Having the benefit of growing up and living in a small town 50 miles south of Chicago for the first 25 years of my life allowed me to experience the best of all worlds. My hometown of Kankakee enjoyed the benefits of an agricultural community as well as industrialization from local to international businesses and companies. The educational systems at all levels were and continue to be leaders in the fields of education. Thus, my personal educational experiences from kindergarten through advanced degrees provided me with a rich background from which to draw as I entered the teaching profession and continue still today.

Working in several different fields and companies in a major metropolitan area such as Chicago gave me a vast array of experiences. Because of the proximity to Chicago, my hometown employment experiences were as rich and diverse only in a somewhat less hectic setting. Thus, my broad background working in business and teaching at several different levels contribute to my being able to assist those with whom I work to be better than when they entered my classroom and to meet the commitment they made to themselves when they enrolled in my courses.