Back in the early 1960’s, employment opportunities for working women were limited. The typical workforce in business welcomed secretaries and stenographers. Common professions for females were two-fold: nursing and teaching. Since 3rd grade, I longed to teach school, so the career choice was a no-brainer for me.
My parents were Italian immigrants denied the privilege of much formal schooling. They challenged me, “Get a gooda education; it’s the one thinga nobody can take away froma you.” Angelo and Lucia were extremely proud that I became the first female in our family to graduate college.
But here is the back story.
We were enjoying family dinner in the kitchen, the central focus of our home. The table was filled with the culinary wonders of fine Italiano cuisine. Mama was a fantastic self-taught chef, and our nightly meals could compete with any 5-star trattoria.
“So whata happened at the schoola today?” It was the nighty question from my dear Daddy.
“I met with the school counselor,” I mumbled through a mouthful of pasta marinara. “He reviewed my standardized tests,” and said, “Lucille, your math score and spatial relations tests are high. You should think about becoming an engineer instead of a teacher.”
Mama almost dropped the second helping of meatballs she was adding to my father’s plate. “Mama mia!” she yelled. “Why do you wanna driva the train?” I shrugged and she continued, “Do you really wanna driva a train?” I shook my head sadly. “Then be una maestra.”
I am amazed these days as I observe friends driving their high schoolers from one college campus to another. Parents advise their offspring about options for majors, best university sites, athletic opportunities and even various meal plans. No such guidance for this would-be coed.
The sad thing is that I only knew that engineers drove trains. This innocent had no knowledge of world of engineering and its opportunities. So, I became a teacher, my life-long dream.
I graduated from the University of Florida with a teaching degree, then a master’s in administration and supervision of education from UNF. My 40-year career brought me great joy as a special education teacher, school principal, district administrator and non-profit executive director. I guess Mama always knows best!
Yet, every time I hear a train whistle, I wonder….
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Living my personal mission statement, “Each One, Teach One,” my greatest blessing is being the mother of two, grandmother of three and a lifelong educator. A graduate of UF and UNF, I am the former principal of St. Paul’s Catholic School in Jacksonville Beach, Florida and executive director of Tree Hill Nature Center in Jacksonville.
Since retirement my avocation is now my vocation – freelance writing. The technical writing of past professional life evolved into more creative genres of poetry, short fiction and memoir. My goal is to invoke the entire spectrum of human emotions in my reader: longing to laughter, pain to promise, despair to discernment.
