Why did you want to join the USC Newcomers’ Club?
We had recently moved to Upper St Clair, into our fifth house in the last fifteen years. (Whenever my husband gets a promotion at his work instead of moving him down the hall to a new office, we get moved to a new state.) I wanted to get to know people and become more a part of the community, and joining the USC Newcomer’s Club was a great way to do that.
Where did you recently move from?
Our last stop was Chicago, IL. We also lived in Memphis, TN, and Detroit, MI.
Where did you grow up?
Huntington, WV. We now are only a four-hour drive from home, which is great. I am so happy to be back living in the mountains.
Where did you go to college and what did you study?
West Virginia University. My degree was Medical Technology (now called Medical Laboratory Science). I also later got a specialization in Blood Banking.
What do you do for your day job?
Manager for Product Quality Control Testing for ITxM, the parent company of Central Blood Bank.
Do you have any kids? If so what are their names and ages?
Nathan, age 12, and George, age 10. They are the reason we ended up living in USC when my husband was transferred to Pittsburgh. Both of them have some special educational needs, and the great school district here in Upper St. Clair was able to address them.
Do you have any pets?
A dog, named Luna
What do you like to do for fun?
My family likes to travel…everything from a week-long vacation during spring break (a dude ranch, this year) to a quick, one-day get away to see some random tourist
attraction (last one was the house from the movie A Christmas Story).
What books on your shelf are begging to be read?
I stop by the Upper St Clair or Mt. Lebanon library at least once a week to pick up something new to read. At the moment, I have on hold a memoir about a family living
in Rome for a year written by the author of All Light We Can Not See, Anthony Doerr. I just finished reading The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling, and I am slowly making my way through 10% Happier by Dan Harris. I am also always listening, while I run, to a Playaway that I pick up from the library …the ones by Janet Evanovich are my favorite since the person who reads the audiobook does great voices, and they are just fun stories to listen to.
What’s the biggest goal you are working on now?
I am trying to be more organized. I started using a planner in January and that has helped me a lot with keeping track of things. Also, I want to get back into exercising more regularly. I made myself a goal of running a 5K this summer. (Not looking silly in front of a large number of people is a great motivator for me to lace up my
running shoes.)
What upcoming Newcomers’ event are you looking forward to attending?
I will be at the next ladies’ night out. I like that several of those events have been in downtown Pittsburgh lately…it gets me out with a fun group of women and I get to discover new places. I also like to attend the Family events and Couple events. There have been some great activities planned this year.
What other things do you want your fellow newcomers to know about yourself?
I am the membership chair for this year and next year. So I am the one sending out those welcome messages to those of you who recently joined…and reminding everyone
to pay their dues!