Steven Welch:
CLASS OF 1970
Boca Raton High SchoolClass of 1970
Boca raton, FL
Steven's Story
Life
Met my wife (Penny Boston, *not* of Boca High, she was being expelled from St. Pete High when we met) in 1967 and we've been together ever since--not a "normal" marriage, but she's always my best friend! Left BRHS in 1969 (also the year of my last haircut ;-), went to FAU for a number of years. Saw every manned Saturn V launch. Moved to Colorado in 1976, where the wife went to graduate school, and I slid from astronomy (ran the UC Boulder Observatory for a few years) to computers and high-tech. Co-founded The Case for Mars in 1979. Started a computer company in 1981. Had a (great!) Kid in 1987 (Ariel, born on Black Monday), and moved to New Mexico from 2000-2004 (yes, it took me 4 years to move--don't ask). Got back into astronomy in New Mexico as a hobby this time (my first hobby!). I am now working on realizing my ultimate life goal: becoming homeless and unemployed and nomadic, serially spending time with my extended family (relatives and the many, many close friends I have accumulated through the years) all over the world. My penultimate life goal: Before my transition to homeless and unemployed, I want to try one more career in Hollywood, where I want to get into Producing (see my workplace profile). A long shot, I know, but I've been so lucky all my life that I might just be able to pull it off! Check out my web page: complex.org/~swelch !
One line Bio: Having a great time, so far!
Workplace
Share my career arc, eh? Yeah, right! Career scattergram, is more like it. Been a great ride so far, though. No regrets!
My careers are probably too numerous to mention, but include (in a *slightly* chronological order):
Student (high school, college, life -- a permanent career, if you do it right)
Teacher (this is another permanent career)
Babysitter for humans of all ages (ditto)
Parking Lot Attendant (Strictly speaking, not a career, but one of my best jobs ever, at Cap's Place in Hillsboro Beach, Florida ;-)
Sheet metal shop worker/manager
Astronomical Observatory Technician/Manager
Mars Underground (Case for Mars) founder (subverting NASA)
Electrical Engineer (various discliplines and areas of so-called expertise)
Microbiology Lab Manager/Instrumentation Engineer
Personal Computer Entrepreneur
Computer Product Marketing Manager
Septic System Engineer (this is the one that got away--I got into it because I wanted cleaner work than computer marketing, but computers dragged me back to them ;-)
Computer Animation System Architect/Engineer
Computer Animation Producer/Director
Computer Consultant (various area...Expand for more
s of so-called expertise--*many* various areas)
Aerospace (NASA) Consultant and Contractor
Reluctant Computer Network Administrator and webmaster (the one career I really suck at, just ask my wife)
My current career is a meld of two of my perpetual careers listed above: Mostly babysitting of my boss (and long time friend) with a bit of computer consultant (with him) thrown in--in the area of Data Security, Cryptography and Privacy.
I've left out a few (really!), but all of the above careers were ones I fell or was drafted into or was just in the wrong place at the wrong time for. Never or seldom applied for a job, I've been *so* fortunate in my life. No regrets on the scattershot nature of my careers--I've always been interested in everything.
In the last 10 years, I've finally happened upon a career that I actually want to pursue, and it is a long shot--I want to go to Hollywood (L.A.) and become a Movie Producer. I've worked with brilliant, creative people in many discliplines all my life, and what I really do best (not to mention what I really enjoy most) is to help brilliant, creative people meet or exceed their potential and realize their dreams. That's what a Movie Producer does, and that's what I want to do when I grow up.
As I said, it's a very long shot, but I know a few people, and I've been so very lucky in my life and careers that I want to give it a shot. It'll be fun, even if I never do more than make coffee or fix computers for some low level Assistant Producer, I know. Wish me luck!
People often ask me what I think I owe my apparent success and definite happiness and self-satisfaction to, with all my various interests and abilities, and my many diverse and interesting careers and jobs. I always tell them that Steve Welch's secret to living a happy fulfilling life is very simple, really:
Low standards, and a bad memory
...also, it helps to be able to make fun of yourself.
Take Care,
St
Update 4 October, 2017 (Sputnik Day, 60th Anniversary):
Well, that last job, as Co-founder of Silent Circle, didn't quite go the way I hoped, but it was 5 years of very cool work. I'm retired now (well, Kinda), and looking at some big life changes. My daughter moved away last week (She turns 30 this month), and I've fallen in love. Still in my polyamorous marriage, and The Boss is now a high level NASA scientist. Still helping my friend/boss/co-worker, but now he lives in The Hague, Netherlands, so travel is a constant between New Mexico, The Hague, and Woodstock, NY, where my sweetie lives. Fun Stuff!
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Reunions
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