MY EDUCATION

The first 12 years of my life was spent going to an all girls school in Towson, Maryland called Notre Dame Prep. Chapel, nuns, uniforms the whole nine yards. I was a bit of a rebellion, but I did OK in school. Creative writing was my favorite class, I remember my teacher Mr. Waters, the only male teacher at that school! Cheerleading was one of the extra curricular activities I was involved in, along with synchronized swimming. I graduated in 1979 with lots of great friends and some wonderful memories.

Then I went off to Ithaca College, which is in upstate New York. A beautiful place, with really great people. I majored in Communications, and spent 2 years up there. I had a part time job, and studied pretty hard, and partied very hard with some really great people, and the Cornelians of course. Cornel University was a hop, skip and jump away from our campus, and they were allot of fun! I really loved the experience of leaving home and venturing out into a new place with new people, but after 2 years, got very homesick and tired of the chilling temperatures.

I ended my undergraduate work at Towson State University, where my major was Mass Communications, and with the 3.5 gradepoint average I left Ithaca with, I had no problem transferring all my credits. So I lived at home with Mom and Dad and finished up school, then I moved out on my own, got a cool place with my girlfriend and got my first job!

When I was 21 and married I decided to go back to school to get my Masters Degree. I went part time to University of Baltimore, majoring in Publication Design. It took me 5 years to finish, and it was quite a sight, me pregnant with my son, waddling up to the huge stage to receive my diploma. I was very proud of myself though. It was allot of hard work, but I did it!!

MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE

My first job was working for the City Paper, the "local rag" of Baltimore. I was selling advertising, and used to beat the streets of downtown Baltimore every day. I learned allot and made some interesting friends and mentors there.

I had one quick job in the personnel business where I found my own job, working at National Credit Management Corp. I helped start the company back in 1984, and it was just myself and the president of the company. We did allot of research and slowly built up a collection agency. I did a little of everything, setting up the computers, administration and mostly selling of our services.

It seemed I had found my nitch in sales, and continued to do that for 4 years. Lots of tedious traveling, but very exciting, I brought in new clients and the company started to grow. In 1986, we hired a new President, Tom Gillespie, who was my boss, my mentor and my good friend. When I got pregnant with Chris, I decided to take some time off and stay home. I ended up taking a year and a half off before going back. Sales was the last thing I was interested in so Tom offered me a collections position.

Collections was the pits! I didn't enjoy demanding money from these people, and I'm sure they didn't enjoy hearing from me as well! But I stuck it out, and was actually very successful at it, until I was finally promoted to Legal Manager. Boy that was a challenging job, very interesting though. I learned allot and spent two years cleaning up legal files and learning out to deal with arrogant attorneys!

My next position was my favorite, and that was in Customer Service. I really enjoyed that and managed that department for five years. I became the assistant to our VP of Operations at one point as well. We started a new division in 1992 called Accelerated Payment Systems, a check over the phone system, and now I became involved in the Telemarketing and Sales of this product, along with NCMC services, and did allot of work on the computer. I love to do research on the Internet, and test new computer programs. I was also the companies' Webmaster!! Since Computers have become so important to me, all that I was learning at work was really very exciting, and very enjoyable! I had great friendships that I built over the years, and my office was my home away from home. Well another update on my job... since August of 97, I switched jobs again, and started selling APS. I was a national Sales Executive, I didn't really want to do it, but that was next on the agenda for me. The best part about the job, is that I was able to work from my home!!!! It was really great. I could be home for Chris in the afternoon and I could work in my pajamas if I didn't feel like getting dressed!!! What more can a girl ask for!!!

I left the wonderful company after 14 years and decided to come home. I was tired of the rat race and was getting married soon, so was time to stay home and learn some new things and work for myself.