A posting on one of the blogs I follow -http://threesaherd.com/ – talked about mentors and favorite teachers – somebody who really inspired you to make something of your life.
Perhaps if I had been able to stay at Samuel Ready, I might have been able to accomplish more according to the ways of the world. Many of my classmates went on to be lawyers, scientists, etc., in a time when this was not expected of women. (I graduated in 1960.) Unfortunately, I finished the last three years of my education in public school, and under my mother’s roof.
Going from a school with an average class size of ten to classes of forty-five to fifty was a jolt to the system, and coming from an all-girl environment to a co-ed situation darned near killed me. In many ways I was much more sophisticated than my classmates, but what I knew about boys could have been written on my thumbnail, with room to spare. I was, in short, a total nerd. My mom’s attitude swung between “you can do better than this” to “self-praise stinks”.
It was a no-win situation. Whatever self confidence I may have gained at Samuel Ready was shot full of holes.
After The Squire and I got married, he encouraged me to go back to college and take some courses to get ahead at Blue Cross. The beginning requirements were English 101, which was a primarily a writing course. I loved it! My professor spoke highly of my work, and even read some of my papers to the entire class. He encouraged me to use my writing, perhaps going into Public Relations or even submitting things to the local paper. I did take some college courses in PR, as well as sign language, hoping to get into TV broadcasting.
I never go into broadcasting, and ended up leaving Blue Cross with medical problems, but I have used my writing and speaking talents to edit newspaper articles, teach classes in American History, and help deaf patients when I worked at Hopkins.
Not bad for a nerd.
thisendoftheswamp 
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