Shawn Brown:  

I left Norwich in 1975 for Eastern CT state College where I lived in the dorm for 6 months and then lived in an apartment for 6 months. I was independent from my parents at age 18. I left willimantic in 76 heading to California with a friend but ended up in Boston 3 months later. She came back to CT and I stayed in Boston and have lived in the urban environs of the city my whole life. I am definitely now a city girl and could not live too far away from any urban center. My path through life has been as eclectic and varied in interests and pursuits as my youth. I attended four colleges over 10 years for undergrad and changed my major three times, eventually earning a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Boston University in 1985. I adopted and raised my niece as a single parent from 1984 when she was 4 until she was 18. My professional working life began in 1980 as a lab technician for the industrial chemical company W.R.Grace where I worked my way up to International Marketing Manager and traveled the world until 1995 when I was laid off. I had a 5 year stint in retail management working with teenagers and decided to become a teacher. Worked as a special ed aide for a year in a suburban high school one on one with a student on the autism spectrum who was mainstrea...Expand for more