling program helping K-8 grade patients keeping pace with their courses and two years in a third grade class room. I was married during this time. I quit teaching when my husband was accepted for Navigator training with the Oregon Air National Guard. From there, we had a quick year and a half tour of air bases in California, New Mexico and Kansas before heading back to Portland.

When we got back, I had several part time-jobs working in accounts receivable and payroll departments. I discovered that I loved accounting and soon gave up my teaching certificate for a career in accounting. I had my dream job most recently at a company that bought and developed apartment complexes and operated them under a federal tax credit program. My job there included report writing, training staff on software, troubleshooting software problems and special projects. Then the company moved our division to California and I had to make the tough decision to stay in Oregon or move to California. Oregon won! I spent 5 months last year unemployed and having a wonderful time, just relaxing, doing odd jobs around the house, and taking a vacation in Alaska.

I'm returned to work after my vacation and just finished a temp job writing automated Excel reports for a company. In the process I met a "Turn Around Consultant" (he helps businesses with management issues, financial issue, accounting issue, etc) and will start working for him in the accounting/financial area. This will be a big step for me, as there is no guarantee of 40 hours/week work, but I figure I will give it a try and see how it works out.

My marriage ended after 15 years. Besides work, I keep busy with softball, gardening, camping, skiing in the winter and working with stained glass. And I have several good friends with kids who I adopted when I needed that "kid fix". In the last eight years I also have rediscovered traveling. I have been to Europe several times, as well as Brazil and most recently Peru. The Peru trip was a definite "why not" adventure for me! I was turning 50 soon and said, "why not?!" I joined a tour group of 14 other people and we hiked the Inca trail to Machupicchu. What a fantastic experience! I felt as if I was walking on top of the world, absorbing the most wonderful mountain views and scenery after climbing more stone steps than I have ever seen in my life. It was probably the hardest physical thing I have ever done. The highest pass we hiked over was 13,400 feet.

Sandra

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