Jan Bell-smith:
CLASS OF 1969
West High SchoolClass of 1969
Davenport, IA
Saint Ambrose UniversityClass of 1981
Davenport, IA
Williams Intermediate SchoolClass of 1966
Davenport, IA
Adams Elementary SchoolClass of 1963
Davenport, IA
Jan's Story
Well... A lot has happened in 40 years. But then, one would hope that would be the case, otherwise life would be awfully boring!
Anyway, since graduation on June 10, 1969, I have been married, raised a family of six kids, and been divorced. I have been single now for over 19 years and love it! I became my own person; I finally figured out who I was. There's much to be said for self-realization. The only bad part of being single is the financial aspect -- two can live more cheaply than one. But, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against marriage. When it's good, it can be really great. I have a cordial relationship with my ex, which I think makes life more pleasant for everyone, especially the children.
Also, in the last 40 years, I finally made it to college and got a BA (in English and Secondary Ed.) from St. Ambrose in 1981. Since then I have done graduate work in English Theory and Pedagogy and am currently finishing an MS in Computer and Business Education from Emporia State University in Kansas. I am earning this MS all online -- oh, the wonders of modern technology!
On the career side of things, I have worked in many occupations. I have done everything from working as as bookkeeper at the Gas & Electric Company to teaching Junior High Language Arts. Along the way, I have also been a Technical Writer, a Web content specialist, and finally, a college instructor...Expand for more
. I currently teach Software Applications online for Kaplan University. I have been doing this for approximately the last nine years. In Nov. 2008, I also started working as a Teaching Assistant/Writing Consultant for Ashford University (that used to be Mt. St. Claire in Clinton, IA). That is also an online position. I love rolling out of bed in the morning, turning on the computer, and working in my jammys, if I feel like it. I don't miss the daily commute at all!
Working at home makes life easier and I don't have someone looking over my shoulder half the time. And, it makes keeping in touch with family and friends a bit easier because I can take a break and shoot off an e-mail or make a phone call to friends and family and no one cares!
Speaking of family, as I said earlier, I have six children, all of whom are grown up and out on their own now. Whew, what a relief! Parenting, as most of you know, is a lot of work, so I am glad most of that is behind me. But, as you also know, your children are always your children, whether they are 6 or 36. So, you still worry about them and try to give advice occasionally, without appearing to be butting into their lives. In addition to the six kids, I now have 3 grandkids and 4 step-grandkids. Unfortunately, all but one of the grandkids lives out of town. So, I don't get a lot of opportunities to be a hands-on granny. Oh well!
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