Intreview with Amy Anaya, 04/20/2016

UW Oshkosh Campus Stories
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00:00:00

CS: Okay. So can you just tell about where you grew up?

AA: I grew up in Appleton and Menasha, Wisconsin. Fox Valley area.

CS: Okay and what was that like? Like the area?

AA: It was city like but it was smaller city. Not urban.

CS: Right, and what were your parents and grandparents like? Your family?

AA: Um my maternal grandparents were rural they grew up farming. My mom grew up 00:01:00farming. My paternal side, they I, I think my dad's if you went way back they were farming but he grew up in the city. He was like a little, you know a city boy from the Appleton area. So neither side valued education. They weren't, they didn't push me for college. They didn't really believe in the value of going to college.

CS: Okay. And what types of work did your parents do?

AA: My dad worked in the mill and my mom was what they called a keypuncher at the time. It it it got called computer programming but it wasn't it was just computer maybe it was I don't know it was keypunching.

CS: Okay. What were the values that your family tried to impart?

00:02:00

AA: Honesty and hard work.

CS: What values or lessons did you learn growing up in your community?

AA: Uh honesty, hard work, helping each other out I think.

CS: Okay. So um how many people lived in your home?

AA: There were five of us. My parents and my brother and sister and I.

CS: Okay. Now your siblings, are they older or younger?

AA: They are both older.

CS: So you're the youngest. Can you tell me about them?

AA: My brother is two years older than I am and my sister is almost a year older then I am. So were all very close in age. I'm sorry he's three years older than I am.

CS: And did the rest of your family were they all from the Appleton area? Or did 00:03:00they live nearby? Your extended family?

AA: No. Um my cousins and aunts and uncles were all in Wis- most of them were in Wisconsin but um... I had an aunt and uncle that I was real, very close to that traveled a lot around the world. They settled in Wisconsin and then I spent time with them but when they traveled and lived outside of Wisconsin I still traveled to see them. And so I went when I was 14 years to visit them in Germany and when I was I think the following year or two years later I went and stayed with them in Texas for a while.

CS: Oh wow that's very cool.

AA: Yeah. They were the ones that pushed me to go to college.

CS: So can you describe the home you grew up in?

AA: It was a nice home it was middle class. I had my own bedroom. We had a dog. 00:04:00He had to stay outside we didn't have a housedog. There was always enough food I don't know. Um I guess an education now I see why that's not always the case and I see families that just don't always have enough and so. But I also see where um my parents didn't really care about school and they weren't always involved the way other parents are. So I see that there's, there's things that are different.

CS: Right and what was the neighborhood like?

AA: We lived, it was when I was in third grade we moved to a um developing suburb or whatever and so there was a lot of room to ride your bikes and there 00:05:00wasn't sidewalks. So there were a woods that our house was surrounded by woods and I used to go out and play in the woods all the time.

CS: Okay and was it like the race and ethnicity was it predominantly?

AA: Yeah there was no other, it was predominantly white middle class. There was no ethnicity other than white middle class. It was- homogenous.

CS: And did that change as you were growing up or?

AA: No, never did. Ah well I don't know if it changed after we moved away. I changed. I married a Hispanic man. My sons are both mixed race.

CS: Oh really?

AA: Yeah.

CS: And where is he from?

AA: My husband is from Texas. And he wanted his sons to be raised with 00:06:00bilingually. And we worked on it but there not, they really weren't raised. We brought them up to a rural community where there, there was even less, less of that, less of the uh diversity and so um we're happy that our older son lives in Minneapolis where he, he is just in the mist of it all and he's chosen to live in a part of the city in Minneapolis where he's in the middle of all of all the diversity and he loves it.

CS: That's very cool like. Is your husband like Mexican or like-?

AA: Yeah

CS: Puerto Rican? Or?

AA: No

CS: So he's Mexican.

AA: His parents were both from Mexico.

CS: Okay, very cool. Yeah I was just in Texas, a little off track, but I was just in Texas last week and so I plan on moving there.

AA: Wow!

CS: Yeah. I plan I want to transfer schools so.

00:07:00

AA: What part of Texas was it?

CS: Um our family friend is in San Antonio

AA: I love San Antonio. I was stationed there.

CS: Oh really?

AA: Yeah I like it. My son was stationed there as well he didn't like it for some reason but I like it.

CS: What do you mean stationed?

AA: I was in the military.

CS: Oh really?

AA: Yeah.

CS: How long were you?

AA: Umm I was actually active duty for one year when I got pregnant with our first son and then um the military gave me the option of getting out or staying stateside and I didn't want to stay stateside. I wanted to be in Europe or somewhere else. So my husband was going to travel with me and be the stay at home mom.

CS: And this was when you were how old around?

AA: Uhh twenty-three.

CS: Okay. Oh that's very cool. Um okay, so was your family involved in church or did you go to church growing up?

00:08:00

AA: Um we weren't really involved in the church. We sang on Sundays so we might have been a little bit more involved than just going on Sundays because we had to go and practice and do the singing but we weren't overly involved.

CS: Okay.

AA: But we did go.

CS: Right. Okay. And then what role did church play in your life and your families?

AA: Um the church was a part of the traditions but god wasn't necessarily pushed as a part of out lives.

CS: Okay. Um were there any other groups or organizations that were important to you and your family?

AA: No.

CS: I'm sorry what were the organ- Did you say any organizations?

00:09:00

AA: No organizations.

CS: No. None really?

AA: No.

CS: Okay.

AA: My parents were not part of anything they just. My dad did his thing and um my mom just liked to garden and go to work. They both just- kind of workaholics.

CS: Right. So did you say you were kind of more close to your aunt and uncle?

AA: Yeah. Yeah I did a lot. I spent time when I was out of school; on vacations I would go spend time with my aunt and uncle if I could.

CS: Okay. So now on to education. What were the schools like you attended from like elementary to high school?

AA: Oh well speaking of church, we didn't go to a catholic school until I was in 00:10:00third grade. And then when we moved from Appleton to Menasha then I went to then we were all switched to the public school and um it was just it was a good public school. You know I thought it was a good school, it didn't, you know they cared about us they it was good. Now I think it's one of the better school in that area with bilingual education, [Gegan] Elementary School in Menasha. And then I went from there to [Maplewood] Junior High and Menasha High School. I never took any foreign language and until I got to UW Oshkosh and then at that 00:11:00point I had met my husband and he had said that his wife someday would have to learn how to speak Spanish and make flour tortillas (laughs). So I started making um well I didn't make the tortillas yet but I started taking Spanish classes and it very easy. Whereas some of the advanced psychology, experimental psychology and those were getting harder and harder.

CS: Right

AA: And a guidance counselor at UW Oshkosh looked at my records and said "you're never gonna get a job with psychology anyway, you need to pursue this Spanish that's where you're gonna get a job." And he was right. I would like to thank him a hundred times over.

CS: Do you know who that, the guidance do you remember his name?

AA: No, I don't. I feel so bad because it was just one day in his office that I went there to and he changed the direction of my life. And that's and that's why 00:12:00I want to do this interview because I wanted to somehow if there was a way that that person in guidance (sighs). Yeah he changed just by that one day that he just looked at those records and said that. That's your direction, look at your grades, look what you need to do. This is where you're, this is what you should do.

CS: And what where your goals and aspirations as a young person? Did you know what you wanted to do then?

AA: I've always wanted to be a teacher. No well when I was really little I wanted to be a truck driver like my uncle. (Laughs) Because my uncle was a truck driver he's the one that raised, you know that I always wanted to be like my aunt and uncle. So when he was a truck driver I wanted to be a truck driver, when we went into the army I wanted to go in the army. Then I just wanted to be 00:13:00a teacher when I had it all figured out. I wanted to be a teacher.

CS: Right. Did you know what kind of teacher or what grade?

AA: A psychology teacher. I wanted to be a psychology teacher based on this one teacher that I had in high school and yeah but then that counselor said ah you'll never get a job doing that. You know this Spanish look at your grades in Spanish that's what you need to pursue. You got straight A's in Spanish. So.

CS: Right. Okay and did you put the same emphasis on your children's education to go to school?

AA: That my parents put for me?

CS: I guess more so your aunt and uncle since you said that they pushed you.

AA: Yeah no they, they were expected. It, they knew from day one that they had to go to college. They also knew from day one they had to take Spanish in high school. That, that was never going to be an option for them that they had to 00:14:00learn a second language and they had to go to college.

CS: I know now days it's required I think 2 years in high school like at least in Madison.

AA: Really?

CS: Yup they require it and even in middle school we had to take one foreign language and in high school I believe it was two years required foreign language.

AA: No, no up here it's um it's required that the schools offer it, it is not required that anyone take it.

CS: Oh wow.

AA: Um but the students know that if they want to go to college, that the colleges require it to get it. So any college bound students will take at least two years of a language.

CS: Interesting.

AA: Yeah!

CS: What interested you about college or yeah?

AA: It was a means to the end, to an end. It was what I needed to do to get, to 00:15:00be a teacher.

CS: Right. And where did you consider going?

AA: UW Green Bay and UW Oshkosh were the two that I applied at, at that time. And UW Green Bay said I would be put on a um probation because I didn't have any foreign language at the time. So I didn't start taking foreign language till my third year when I met my husband. And I said well I don't want to start with a strike against me so I said I would go to Oshkosh.

CS: Okay. And you said you intended to study-

AA: Psychology.

CS: Psychology.

AA: To be a teacher, in education.

CS: Right. Okay. Did your friends go to college?

AA: No I didn't have any. None of the people that I hung around with in high school went to college.

CS: Now more about UW Oshkosh. So you just said you decided to go here because 00:16:00Green Bay-

AA: Green Bay was gonna put me on probation for the first year or whatever until I had foreign language I guess or until my grades I don't know. They just said I would start out on probation because I had no foreign language.

CS: Right. And what was the most important to you about making that decision? Like out of the two schools?

AA: I just wanted to be, start at a healthy place I didn't wanna start out where if I made a mistake I would be kicked out right away. I wanted to start out with a healthy, start out in a healthy place with the school.

CS: Did you wanna kind of stay close to home too?

AA: Oh yeah, yeah both of those schools were close enough to home where I could commute. I would have been commuting so.

CS: So what did you know about UW Oshkosh before you attended?

00:17:00

AA: Um nothing really other than um that it was close because I um I had visited I think. I had done a visit with somebody, I don't even know how I knew the person but I know her from somebody somehow and so she invited me to come and stay on campus with her and shadow her for a day.

CS: And so then what was your first impression of UWO?

AA: I like it. It was exciting and all the different classes and I was worried about walking to the different buildings, that you had to go so far.

CS: Were there any, like do you remember the major dorms like that were still up there?

AA: Scott Hall were the, North and South Scott were the big ones. Those were the 00:18:00ones everybody wanted to be in, I don't know if they still are? Are they the big ones that everybody?

CS: Yeah they're, they're still major. I guess the freshman have like certain living places like the first year they have to pick I guess one of the three freshman dorms. I don't know if they had that then but.

AA: Nope. I don't think there were.

CS: And then what do you remember about your first weeks of school?

AA: I don't. I don't think I remember. Um it was hard I remember the um. I was in a low math group because when I took the math entrance test I didn't remember any of it. It had been two years since I had taken a math class so I didn't even try. I didn't want to get myself into a math class that I'd have to try and so I 00:19:00didn't even try and so the math was, it was right where I needed to be. And um so it wasn't like easy but it was it was learning and math (laughs) and so that was good. Science was a little harder, I remember studying and working hard for science. Just remember there being a lot of homework.

CS: And so then what were your classes like you took?

AA: I think there was a biology or solar systems something. Um I remember there was a crazy psychology teacher. I loved him. And uh then the math, basic math. Might have been in English I don't remember. Those were the ones that I really remember.

CS: So how did you do your first semester if you remember?

00:20:00

AA: Uh I think I did all right A's and B's. Maybe C's. I don't know.

CS: You said. I have that you graduated with a psychology major you like that was what's in your graduate?

AA: No I have a, I thought it was a psychology minor. Or is that in the associate degree?

CS: I don't know I just pulled it from the email.

AA: I think I have an associ- no it must have been a mistake. I'm sorry.

CS: Oh no it's okay.

AA: I have a um the associate degree is uh yeah the associate degree from UW Fox Valley I think is a psych major and a [soc] minor and then from UW Oshkosh it's 00:21:00a Spanish major and a psych minor. And that would have been in 85 that was a psych minor.

CS: So from 1980 to 1985 you're-

AA: Spanish major

CS: Spanish major, psych minor.

AA: Yeah because I already had all the credits and that's what the guy said you just make that a minor. It's never done anything for me. I've never gotten to teach a psychology class. Thought about it, I thought about throwing it out there (Laughs). Maybe I could teach psychology maybe but no. I can't.

CS: So where do you work now?

AA: I teach in Iola-Scandinavia Schools.

CS: Which is where?

AA: If you take highway 10 west it's um you'd have to get off the highway somewhere around Waupaca, between Waupaca and Stevens Point. You'd get off on 10 00:22:00and take a few country roads up to Iola. There's a big car show there in the summer in July.

CS: And so what grade like?

AA: Right now I mostly teach at the elementary level. I teach gifted and talented students, advanced learners.

CS: Oh very cool!

AA: It's fun.

CS: How did you get into the gifted/talented area?

AA: When I uh three years ago when I was out teaching in Spanish at uh Iola had called me back. I wasn't I had been in Iola for nine years and they called me and asked if I or ten years and they called and then I left to get closer to my son in Minneapolis and then they called and asked if I would come back, Iola called and asked if I would come back after two years. And they said they had a position as a gifted talented coordinator. But it was a person that would have 00:23:00to go be able to like bop around the district throughout the day and be able to go everywhere and kind of and she says and I know that you can do that (laughs). And I said oh well let me think about it and I know you're where you wanna be in Manawa but if this is something you could do and you're willing to do give us a call back. So that was on a Friday and on Monday I called and said I would do it.

CS: And so you live in Manawa now?

AA: Our home is actually like five miles from both schools, from both towns. Yeah we're out in the middle of nowhere.

CS: Well that's convenient that's it close to the school.

AA: Yeah. It's on the highway in the middle of nowhere so. We're in the middle of everything.

CS: Do you remember any of your classes while like your favorite ones anything specific?

00:24:00

AA: Other than that psychology from that professor I enjoyed the Spanish with John Stone and Dr. Charles Thomas. Those were the two major professors that I remember working with. I think they're both re- well I know Dr. Thomas um I'm pretty sure he's moved on um and I know Dr. or John Stone has retired because I've seen him around once and a while.

CS: Where did you live on campus? Did you live on campus?

AA: I lived for a short time I think in South Scott and then I was in another 00:25:00dorm. I don't remember the name of that one it was in the back.

CS: There's Gruenhagen? Or Fletcher? Or Stewart?

AA: Stewart. I think. So I was in that one that, that was in the first year. And then I moved off campus after that and that was the end of that.

CS: So you only had to live on campus one year? Did you have a roommate?

AA: Technically um the first roommate and I didn't get along in Scott so then I got moved to I was able to move in to the other one and I don't know how I knew her and how we worked it out I think I had her in my psychology class and she said she could use a roommate or needed a roommate or whatever it was. But she was never there and so she was looking for someone that would answer the phone to tell her mom to lie to her mom I guess I don't know.

00:26:00

CS: Oh wow.

AA: So yeah. I was I was there and "opp she's not here right now" (laughs). She was with her boyfriend somewhere, I don't know. But yeah.

CS: So then you moved off campus? Or? A house?

AA: Yeah. Yeah the following year my husband and I we were still just dating but we got a place off campus.

CS: When did you two start dating? You said your freshman year?

AA: It was, I think I was after my freshman year. It was the summer between my freshman and sophomore year. Or it would've been during, no it would've been the following year it would have been because that's why I only lived on campus the first year and then the following year I want to UW Fox Valley for a year and then I went back to Oshkosh.

00:27:00

CS: Why, why did you leave?

AA: I lost my license. (Her voice changed to a sad tone).

CS: Oh...

AA: (Laughing). And so I didn't have I couldn't do the commuting and the driving and so it was just. UW Fox Valley was walking distance from my parent's home. So then I just went to Fox Valley for that next year and then as soon as by the end of that year I was all-good to go again and (Laughing) went back to Oshkosh. And then by then I'd met my husband and.

CS: When you did live on campus, where did you spend most of your time?

AA: (Smiling). The bars.

CS: (Laughing). The bars.

AA: I was I did not have my life together then at all. I didn't get a drunk driving ticket that's not how I lost my license it was just a matter of all the points that I got from going through red lights or speeding luckily.

00:28:00

CS: Did you go home a lot? Or did you...

AA: Yes.

CS: You did? Why?

AA: I liked the bars in Appleton better. (Smirking).

CS: (Laughing). Better bars.

AA: Yeah. Better bars and my husband was here because um well when we were living there when we were living there or?

CS: I guess when your first year when you were in the dorms like did you go home often?

AA: Yeah. Yeah I would go home almost every weekend to see him.

CS: So he didn't go to UW Oshkosh?

AA: No my husband didn't, he didn't go to college.

CS: Okay. Then do you remember what the dorms were like? You said North Scott and South Scott, major ones?

AA: They were still um separate at that time, segregated as far as males and females I can't imagine. I remember there was like the male hall and the female 00:29:00hall and you had your own bathrooms and stuff and I don't it just blows me away now that that's like all together I just can't imagine.

CS: So when you lived there half was guys, half was girls?

AA: Yeah. You didn't have if you were walking out there you didn't have to worry if you looked like junk (both laughing), knowing who was going to see you but yeah.

CS: Did you make many friends in your dorms or your hall?

AA: No, no that's why I would go home a lot; I just didn't seem to fit the circle there.

CS: Right. Yeah I kind of know how that is. What were the other students like at UWO?

AA: Hmm I don't know. I never, there were some that once we got into the foreign 00:30:00language group I had some friends in there after my third or fourth year. I mean not the fourth but yeah third, fourth, and fifth year those of us who were in that language group, we'd gotten pretty tight. I remember there was Gloria and Lori I haven't been able to track them down [unclear]. Um I can't remember there last names or it would make it a lot easier but um they were the ones that you know by the time you get in that major so that your all taking the same classes so much they were the ones that we were in all the classes together. And so I would like to kind of find out where they're at and see how they're doing.

CS: Then what was campus life like?

AA: It was fun. I remember Reeve back then and they would have Spanish dances once in a while or events. I remember liking that and studying in um what I 00:31:00picture Reeve Union at that time um just to sit there, I used to study in there and just you know get a Coke and something to snack on or go into the there was like the bar part and then I would get a calzone.

CS: Was it downstairs or?

AA: Nope. Nope it was on the main level cause that store was downstairs the Reeve the-

CS: The convenient store?

AA: No.

CS: Or the bookstore?

AA: The bookstore was downstairs and upstairs there was where you could go and drink, order pizza and then there were all these tables where you could just sit at and do whatever you know, study and it was quiet. And um it was just a wide-open area that was quiet normally I'm sure on weekends it wasn't but I 00:32:00didn't really hang out there on weekends I would go other places. And then the snack stand or whatever it was where you would get your food and you could buy tickets or whatever I don't know, just go through like the little snack stand and get burgers and things. I would either sit and I would go to one of those two places.

CS: So is that where you usually studied?

AA: Yeah

CS: In there?

AA: Yeah.

CS: Oh that seems I mean there's um like the second and third floor like that's like more quiet and like but now.

AA: That wasn't there. I don't know if was we didn't I don't remember that as there was some classes, it wasn't like it is now.

CS: Right yeah I mean that's so weird like now there's always music playing on that first floor and it's always loud like (both laughing) there's always people 00:33:00trying to hand out stuff there so. It's crazy how it changes.

AA: Yeah. Yeah if I were going to the university now I think I would still probably hang out there but it would be upstairs somewhere. At that second level where you just because I go there when we were doing the Japanese interns for a long time we were going there and then we would pick them up but then we would go back for the banquets and when we were waiting a lot of the times we were waiting in that area upstairs and I just think that was always a nice area and I could just see sitting up there studying doing stuff and still see everything that's going on but you could just mind your own business while you were doing it, studying.

CS: Was that the only like food place on campus then?

AA: Back then yeah I think so. Other then if you had like Blackhawk commons.

CS: Okay that was

AA: That was it.

CS: Okay.

AA: Why is there another place now?

00:34:00

CS: No but there's just Scotties. Was that there?

AA: No- I don't think so?

CS: Like in the first floor of Scott Hall there's the sub place.

AA: No, nope there was nothing else like that.

CS: Oh wow. Yeah so there is like a little convenient store there now. They sell subs and pizza and stuff.

AA: That's right yeah no there was none of that.

CS: Do you know was there like Spanish club since you said you were involved in Spanish? Were you in that?

AA: I think I was in Spanish club for one year but I think it was tied in to going on the trip and I couldn't afford to go on the I was in Spanish club with 00:35:00Dr. Charles, Charles Thomas. We used to go out to eat um yeah we used to go out and eat once in a while it just didn't seem like a club. Yeah we used I just remember we used to go out to eat once in a while; it was just a fun group.

CS: Very cool. Were you involved in any sports or anything?

AA: No. Nope I never could do I was just never athletic.

CS: It's okay. So then what did you do for fun?

AA: I guess I'm not proud of it but I drank and I shot pool. I was a good pool player.

CS: Oh really. So back then I should know this, what was the drinking age?

AA: It was eighteen.

CS: It was eighteen, okay. So then

00:36:00

AA: You shouldn't know that I don't know why you (laughs) I even forget now. I don't know, oh well let's see I was drinking.

CS: So then did you go off you said you went home a lot so you didn't go off campus to any of the bars, campus bars?

AA: Oh yeah.

CS: You did?

AA: No I did both. I would do both. I um just too kind of.

CS: And what were the bars like then, like the culture? Bar culture?

AA: I think it was the same. I don't honestly I don't know because I um well I don't know what it's like now, now I don't. But then I guess I wasn't afraid to go to bars alone, now I couldn't imagine going into a bar alone. I don't know 00:37:00why but I did it all the time then. Um I don't know people swore, were rude to each other, um lied.

CS: Was it more like predominantly college students like the college bars or was it like a little of everyone?

AA: Um I don't think I went to the college bars.

CS: Never like the ones right across the street from campus?

AA: No. I think there was, there might have been one of those but no normally and like B&B's I went to a little bit but not too much. A couple of the ones that we went to were just the ones to shoot pool. Yeah I don't think they were 00:38:00the big college hang out.

CS: Okay. Because I know Kelly's was like I don't know if you know Kelly's is.

AA: Yup. I remember that name, that bar but yeah. We would go there like on Fridays you know if you were just doing a bunch of runs then that would be on the list maybe. Just to see what was going on but otherwise the ones that were our regular places weren't the college ones.

CS: Oh okay. So what was it like to be a woman at UWO then?

AA: I never thought about it as being a woman there. I know in high school when I wanted to take a different class and they had me in shorthand and I wanted to drop shorthand to take environmental Ed. Not for any glorious reason other than 00:39:00to be with my friends but I wanted to get out of shorthand because I couldn't do it. And they said "No, every woman needs to know how to do shorthand to get a job as a secretary" and I said I can't do it I'm not gonna spend a life doing something that's that difficult for me and he wouldn't let me do it and I had to um yeah it wasn't a good. But for that you know that our counselor in high school thought that that's what every woman was gonna have to do. And I don't remember that attitude ever being brought out at UW Oshkosh. You know?

CS: Wait and that is shorthand?

AA: (Laughing). Yeah, exactly. It's a langu- when basically it's like what the stenographers use like in the court system. It's what they, a secretary would 00:40:00use it but it's, it's writing with symbols or shortened letters where you take two letters and combine them into one or something. So it's a, it's a shorthand um that's why they call it that where you just write things really quick and short so that you can write it really fast and then later on this whole letter that you were able to write as fast as your boss said it and you could decipher that into you know. You could just read your shorthand and type out the letter.

CS: So it was just normal I guess on campus then?

AA: Yeah. Yeah to me I didn't see any kind of discrimination or anything not for me. Maybe others saw it in their fields like for business maybe it was more 00:41:00predominate. But for me in language, no it wasn't there was no problems for me.

CS: And what were the men and women like do you remember?

AA: I think there was uh one thing that my husband noted that some of the, the males that came over from other countries had the impression that American women were easy and they, they would hit on us and I, I was naïve and I got taken in a couple of times where I got put in awkward situations. I'm like no he's not he just needs help. There was a guy named Charles and my husband and I have been married thirty years and he still makes jokes about Charles to me because he was 00:42:00in my car and he would not get out and he was like expecting something and I just that was my wake up call that Charles was not just needing help with you know his new lifestyle here (both laughing). And, and I needed to be more um because I think it was like you know I it couldn't have been my first year in college because that was when Joe and I were dating so it was like my third year but I was still apparently naive enough to fall for this stupid trick and I think he was from Africa but and his English was not good but he still was clever enough to trick me and I gave him a ride downtown Oshkosh and then he was just like well "come here with me" anyways it was terrible. So there was, there 00:43:00was some of that where people would try to take advantage of the girls I think some of the men were still trying to take advantage of the women but um you had to be on your guard I guess for that.

CS: Right. Were there any major campus issues: political, cultural, educational that you recall at UWO?

AA: Not that I remember other then the um probably the spring break issue of always trying to you know balance the spring break with the death marches or whatever they call them now, with the drinking and find a peaceful resolution to how are they gonna keep everybody safe.

CS: Right. Wasn't like around like what I think he said St Patty's Day they 00:44:00always tried to avoid spring break then and so.

AA: Yeah, that's right. Yup.

CS: What did you learn at UWO?

AA: How to speak Spanish.

CS: How to speak Spanish (smiling).

AA: I you know, I mean I know my husband helped me but I learned a lot more than that. Even four years ago I went back to a conference there when I was teaching in Manawa and one of the professors there was we were in a seminar there and she had brought up the fact that P's and T's aren't, there's no air you don't blow out the air there. I'm like what! So I even learned something else there in the last few years so yeah. I think that they do a very good job of teaching the 00:45:00language there so I'm still learning from them.

CS: Right. And so your guidance counselor was the one who really?

AA: And the guidance counselor there was the one who gave me my career.

CS: Right. Were they like advisors then is that what or?

AA: Yeah. He would have been my advisor so if there's a record that says who my career advisor or guidance advisor whoever it was in that office, he was the one because I had to go see him because I had to get out of a class. I was taking experimental psychology and I got into the class and everything was based on statistics and I went "ut oh," I got a D in statistics I'm not gonna be able to do this. So I went to him and I said what am I going to do, I can't take this 00:46:00class I really don't know, I got a D in statistics and so I know I can't pass this class based on the knowledge that I have. I said I'm either gonna have to retake that class or drop this class, you know what am I going to do? He said drop this class you know he looked at everything for a while and then he looked at my grades in Spanish and said you know your psychology everybody does psychology and everybody looks for a job in psychology the chances of you getting a job in that field are probably slim anyway. You got straight A's in Spanish, you can get a job anywhere in Spanish. If you really have the language that's where that's what you should pursue. He said make you got enough credits you can make you could take one other Spanish class or one other humanity or 00:47:00psychology class and that can be a minor for you. So you could make that your minor, take a few more Spanish here and you know he showed it all to me and said and then you will have a Spanish major. It would've cost he said it would cost me one more year but then I would have a major in Spanish.

CS: So then you didn't graduate with like a teaching degree you said?

AA: No, nope. I didn't graduate at that time with a teaching degree but because I had one teaching class under my belt when I did go back to the teaching, I was grandfathered in under the teaching program.

CS: So you graduated in 85 and then you went back to where you said 88-89 teaching certificate?

AA: Yeah, yeah in 88 and 89 I went back in and then

CS: To UW Oshkosh?

AA: Yeah. And I just went back to see if I could get my certificate for teaching 00:48:00and that only took me like, it took me a year but I took it like second. I started in January I think, took a summer school, took summer school credits, went in the fall, and then took the winter interim so I was taking like everything that I could take and managed to get everything.

CS: And how did you feel when you finished college?

AA: Light. Lighter.

CS: Lighter?

AA: Yeah. Like uhhh I did it. (Laughs). When I first when I got that first bachelor's I felt, I felt like I was on top of the world like wow because nobody in like my parents hadn't gotten it, my brother and sister obviously weren't, they weren't going there and so it was just like, I felt like I was the smartest person in the world. (Laughing). You know?

CS: So wait did you say did your siblings go to college?

AA: No.

CS: They didn't either. Okay. So then after you graduated what did you want to 00:49:00do or what did you do actually?

AA: Actually when I graduated I joined the army.

CS: Okay that's when you joined the army.

AA: To get my loans repaid (Laughing). For repayment of student loans I went right in the army and because I had a bachelor's degree then I went in with rank. So I think graduation was in May and I joined the army I was in the army I, I left may 21st was my induction date so I it wasn't long I didn't have a whole lot of time there.

CS: Right. Oh wow. What things have you done since college?

AA: Other then the military, traveled. I've done a lot of traveling and I've done a lot of um I translate for people. And I do different every once in a 00:50:00while I'll run into somebody that has a job but not just like trans- well interpreting is like face to face but I'll also do like translating documents. I worked for a tree company and learned a lot of language for trees you know. Translating documents like a pamphlet, multiple pamphlets for this tree company and so things like that that I've gotten to do.

CS: And then what was the job market like then?

AA: Well I don't know right away because I went into the military and in the military when they saw that I had a Bachelor's in Spanish there were certain people in there that I, I just remember a counselor I shouldn't generalize it but there was a counselor that's he was from Puerto Rico, he goes you have Spanish "Pues entonces vamos a hablar en español" and he would do all my counseling with me in Spanish. He said if I had a Spanish degree then he needed 00:51:00to work with me in Spanish because that was going to be better for me to work in the Spanish and I thought that was awesome. You know it, it was harder but it was it was kind of cool. He could do it in English but he wanted to work with the Spanish you know to help me. That was neat. So there was the military and then I worked once um I got out of the military and we had the kids and um we were living in Milwaukee I remember working in a in a mall for a short very short time and getting to use my Spanish there so.

CS: Very cool. And how did college prepare you for life after college and jobs?

AA: I don't know if it helps you like more deeply about things but I don't know 00:52:00if college prepares you for life as much as life can prepare you for college you know? I did much better when I went back in the teaching and after I had been in the army and stuff. I did much better just having some common sense to take the classes and to know and it just seemed like it was a lot easier to do some of those things in college and that first time around when I was going for my bachelor's I was so preoccupied with drinking and having fun. I felt bad about that. That I feel like (sighs) I could have gotten so much more out of my education if I hadn't been so young and stupid (both laughing). You know? So

CS: So you said 2009 you started your master's?

00:53:00

AA: Yeah. Yeah I started it at UW Oshkosh and then for mult I think it was multicultural studies and then it was gonna be I can't remember because it switched around a lot it was gonna be with multicultural studies and then it was going to be education and leadership. And then I ended up getting a principal licensure through Viterbo but it was it started out through Oshkosh and Madison but then after a couple of classes I found out that I have to reapply to Madison from Oshkosh and I have to redo all of it through Madison and I said well if I have to start over with Madison and then just transfer everything and then I found out I could still start everything over at Viterbo and that's I gave up on 00:54:00Madison and I went to Viterbo to get the licensure in principalship.

CS: And what is that exactly?

AA: The principal license? It's to be a principal of a high school.

CS: Okay.

AA: And I never got it. I as a matter of fact that was five years ago now and the licensures I didn't know that until now when I'm at my five-year point. After five years you can either renew your initial license, which says I haven't done anything with my life in the last five years or you can upgrade it to the master level, which says you have done something (laughing) with it or I don't know there's other levels but yeah. I have to put mine I have to renew it at initial because I haven't done anything with it; it's kind of embarrassing (laughing).

CS: So you, you do have your master's in?

00:55:00

AA: I do have my master's but the licensure, there is they keep it at like initiating or professional or master. And so my teaching license says professional or master I don't even know but that's like up there because I have been teaching and doing things with it plus that one since I've gotten it so long ago I can just get credits each year which the credits are the um, back then when you got your teaching license to renew it every five years you just get credits. People who get there licenses now a days you can't do it with credits, they have to do a professional development class which is a whole lot of writing and you have to write this and do a summery and make a plan, write a 00:56:00summary of the plan, get a whole bunch of people to do all this stuff. That's just a whole lot of hoops and

CS: Right so then what made you want to go back and get your master's?

AA: My parents wanted me to. The parents that never put anything on college wanted to be able to tell somebody as they were in their 60's and 70's that their daughter is a principal. So they said we'll pay for it and I said ok. So yeah, so I went back and got my master's so that I would have a principal license.

CS: And how long did that take you?

AA: Two years.

CS: Two years?

AA: Yeah. So it's nice. It's kind of a nice piece of paper but the fact that I haven't been a principal is almost like a thorn.

CS: Right. Do you have you tried or do you want to be?

00:57:00

AA: I have tried but no really no, no I don't want to be.

CS: You don't want to?

AA: Not really. I wanna be just because I tried. I applied to a few places and haven't got it so it's that thing that well I want it cause I haven't had it but I've seen what they do and have to do and I don't wanna do that. I like what I'm doing. I'm like mega happy doing what I'm doing. I like being in the room with the kids. We'll see where god leads me.

CS: If you did become a principal what school group would you prefer?

AA: I don't know.

CS: You don't know?

AA: Middle not high school. I don't wanna, I don't want the drama and the proms and the homecoming stuff and what not. Elementary might be good and middle 00:58:00school because then you're dealing with encouragement and helping people you know kids. Trying to build [unclear]. Maybe an assistant principal I guess I would like to try being an assistant principal and going from there and if I could do like GT coordinator/assistant principal I think I'd like that.

CS: So what advice would you give any current students? Like me or anyone?

AA: Talk to your advisors (laughing). Yeah I think that's a big thing because they've been doing what they're doing but don't just rely solely on them you know. Talk to other people that know you as well as your advisors do because 00:59:00they know you um and keep learning.

CS: Thank you so much for meeting me and doing this interview and

AA: No problem it was nice meeting you.

CS: I know I really appreciate it thank you!