Echo Sullivan:
CLASS OF 1976
Marcos De Niza High SchoolClass of 1976
Tempe, AZ
Echo's Story
For your reading pleasure:
Spent 18 or so years in computers; got tired of talking to machines and too-strange people.
Back to skool-earned Masters. Now teach Special Education-8th grade. 12 to 16 year olds; public school. Yes, I'm mean-ask my students/angels, see if a certain word is used. Right after they'll probably say something nice about me. I'm their biggest advocate; also teaching them how to advocate for themselves.
Many of them come from other countries-Cambodia, Viet Nam, Mexico, parts of Africa, Marshall Islands, Thailand, plus many more. Heard some heartbreaking stories from the parents on coming to America. Gililland Middle School is a really good mix of nationalities for a public school.
Also like to: read, sew, photography (digital rocks), old rock, swing, some blues, older Spanish, a bit of the modern rock; great Harley passenger (not driver-can't lift 830 lbs. if it falls over), laugh, advocate for children (angers me when adults take advantage of children), chat with my students, write letters, write anything really cuz I enjoy words, flowers, plants
I respect: the sun, most things in nature (sheep & chickens excepted), intelligence, eccentric people (I'm considered eccentric occasionally) the power of words, justice, knowledge, anyone who comes here from another country, perseveres and makes it.
Married: to a software engineer; he's quite something. Quite a good communicator. Excellent at his work. Very tolerant of my idiosyncracies. Married many years. Not sure how we did it-probably cuz he communicates so well.
Daughter; she's an engineer also. Genius kid-no bias here! Volunteers with Girl Scounts one Saturday a month. Volunteers at a public school a day each week. Terrific, normal human. What more could one want of their offspring?
Life rocks!!
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Update time: Daughter marr...Expand for more
ied last week. Quite nice; outdoor wedding, nice day for it. Warm,not hot. Flowers blooming,lots of grass,pretty place. Did it at some place in Mesa. Forget the name of it just now.
When asked who gives this woman, my better half said, "Her Mother and I." It's good to be included since we're both happy she's happy and moving on.
After the wedding festivities were pretty nice. Dinner, dancing, got to dance with my better half, which we haven't done for a long time. Time to meet the new relatives, chat with them.
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update time: Retired from teaching May 2014. Have all my varying hobbies to keep me amused.
Still, retirement does take some getting used to. Been working for wages since I was 11 or 12, so not working is rather strange. No getting out of bed too early so I can work out before I leave and then make the 28 mile commute just so I can work!! No putting in 11 or 12 hour days doing Special Education paperwork for my students. I don't miss that at all. No parent/teacher conferences, fall break, spring break, more p/t conferences - I certainly don't miss any of that.
Still, those seems to be hurdles to be gotten past. So, for this school year [ending May 2015] I'll notice, whether I want to or not, at certain times, that I'm not at work and it will seem, briefly, like I should be there and am not and I don't miss it.
A couple of co-workers who have also retired in May with me have remarked on this same thing, this noticing of certain normal school events like the p/t conferences, report card time, the different breaks and holidays, that they don't have to do anymore. These seem to be universal hurdles for all of us from my school.
I think after this school year is over, retirement will be officially in place for once and all. I'm looking forward to that.
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