Donna went to college at O.C.C. for several semesters, until the distractions of youth, and the reality of supporting herself as a student got the better of her. It was right around this time, as fate would have it, that she and I met through my sister, Tina. We started dating, and Donna put college on hold for awhile to concentrate on earning a living.
Donna began working in the accounts payable department at GM Truck and Bus shortly after we began seeing one another. She worked there for about three or four years as a temp. While working there, she met her now long-time friend Barb (Sahutske) Ahlberg and they shared an apartment together for a time. In 1989, the year we were married, Donna began working for Vultron, Inc. doing the same type of work, but with better pay and seemingly better prospects. (I later worked for this company too).
We bought our home in Lake Orion, MI in 1990. In 1991, Donna was laid-off from Vultron. Donna decided to use the opportunity to return to college and finish her degree at O.C.C.. During this time she set her sights on becoming a nurse specializing in pediatrics and was accepted into Oakland University's nursing program. After her graduation from O.C.C. in 1992, Donna began her courses at O.U. in the fall of that year. She was also pregnant with our daughter, Emily, at the time.
Emily's arrival, and the travails of childbirth, convinced Donna that she did not want to become a nurse after all. She decided at which point that a career in education, and working with children in that profression, would be more to her liking. That decision, and some other issues at Oakland University (while she was pregnant there were several incidents with some moron there over a parking space dispute) which influenced her to transfer to the University of Michigan-Flint.
Donna graduated with honors in 1996 from U of M-Flint with a degree in Elementary Education. She immediately gained employment with the Flint school district, and has been working there ever since. In her first year, Donna taught half a day of kindergarten at two different schools, Freeman and Scott Elementary Schools, to make it a full-time position. (She stayed very busy that year too). Donna has now taught classes in kindergarten through sixth grade (excepting first grade) for Flint public schools. Donna has found teaching to be very rewarding, and has absolutely no regrets whatsoever about pursuing a career in education instead of nursing.
In 2000, Donna discovered the joys of giving birth with our son Mitchell. She found the second time around to be a lot less difficult. However, it took her over seven years to give it another try. In all fairness though, our educational and career pursuits as well as our financial situation also played a role in this delay.
In June, 2003 Flint Community Schools closed Homedale Elementary School which was built in 1913. Donna hated leaving Homedale! She has been teaching fourth through sixth graders at Bryant Center Elementary School in various capacities since switching schools and is currently teaching fourth grade in 2006-2007. Donna ran for and was elected as a union rep for the school this year. So far so good!
