A couple of years after graduating CCHS my family lived in Salzburg, Austria for a year when my father had a Fulbright lectureship grant. Then I returned to Athens and resumed my studies at UGA. After graduating there in Business Administration I became a casualty insurance adjuster in Houston, Texas, eventually managing a workers compensation office. In 1990 I married Bruce Leon, an environmental scientist, and we had our daughter about three years later. I became a stay-at-home mom, volunteering actively at her schools, doing anything from room mother to editing the school parent newsletter to organizing and leading a Houston Sister City youth trip to Shenzhen, China. My daughter graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Chemistry and analyzes flavors at a flavor manufacturing company in New Jersey. She likes it there, but she’s so far away!

Over the years I have traveled to many countries. But Bruce and I found ourselves returning repeatedly to gorgeous Switzerland in the summer, our favorite place!

My husband is now retired, and we enjoy daily brisk walks in our lovely 1930s neighborhood. I like reading books and talking about them with friends. My current favorites are the Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. I’ve read all 17 books in that series!

I have been volunteering at the Houston Museum of Natural Science since 2014. I’m a master docent there, giving tours in the Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals and in the Morian Hall of Paleontology. I also train other docents. Since the covid pandemic, however, I’ve only given a few tours and have only given training sessions online. On the bright side, I’ve become proficient in creating PowerPoint presentations for Zoom sessions; even incorporating animation! I also help edit the museum’s quarterly research publication for volunteers (occasionally sent to all the museum members, too) and I write some of the articles for it.

I’m sorry I will miss this reunion, but I’m enjoying reading your postings about your lives. I wish everyone going to the reunion a wonderful, fun, and safe time!