'The Hub' with Michael Allen sponsored by Manpower Richmond
Welcome to "The Hub with Michael Allen," the podcast that dives deep into the stories of community leaders and business owners who are making a difference. Join your host, Michael Allen, as he uncovers the untold narratives, challenges, and triumphs of those shaping their communities.
In each episode, Michael sits down with remarkable individuals who have dedicated their lives to improving their neighborhoods, towns, and cities. These community leaders are passionate, driven, and committed to creating positive change. Whether they are activists, educators, philanthropists, or civic officials, they all share a common goal: to build stronger, more vibrant communities.
"The Hub" also showcases the journeys of business owners who have turned their dreams into reality. From small-scale startups to well-established enterprises, these entrepreneurs share their insights, experiences, and lessons learned along the way. Michael delves into the unique challenges they face, the strategies they employ, and the impact their businesses have on the local economy and society at large.
With engaging conversations and thought-provoking discussions, "The Hub with Michael Allen" provides listeners with valuable takeaways, inspiration, and actionable ideas. Each episode offers a glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who are actively shaping the fabric of their communities, providing a roadmap for listeners who want to make a difference in their own lives and surroundings.
Tune in to "The Hub with Michael Allen" and join the conversation as we explore the stories of community leaders and business owners who are leaving an indelible mark on the world around them. Get ready to be inspired, motivated, and empowered to take action. Together, we can create a better tomorrow for everyone.
Sponsored by Manpower Richmond.
'The Hub' with Michael Allen sponsored by Manpower Richmond
Ep. 4 | The Hub with Michael Allen featuring Donna Girdley
Step into the world of Donna Girdley, an educator who hung up her teaching hat after an incredible 50-year-long journey. Her story takes us through her humble beginnings, working at Big Boy and Lias Brothers in Pontiac, Michigan, Spartan Industries in Tennessee, leading right up to her impactful teaching career in Richmond, Indiana. Donna's commitment to shaping young minds led her to undertake the daunting task of starting a school from scratch in Richmond, a labor of love that revolved around formulating the curriculum and school schedules.
Navigating through the unchartered waters of remote teaching during the pandemic, Donna found her world turned upside down. Hear her recount the emotional moment of packing up her classroom and the struggle of transforming from in-person to distance teaching, especially for primary grades. But it was her passion for teaching and her faith that kept her anchored in these tumultuous times. Her story of returning to Stark Hillcrest Christian School, after its closure, is a testament to her perseverance and dedication.
Donna's journey doesn't end there, as she shares joyous and challenging moments from her time at Community Christian. From a generous businessman saving the school to unforgettable student interactions and a fruitful collaboration with Richmond Community Schools, Donna's anecdotes are a treat to hear. She also talks about her summer jobs at General Telephone and Color Box, which added more colors to her professional palette. As she embarks on a new journey with her upcoming wedding and retirement, Donna reflects on the power of prayer and the significance of community investment in education. So tune in, as Donna's inspiring journey leaves us with lessons of resilience, dedication, and faith.
Hello and welcome to the hub powered by manpower Richmond. I am your host, michael Allen, and here on the hub we interview local business leaders, community partners and various special guests. We share unique and untold stories of companies, organizations and people who are making a difference in our community. Manpower Richmond is a national brand, yet locally owned franchise and manpower. We are familiar with the challenges businesses face. It's tough recruiting and retaining qualified employees and that's why working with manpower is a smart, cost effective solution. Our entire focus is talent acquisition and we'll manage your hiring and training and provide ongoing, customized support. Since 1966, we have been your community investing partner, uniquely positioned to help eliminate the hassles and save you time and money. Let us help contact manpower today. To learn more, go to our website at mprichmancom. So today's guest is Donna Gurley. She's a recently retired educator. Full disclosure Donna was my fifth grade teacher, going back 1974, and again during all of my high school, starting in 1978 until I graduated in 1982.
Speaker 1:So welcome, donna, thanks for agreeing to come to the hub today. So let me ask you I kind of alluded to it, but how many years did you teach?
Speaker 2:I just completed 50 years in the classroom.
Speaker 1:So was that kind of your goal to try to hit 50, or is that just kind of worked that way it?
Speaker 2:just worked out that way. But once I got to 45 I really wanted to get to 50.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that's awesome. I think that's wonderful. So one of the traditions that we've tried to start on this podcast is asking, because of the Association of Manpower, what your first job was.
Speaker 2:My very first job. I was a waitress at Big Boy and Lias Brothers in Pontiac Michigan, and just before that I was. I really had another job. Do you remember when computers were as big as a room?
Speaker 1:Well, somewhat, I mean, I know they were, I've seen pictures, at least.
Speaker 2:Well, I got hired by Spartan Industries in Sparta, tennessee. They made a clothing for JC Penney and I hired in as an administrative assistant. But my boss wanted me to learn all that computer technology. So I ran a card hopper, I verified punch cards, a lot of it, and then I had that job at the Big Boy to go back to college.
Speaker 1:So you're serving. I mean like food. Yeah, I mean were you like.
Speaker 2:Back then they would call you waitresses, now they're servers, oh yeah, I was a waitress, had to carry a platter full of food like this. That was pretty hard for me, but I did it and, yeah, it was great. It was great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2:There's another 75 cents an hour, plus my tips.
Speaker 1:Well, that's, and I thought when I was working, when I worked because that was like my first job fast food I had a place called Burger Chef and you probably remember Burger.
Speaker 2:Chef.
Speaker 1:And but I made a lot more than you guys making, like two dollars and twenty five cents an hour 75 cents an hour. Now I don't feel so bad about that 25. So tell me a little bit about your story of like when you first came to Richmond, you know.
Speaker 2:Well, I started teaching school right after I graduated in 1972. And then my dad came back to Richmond, indiana. He was assistant pastor at Hillcrest Baptist Church and while I was teaching school in Florida, the pastor the lead pastor, dr Frank Holman asked me if I would pray about coming back to Richmond and to help them start a school here, and that was quite an experience. I thought everything would already be ready, planned, but they were depending on me for that Right.
Speaker 1:So Because that would, would that have been 74 when the school started 73. 73. Okay. So you only taught one year in Florida and then you came here in 73. Okay.
Speaker 2:So I walked in and I said, uh, where are we going to have the school? And Dr Holman told me that those modular buildings out back behind the church had been ordered, but they weren't here and I said, well, who's ordering curriculum? And he said, well, no, we thought you'd know. So I had a real education about curriculum and had to work really hard, collaborate with other schools, try to find curriculum. We had two teachers the first year and I taught first through third and we had a part time kindergarten teacher.
Speaker 1:I mean that's pretty amazing to be right out of college, one year of experience and then being asked to set up a whole curriculum for a new emerging school and then and then get all the schedule in place and and who was going to be where when?
Speaker 2:and yeah, it was, it was a. I had to really depend on the Lord a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you had to really kind of grow quickly.
Speaker 2:I did it all recess lunch uh taught three grades yeah.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. That's amazing. Yeah, I you know. I went to Hillcrest Christian school in 74, but I couldn't. I didn't have recall if that was the first year or the second?
Speaker 2:year 73.
Speaker 1:All right, so going back to teaching, what made you decide to pursue the career of of a teacher? I mean what? What called you to do that?
Speaker 2:I had a struggle with it at first, because you, as one of my students, will know that I love literature, I love writing. Um, I thought I might be doing something in journalism or editing. It's really sometimes, um, my family will say, are you editing me? So, um, but I loved it, and the verse in scripture that led me to that was Psalm 45, one.
Speaker 2:My heart is indicting a good matter and I speak of the things which I've made touching the King, and my tongue is a pen as a ready writer, and I didn't know how God was going to use that. But, um, early on in my career, I had strong content. My first degree was in English and I was hired to teach middle school and high school English, and that because I had like 45 hours of writing and literature and I loved that. But the Lord was dealing with my heart about continuing my education, which would come later, even at Hillcrest, to complete my degree, uh, another degree in elementary education, because he brought to my attention a verse that I still stand on, that says all your children will be taught of the Lord, and great will be the peace of your nation, and I think that's more true today than ever before.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's wonderful, so so.
Speaker 2:but and while I was at Hillcrest, you didn't know this, but I was working on my completing my elementary education degree at the same time.
Speaker 1:Well, you've only I mean my recollection of knowing you over the years that you've always committed yourself to growing your knowledge, I mean so. I mean you have the other, that additional degree, but did you go and do more later?
Speaker 2:I did. And on that note, I think that if you are called to teach, first you love children that has to be a priority and then you need to love what you teach. And thirdly, you need to continue to be a learner, because the day that a teacher stops learning is the day a teacher stops teaching.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you say that about love. You know what you teach, because I really at times especially when at the college I struggled with what I wanted to study and by the time it was all over, you know, I'd kind of stumbled into degrees that fitted me. But my boys, when I spoke to them later I said you know, guys, whatever you do, whatever degree you choose to pick, make sure it's something you really love and have a passion for, and the jobs will come. I mean, that's what I told them after. I think that turned out to be decent advice. But I wanted, I struggled so much initially and it's because I was taking stuff. I felt like I should take, not stuff, and I wanted to you know so, and I did finish my masters in education.
Speaker 2:It didn't come until I was almost 60, because money was always an issue as a teacher, but I was able to do that, so yeah.
Speaker 1:So you know 50 years of teaching it what. Maybe it came in different stages, but after now that it's somewhat done, I mean looking back what was the age group that you really enjoyed teaching the most?
Speaker 2:That is a really hard question for me to answer. I did love my days in high school. I loved helping students learn how to read and think about what they're reading. To be reflective, students of literature had great conversations in the classroom. There was a time when I got to teach senior Bible and I absolutely loved that.
Speaker 2:Then, for me, even though I love the literature and I went ahead and pursued my elementary ed degree, I love watching little children learn to read and I feel that's such a foundation that's so important, because if children cannot read, learning is going to be hard. And I didn't know how to read to do things that I love too. So that's my hope and I love that. So for me, she's my father. I want them just to learn how to read. I wanted them to love to learn to read, and that's why I worked really hard to find good books, good fit books for every child, not just a basal reader, other things to read that they were interested in that would ignite their passion to learn more.
Speaker 2:And I loved being a detective. I think a first grade teacher, a second grade teacher has to be a good detective to really observe about why reading is hard for a child. So I loved journaling every night after school about what I saw in those children during the day, and sometimes it helped me to revamp a lesson plan for a guided reading group. It was exciting to me and when the day came and that child could read to me and I saw the light bulb come on, it was such a day. I often refer to first grade as a labor and delivery room. We labor long and hard to learn how to put those letters and sounds together. And then the day comes and a child looks at you and says I did it, I read it. That's joy for me, real joy.
Speaker 1:And with our history. I was so, so thankful that both my boys had you as their first grade teacher. I knew they were going to get a great start to their education because they had you as their teacher and a lot of it was the stuff that you just the foundations of education, which I believe reading is. It's one of the huge foundations and you know I what just makes me think? I remember when I had you in fifth grade. Remember the combination problems we did math mental math.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah that's the was like my favorite thing in class with you and to this day I configure things in my head. You know my wife's a CPA, she's an accountant, but she can't add numbers like I can. She has the adding machine you know that she depends upon. But I mean, I don't know if I'm super great at it now, but there's, that was something that carried throughout my whole life the ability to to add things together in my head. Because of all that practice that we did.
Speaker 2:We did the adding and subtracting and multiplying and dividing and it was. It was fun and I think the class enjoyed it too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I love that part of your, but what's what's so funny about that?
Speaker 2:I'm not a math person, I'm a language person. I had to work hard to teach.
Speaker 1:Did you make all those up yourself or did you have them as I got?
Speaker 2:no, I got them from from another curriculum, but I worked it into what we were doing in math.
Speaker 1:Well, I just I had a memory of that. I just wanted to share that. I love the doing those for some reason. So what do you think your recipe has been for being able to teach kids for 50 years? I? Mean it's it can. I'm sure there's it's been. It was really challenging. I'm basically exhausting, mentally exhausting, I mean.
Speaker 2:Well, I think, um, you know it goes back to loving and having a passion for what you do and what you and what you're teaching. But first of all, that passion comes from knowing your purpose, uh, and I know the Lord called me to teach. But I I also think, um, there wasn't a day there, except when it was COVID, that I did not love going in my classroom, but COVID taught me a lot. I'll never forget that day when we were told we were not going to be having school and I thought at the time, maybe a week, maybe two, I didn't think it would be the rest of the school year. And so on that day the children packed everything up, took it, took their things home with them, and it was a heartache for me, a literal heartache, that every day I couldn't go in my classroom.
Speaker 2:That classroom was my second home and I remember walking in. We had to get packets ready for the parents to pick up every week. We did videos to try to teach the kids and I was thankful that in our school that, uh, mr Mesker, had gotten us ahead of the game with the technology, though I felt like the weakest fish with that. That was all new to me and I had to do it all at once. But, um, I remember walking in, getting things ready and I entered that classroom.
Speaker 2:The desks were just like they were going home at the end of a school day All of the manipulatives and all the reading tables and the books that I had prepared and laid out. It was just like, you know, they should be there. And I remember very clearly asking the Lord please help me do this, give me the conviction and the compassion and the courage to keep teaching even though my students are not in front of me, and help me never, ever, to take that for granted again Of being able to walk in that room and being with those children and helping them learn. Going from a distance is hard, especially in primary grades, because you have to see their mouths, know if they're making those sounds correctly. You are always assessing, and from afar that's much more difficult to do.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't have done very well in that situation as a student would I Well, you know you're social, you were always social and there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 2:God gave you those social skills because you have to have good people skills in business, and so God didn't waste that. I didn't ever look at that as a negative.
Speaker 1:But I just think that you know. Given what you know about me, I think that trying to learn that environment would have been a real struggle for me personally.
Speaker 2:It was hard for every student in this town, every student yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm minimizing it, but I mean, some maybe excelled more than others, but I just it would have been a train wreck for me.
Speaker 2:I just think would have been awful and, to address your question, the recipe. You know my heart was broken. My heart was broken when we had to stay home for the children and I was like I was missing them. So I think when you love what you do, you look forward to the day. Even when it's hard, you look forward to the day.
Speaker 1:So I kind of went past part of your teaching career because we talked about. You came in 1973 and you were teaching at Hillcrest, but that job didn't last.
Speaker 2:I mean that came to me. The school closed.
Speaker 1:What was that? Like 89, 88, something like that.
Speaker 2:Somewhere in there. Well, and I will tell you that during that time when the school closed, I had other jobs, but I was lost, really lost, trying to figure out where I would fit in. I was in other schools but it wasn't the same. And then I learned that just because you have the background and you have the content doesn't mean that you're the person for the next job. They look at what you've done and they're interested. They hire you. But sometimes it was above, I felt like, my ability to be able to do how I wanted to do it, and so I learned from that experience that God waste nothing in our lives. But I think that's when I really knew I needed to be back in elementary education. It was just too much to manage with high numbers of students.
Speaker 1:So because the last part of your career, the significant part, was a community Christian school here in Richmond, and so what opened up the door for you to go to that school, what took you there?
Speaker 2:It's really interesting to me because I mentioned to you that I felt lost, and when I prayed about coming here in 1973 to Stark Hillcrest Christian School, I clearly felt the Lord's leading on that and he verified that through everything that I was reading in scripture. And then, when the school closed, I thought, lord, did I not hear you correctly? I thought this was your plan. And so when the school closed, that was like a death to me because I had invested a lot of time there.
Speaker 1:A lot of personal investment too.
Speaker 2:And so I was grieving that during that time I was not here. And then I got a telephone call from a board member and he said to me would you consider coming back? And what most people don't know is that community Christian was formed with mainly parents from Richmond Christian who closed the following year, and parents from Hillcrest, and so the Lord was resurrecting. What he started, the Lord always finishes, he always completes it. And in that school starting and I was asked to come back, I didn't want to come back at first because I thought, lord, I have done this, I don't wanna start all over again. And community Christian at the time was fairly new and I knew what was ahead of me. And I was in Florida, I was walking the beach and I kept saying, lord, surely you want more for me than going and starting all over again. But his plan was to keep the school going and he did and it's been a miracle. It's just amazes me at all that God has done in that place.
Speaker 1:Because having a private school Hillcrest I don't I mean, I wasn't quite around when it closed, but money's a big deal, a big part of it it's a faith to have a school.
Speaker 2:It is a work of faith. We didn't have school vouchers then like we do now. Parents didn't have school choice as they do now, but we were always, always struggling to meet the bills and meet the payroll. I don't know if you know this story or not, but there was a time before the school closed we really didn't know if we could reopen after Christmas and my dad's nephew came to visit and he loved my dad. My dad had talked to him a lot about the Lord and his need for the Lord, but he was a successful businessman and he had his own plane and he flew up here on New Year's Day and he, dad, took him through the church and we'd had a business meeting and all the financial statement was on the back table for people to see and he picked this up. He picked the statement up and he looked at my dad and he said this is not very good.
Speaker 2:He said well, it's the obvious, Well and, as I, we're trusting the Lord, we're trusting the Lord. And so he took him out back and showed him the school, and then we took them out to eat. This will date everybody here at this table. We took them out to eat to Howard Johnson's on New.
Speaker 2:Year's Day and then dad we were all went together and we took them back to the little airport that's here where the plane was. And dad got back in the car and I remember my mom saying, well, how'd that go? And he said it went really well. And he she said I saw him put something in your pocket. What'd he put in your pocket? I don't know, he took it out. It was a check for $25,000.
Speaker 1:And that was.
Speaker 2:That was when money was. You know, dollar was dollar then.
Speaker 1:Right, I mean, what year would that have been?
Speaker 2:I can't remember it was. We were open a little longer after that.
Speaker 1:I went to 80. So I mean $25,000 in the 80s in equivalent today's dollars would be a lot of money.
Speaker 2:So the check was I don't know if he made it out to dad or not. I kind of think he did, cause he didn't know anybody else. So dad didn't keep it. I mean, it was not he. He took it straight to Dr Holman the next day in the office. They were just raising the Lord and paying bills and it was. It was a wonderful day and every time there was a need God took care of it, until he says it's done for now.
Speaker 2:But God had a better plan and that better plan, I do believe, was to get the school out of the church. It was hard on the church. I mean we were wearing their building out even though there were a lot of contributions made by parents of the school. But God resurrected it and now we have this school in town and I'm so thankful we're here. But the one thing, one of the many things that I love about community Christian, is we work to try to collaborate with Richmond community schools. It's not about us or them. It's about working together for what's best for kids and I think we do that well there and I say we cause I still feel a part of the school.
Speaker 1:So, going back on our time together as a teacher and student, I mean I'm giving you some liberties here. I mean to share with the audience any stories about me that we're defined fascinating or unique or you think the public needs to hear about or look into my life at that time.
Speaker 2:Well, I wanna. You know, I had to wear many hats at the school there but we backed out of general business class and in that general business class there are all kinds of things that we had with the curriculum. But I remember a kit that you all had to complete and do. And I remember you and I think Jeff Crick and I think there was Kevin Tyree somebody else was in that group and anyway, you were struggling over a checking account balance that you couldn't figure out where the discrepancy was, and it was funny cause you were playing a game and making bets. And I'll let you do it. I'll let you do it. I remember in fifth grade, was it Will or George Marling? That was your uh, Will Okay.
Speaker 2:You and Will made me a bookcase because I needed a bookcase and I loved that bookcase and I had it for years and took it with me everywhere I went.
Speaker 1:But I think I remember that because I think my um, my mom, my grandfather helped us do that. David Levy uh, he, he helped this.
Speaker 2:I remember that I needed that bookcase because I didn't have a place to put some books in the room.
Speaker 1:And so that was, and I was so happy.
Speaker 2:I remember that well, I remember that well. And you had always a sense of humor and, uh, you laughed a lot.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm sure I mean, but I was not much older than the rest of you. Then it was really, you know I was, it was hard for me to sometimes put on my teacher hat, so well, you know, I, when I, when I, when I was present, in the moment I was, my thought process was that, you know, this lady doesn't really like me that much, and and then also that that you were, like you know, kind of strict, kind of strict.
Speaker 1:I wasn't kind of I was probably the word that we were usually mean. But you know it's funny. You know you. That's just why I wanted to talk to you today. You know, you go through life and you experience things and then, you know, looking back now, I mean, you know, definitely one of my most favorite teachers I've ever had, and you talk about literature or teaching grammar, whatever.
Speaker 2:You know um oh, I taught grammar.
Speaker 1:You know, I'm proud to say that. Um, you know, when I graduated at Hillcrest, I graduated seventh in my class, but unfortunately there was only seven of us in that class. But, um, you know, I, I, I think I was a kind of like a, a, b, c student, and you know, it was interesting though, and and I'll give you credit for this, even though those are the kind of grades I got in English and grammar B's and C's when, when I went to Ball State, I excelled in in writing and and I don't think I'm a great writer, but the level of instruction I got from you when it went to that level, it was not hard for me and I had to write a lot of papers.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:I had to write a ton of paper, especially when I worked on my master's degree. It was almost all writing all the time and uh, and there was a you know that, that comic old side of me. There was a little BS in the, uh, my paper. Sometimes you just have to fill, fill space, but um, anyway, it was um, thank you for that.
Speaker 1:Because, um, you know, I feel like and I I still do quite a bit of writing today. I mean, I help staff sometimes. You know, we, we talk about sending emails out and it's important that you those are written well, and uh, so I'll say, well, this is what I think you ought to do and we, you ought to see you write it, then give it to me and I'll.
Speaker 1:I'll help you, I'll help you formulate the sentences or whatever, and and you know I still struggle speaking well at times or doing, but overall you know I get by okay.
Speaker 2:You're doing fine, so you're doing fine.
Speaker 1:So, uh, you know, with your 50 years in teaching, and and so you know, right now there's I think there's a teacher shortage.
Speaker 2:There is a there's a serious teacher shortage.
Speaker 1:And you know what would be your advice or encouragement to someone who is, who is a new teacher and for them to stick with it, or someone is considering going into education. I mean what? What advice could you offer those folks that encourage them that that it's worthwhile endeavor and career?
Speaker 2:Wow. When you teach children or you're teaching high school students, you're teaching the future, and that's a big responsibility, and so I feel like sometimes teachers don't get the kudos they deserve. There are lots of teachers in our community that are working so hard and they go every day, and that takes courage, it takes confidence in what you're doing and they love what they're doing. I think of an elementary teacher that I know right now that's teaching in one of our public schools. She works so hard, so incredibly hard, and does a wonderful job, and yet at the end of the day, when all the scores come back, it looks like she didn't do a good job, and I know she has. So if you know a teacher I'm just going to put this out there If you know a teacher or you you have children in the system, write a note to that teacher and thank them for what they're doing. It means a lot. It'll help them to go the next day. It'll carry them.
Speaker 2:But if you're thinking about teaching, first of all, make sure you're doing this because you love your subject and you love kids. If you love the kids, they can take a lesson. That might not be a home run every day, but if they know you care about them, they'll work for you, but they have to know you care. Their parents need to know you care, and how that looks depends on the situation with each student, but let them know you're invested in them and be content, strong. And by that I mean if you're going to teach high school English, there's a certain requirement of English hours you'll take, but take all you can take so that you are well prepared to prepare those students for what they're going to do in their world.
Speaker 2:I think that's important. I think you need to align yourself with a good mentor, find a teacher that you admire and respect and say I want to learn from you. Can you observe in my classroom, will you help me with what you see, that I could become better in teaching my lessons? I think that's crucial. And always keep learning. Always keep learning. The day you stop learning is the day you stop teaching.
Speaker 1:That's awesome advice. One thing that I wanted to go back on I kind of forgot early in our conversation is we were just kind of I try to meet with everyone before we do this and we you're. You're talking about how, when you were teaching in your early teaching, you know you weren't making that much money $78.
Speaker 1:And you had a supplement your income and I'd forgotten that you had worked as a manpower employee temporary so and you were sharing, I think, people interested in hearing about those, some of those jobs that you did and what you thought about doing those.
Speaker 2:And I was thankful for those jobs. I was thankful that manpower took me as a temporary employee. I worked at first and second national bank one summer, auditing all of their car loans to make sure that the people that borrowed money for them had insurance on their cars. I did that one summer. One summer I worked for general telephone here in Richmond.
Speaker 1:For you kids out there. That's front here today. I guess some people won't know.
Speaker 2:And I was Mr Cox's administrative assistant for the summer. I met some wonderful friends there. I'll never forget why the Lord put me there. For a reason too, and it was great. I learned to work a teletype, learned to read some teletype. I got mad one day when the teletype somebody turned the print off. Mr Cox said we're going to have to learn how to read that teletype. So it was great. And then I worked for ColourBox. I worked at Dana Feel free to smile, it was in the foundry part.
Speaker 2:Oh really I did the work orders. I had to get the work orders because it was commission.
Speaker 1:But you were out on the floor.
Speaker 2:I had to take the work when somebody got too hot out in the factory and had to go home. Then I'd have to write up a new work order and take it out for the next person. Were a hard hat.
Speaker 1:No, I've walked. I mean early in my manpower career I remember going. It was still here in Richmond walking, I mean molten metal.
Speaker 2:I did that walk through there I did at Alcoa, I'd worked this is well date me a bill of lading typewriter had to remember not to use the shift key because it was already in capital letters and when the and you had to. When you work a bill of lading typewriter you always have to check it against the account and the pieces that the contract is for, so they don't send too many parts out. And so the guy that was head of the loading dock would come and get me and go where's that Indian girl? They call me an Indian girl.
Speaker 1:I don't think.
Speaker 2:I look like an Indian girl but you called me that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think they would do that today. I don't think they do that today. I think HR would have some have a conversation with that person.
Speaker 2:It wasn't a problem for me, though, so I did that. Um yeah, I had some really good jobs and kept me. It kept me with a paycheck.
Speaker 1:So did uh they ever try to say, hey, won't you just stay here and and uh, we'd love to hire you, yeah?
Speaker 2:Mr Cox, Mr Cox, he did at the GTE.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And my mother really wanted me to take that job.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, I'm sure it was a difference in the income that you could have made, that, but I'm glad you stuck with what you really uh impact. I mean, how many kids do you think that you've thought of? I mean?
Speaker 2:I, I don't know, I have a number to it.
Speaker 1:How could I mean?
Speaker 2:I have no idea. I have no idea, but I will tell you that one of the greatest rewards for teaching and staying with it is to see your, your students, do well Like here I'm today with you. Who gets to do that?
Speaker 1:Who gets?
Speaker 2:to do that and who gets to have their students children in the classroom. You know, I think that's unique and I'm so thankful for that. And I hear from former students from community Christian. Just a few weeks ago I had a student who is expecting her first child. I had her in first grade at community Christian. She's an emergency room doctor in Florida and before she went to do her residency she came by and visit, visited me at school this is before she was married and she walked into my classroom and she said I just wanted to see where it all began for me and I wanted to see you.
Speaker 2:There's no price on that. There's no price on that. And I, I saw her. I saw her recently at a baby shower and she and I, I reminded her. I said do you remember what I told you when you first came in my classroom? And she said I think so. I said you have good hands and the Lord's going to use those hands one day. She uses them every day, any emergency room sewing people up.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, you had my son Peter in first grade and and I think you saw in him no-transcript as a first grader traits that took him into his career today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I remember what I told him. And uh, you know I said the Lord has something so good for you. I think you could be a pastor, and he is.
Speaker 1:And he has to this day, and he is.
Speaker 2:And you know, and I will never we. It was the national day of prayer and we were all praying and we had some music that we were singing and, uh, it was, um, he was praying for the country we were struggling with in this country at the time and he asked the Lord to to enter and invade that person's heart as a six year old, yeah, it's pretty amazing it is amazing. It is amazing yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm blessed with a couple of really wonderful children.
Speaker 2:Yes, you have.
Speaker 1:Sam and Peter. I'm extremely proud of you.
Speaker 2:You should be, you should be. But the 50 years of teaching for me, I, I, the Lord has allowed me to see what happens with all. Your children will be taught of the Lord and great will be the peace of your nation. And I, I really stand on that. Yeah, that's wonderful.
Speaker 1:Well, I think that kind of wraps everything up.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm going to talk about.
Speaker 1:I'm so appreciative of you coming and just having this conversation with me after I'm done. There's going to be so many things.
Speaker 2:Oh I wish. I would ask Donna this or that, or whatever.
Speaker 1:So so what's next for you now that you're retired?
Speaker 2:teaching hat and well, I never expected to retire this year. This past year I would have. I would have gone on, tried maybe to get to five more years maybe. But the Lord brought this wonderful man into my life and in September 30th I am going to be getting married. Congratulations.
Speaker 1:Thank you and uh hold another chapter for you and, and I wish to both of you the best. And and I'm sure it's going to be just, you know, just wonderful things will happen as a result of that.
Speaker 2:So yeah Well. So the other thing before we wrap this up is just I want to encourage everyone that might be listening Go visit your local school, see what you can do to support teachers.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely, I totally agree with you with that. And so well, um, for those of you that are watching this, uh, make sure you pass on uh, uh, how they can watch this podcast. An easy way is just to go to the manpower website at mprichmancom, and we have several links there where you could just go to our episodes and watch it. So again, donna, thank you very much, thank you. Thank you for the investing in my life and I appreciate you so much, so it was a privilege.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you.