| "The summer after GS graduation in 1954 I went to France with The Experiment in International Living. Classmates, Dennis Stafford, Dave Luria and Sissy Harper were on the program (did I miss anybody else?) This was an eye-opening experience which strongly influenced my future which has involved as much travel as possible! In the fall of 1954 I entered Mt. Holyoke College with classmates Gerty Reif, Mitch Mitchell and Phebe Johnson (again! who did I miss?) I graduated in 1958 with a major in Political Science and a minor in Italian - both of these fields have been integral parts of my life even since. In 1958 I married Alan Schechter and with him have shared 46 years of superb times together. Alan has spent his entire career as a professor of American Politics and Law at Wellesley College. We have lived for 42 years within a mile of the college where we raised our three children. Daughter Kate in now a psychotherapist in Chicago, sons Andy and Steve live in the Atlanta area where they are clever entrepreneurs with a variety of businesses, most of which are golf related (see website below). We have three grandchildren all in the Atlanta area. I began my career as a Governess to Lou Henry Hoover, granddaughter of President Hoover with whom she and I would meet every Thursday afternoon. This unusual job led me next to teaching French on the high school and junior college level. I then became the Associate Director of Admission at Wellesley College and finally in 1976 I landed in my final career (so far!). I have been practicing residential real estate since then, have owned three different real estate companies and now continue to work full time for the company to which I finally sold my own company in 1997. I have been fortunate to have traveled over the years: two years in Rome when Alan had sabbaticals, considerable other European travel and from 1994-2001 some unique trips accompanying Alan who at that time was Chairman of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in Washington. We had the opportunity to spend time in South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Japan, Israel, Jordan, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden. We were fortunate to meet some people one would only dream of meeting: the Emperor and Empress of Japan, the Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court, President Mbeki of South Africa, Prince Hassan of Jordan to mention a few. Once again travel opened a whole range of new interests for me. Alan had been Hillary Clinton's professor and thesis advisor at Wellesley, and their friendship has continued over the years. Through that connection, we spent time in the White House even staying overnight in the Lincoln bedroom (no$$$$ strings attached!) These days I continue to work hard at my real estate brokerage business (when I am not somewhere else!), I read eclectically and often, spend an hour plus at the gym every day and enjoy downhill skiing in the winter and lazy behavior at a lake in Maine in the summer. Two years ago we bought a small camper van (you will see it at the Reunion!) from ebay and have put about 10,000 miles on it going to places in the US that we know little about: West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Texas. Everwhere we go we try to meet people through local music festivals, at bars and diners and occasionally churches and learn about local cultures and mores and particularly politics. In some of these states I have met people more foreign to me than I have ever met outside the US. I recommend spending time outside of your own region and trying to learn from and understand our fellow Americans. This kind of travel is constantly eye-opening and always a lot of good, simple fun. That's about it! Reunion will be a very special time for us all and I am eagerly looking forward to connecting with everyone in our class." |
| Alison (Allie) Rhoads Schechter |