Debra Welch:  

drill team in high school. I've "loosened up" quite a bit since then; I guess beginning the downhill slide to fifty has taught me to stop waiting and start living, no matter what anyone else thinks! My friends are probably sometimes a little frustrated when they can hardly get a word in edgewise, so I try to have a glass of wine before conversational settings to slow myself down a little! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I am trying to be a better listener. College Went to Del Mar for three semesters beginning in January, 1975. We were on the tri-mester system for a few years at King, so I actually graduated in Nov. '74. I was also working at a women's clothing store in THE mall (Padre-Staples - what else?), eventually moving up to manager by the time I was 18, and as my work hours went up, my school hours went down each semester. After getting married in '76 and pregnant in '77, I put college days behind me for a while. I started back at Midland College, Midland, Texas, in about '88, and enrolled at A&M when we moved to College Station in '91. Finally revved up to full-time student the last year or so and finished a BS in Biochem in '94. I had hated biology in high school; never took chemistry, trig, or calculus until A&M. Boy, was that a challenge! Thought I'd frame my diploma as soon as I got it, but it's still in the tube nine years later. Husband ('77), son (2000) and I all have our Aggie rings now; we're still waiting to see if the girls will eventually get theirs. Workplace I've had quite a few jobs... McDonald's (3 wks), civil service at CC Naval Base, dress shop in the mall (sales clerk to mgr), secretary at TAEX on A&M campus in College Station, Avon sales rep in NM, teacher's aide at 6th grade school in W. Tx. (actually turned out to be head librarian), co-owned, co-managed a craft store, and receptionist/secretary for my husband while he was self-employed in financial planning in Midland for three years. After graduating A&M in '94, I obtained my longest-lived "career" so far, working in animal genetics (and getting to use my degree in biochemistry), which I began the Monday after grad'n and quit in Sept. '01 to work from home, which I really love. I now babysit my grandson on a 4-to-5-day-a-week basis (actually qualifies as volunteer work!), and I am the co-owner and property manager of my husband's and my residential real estate rental business. I do miss my latest former job at times, but I'm able to use many of the documentation and people skills I developed there on this one, and I have found that I have a knack for being in property mgmt and do enjoy it. I have always wanted to work from home at something so that I have the flexibility to keep the homefires burning (or at least keep the emergency ones put out) while working on a part-time basis most of the time (not counting babysitting). I do like my boss better than any others I've had!