Martha Wallace and Kendall Latimer

00:10 My name is Kendall Latimer. I am 20 years old. Today's date is November 5th 2015. I'm at Agnes Scott College library, and I'm here with Martha Wallace. Who is a Woodruff scholar alone.

00:25 Hi, my name is Martha Wallace. I am 62 years old. Today's date is November 5th, 2015. And I am also in Agnes Scott library and I am

00:39 Here was Kendall.

00:42 So Martha before we actually get started with the questions, can you tell me what year you graduated from Agnes Scott? Sure. I completed my coursework in December of 2014 but I walked across the stage this last May 2015. Okay, so you recently graduated congratulations. So my first question for you is why did you not attend college when you were 18 years old when I was 18 years old. I was when I was the eldest of seven children and my mother had congestive heart failure. And so she really needed more help and at that time College was just not an option. So I started working and help my mother.

01:31 And you said you were the oldest of your seven children? So so what was it like raising your mom?

01:44 I like helping your mom with with her situation. Okay, will my sisters and brothers always kind of looked at me and they still do is like second mother, you know, because I was Hands-On. I did a lot of childcare cooking nurturing, you know, and so it was just like I stepped in for her whenever needed

02:09 And I guess you mentioned this already that.

02:16 That you were helping your mother out and also helping her raise her own children. So I guess that pretty much committed you to attend college and what I did when I did get a job. I worked at a hospital that was for mentally and physically handicapped children and when I wasn't at the hospital, I was hanging out with a band going to Pennsylvania and Ohio singing. Oh that sounds fun. And how old are you at that time? So that was like relatively After High School and can you tell me some Adventures you had with the band or at the or being a nurse will I wasn't really a nurse? I think that the hospital experience was more interesting because I wasn't I just had a good ear for music and I can keep everybody in line cuz they what kind of off-key and it was fun to travel to the different places. But when I worked at the hospital, I was experiencing children. It was lacking in a lot of ways with the summer.

03:16 Even their parents never came back to see him anymore. So I lived on campus and that way I can go over there when I wasn't working and interact with the kids and eat with them talk to them. It was section was for delinquent teenagers as well so I can interact with them too. So I really enjoyed that because I was just extending what I had learned at home with my own siblings.

03:39 And was education always in your mind like when you were out of high school and 18. Were you still thinking about college, first generation college student and I really wasn't because it was not encouraged. I'm from Ohio originally and you went into the steel mill you work for dfacs or you work for the phone company and unless your family had lots of money or Prestige. You didn't even think about college and that's just the way it was and what time. Was that in that was in the night to early 1970s?

04:17 So, how did you hear about the Woodruff scholarship? Will I started going to Georgia Perimeter College in 2010? And when I was just my last semester day I met a young woman. She was a wither skeleton here and her name was Anita and she works at the school up the street Grandpa and we were taking some classes together and I have received award for poetry and she read it and she says oh my God, you got to go to Agnes and have amazing creative writing program. And of course I said, oh no, that's a big school. And you know, it's going to be a lot of issues that I probably couldn't get in and she go. Yeah, you'll do fine. She said just apply, you know, she said I'm sure that they would love to have you and then when I graduated I was honest when I graduated from the other college, so I was offered a scholarship for 5:30 to Kappa to help with the cost of attending Agnes.

05:15 Good, and I know you mentioned that you felt like I'm there certain issues that we felt you couldn't get into Agnes Scott. Can you elaborate more of those issues? You were feeling? Yes, I feel that the Community College. I knew that it was easier to get into a community college and I had never actually I thought that was once I got that journalism degree. I was done really but when I got further on and I was suggested to go somewhere else. I didn't know if I would be able to tackle that rigorous course Mona would I be behind and plus with the all the younger students? Would I find my little niche on campus, you know, so that kind of concern me because I'm a very social person and I was very active at the other college and I wanted to be active here because that's just the way I am.

06:08 So so what was your mother and your of like siblings thinking when you decided to return to college without fortunately, I lost my mother when she was 49. So I felt like every time I walked up on this campus I had her spirit with me because she didn't even get a opportunity to finish High School my siblings that kind of looks like you might be excited because my two youngest sons were graduating from college that year and they were like, you just been hanging at their school so much. It's kind of rubbing off. You just might want to do this, you know, but they didn't really expect me to just go into it as an independent I did.

06:47 So why did you decide to return to college where I was working in banking for over 20 some ideas here in Atlanta and I worked in a mortgage company and the subprime mortgage industry collapsed in 2007 and I was sitting at my desk one morning in that new now. I'd had no job and so we were all laid off and I kept applying for jobs. I even went back to some of the old jobs that I had got have work for and I used to train tell us for the state of Georgia. Do it back to that bank in the lady asked me did I have a degree and I looked at a really but I trained you since it doesn't matter. You need a degree.

07:27 So I said well if you of my manager at the mortgage company just had a music degree.

07:33 I said I'm going to do something that I enjoy and I enjoy riding. So that's what I decided to take. And and I guess when you decided that you're going on with Scott and you got accepted I can Scott what were your initial thoughts when you were on the campus? Will First Sight is absolutely beautiful and you see so many beautiful faces from all over the world and I was just excited to be here and the buildings a lovely and it's always a good place to just curl up and study and you can always learn from someone because I not only got two to share some of my experiences I could learn from some other Scotty sisters that came from different countries and even those that you do here in the United States, so that was really inspirational to me.

08:26 Yeah, maybe you can you elaborate more on like a classroom experience. We're like the classmates learn from your personal experiences and vice-versa. I was in one of my Africana Studies classes and I was Professor Sicily McDaniel was teaching and I was writing a paper and it was on it was entitled to First and it was about how sometimes women especially minority women are undervalued overpaid on the word, you know, and I told her the one thing that they never talk about is ageism everybody acts like it doesn't exist, but it does and everybody looked at me, you know, I kind of like stunned and I gave them examples such as going to job interview. They read my resume and they told me on the phone how excited they were but once I got in front of them and they said I was an older person.

09:21 Everything changed the whole demand me to change I even went to One Bank in the young lady told me look around you see anybody in here over 25.

09:29 And I was stunned. I knew she couldn't she was not supposed to say that but I also knew that you know, I didn't go in there with him recording equipment and of course it was her word against mine and she probably would have just said what she just mad because we didn't hire. So I said this is not the place for me and I kept moving.

09:45 And and what was all the students reactions? Well, they kept that in mind and

09:56 They referenced it often and even up until the time I was about to graduate, you know, they were telling me you know, you you always have something to share with someone. Remember you're the one that taught us about aging.

10:10 So so I guess like what's your favorite? What was your favorite class at Agnes Scott was there one there was not one. I'll say the most enlightening classes that I had were my English classes with dr. Tolliver and Professor cousin. She home my writing skills, you know and my Africana Studies classes with the doctor Newsom and dr. Cicily McDaniels. They open doors that I never ever imagined. They taught me so much. I felt like I was a kindergartener starting school because I had so much information and I just absorbed it and I kept so many other books because I wanted to go back over that information. It was just so amazing how to make what I was growing up didn't have like black studies of black history where we we learn things like that. So this is altogether different for me. And so it was just really enlightening. And so yeah if that's what my

11:10 We have two Mages instead of just a creative writing the African studies became my second major. Can you tell me about the lessons you've learned in your English classes in your Africana Studies classes?

11:26 My English classes. I learned that I have a story to tell and I have a gift to tell it you know, and two don't give up be resilient and try something new because I've even had all points published are in 90 magazine and I never took a poetry class aiming for that, you know, and I've had a lot of notification I've gotten a lot of information and and encouragement about my non-fiction writing because I didn't really know that that's what I was doing it because I was just speaking truth. She said that's non-fiction, you know, and I didn't know that I had such a good grip on that as well.

12:10 What was the other part of the class but licenses you want in your Africana studies class Africana Studies classes don't take it at face value because what you see is not always what you get.

12:25 When I was in the classes and we read about the people from the different countries just looking at a person that you cannot tell exactly where they came from because we learned so much about that the mixing of the races and the lightning of the races and and you just couldn't go by skin tone and don't assume, you know to go a little deeper and learn about the different cultures and different people and everything because everyone has story and how do you apply those lessons that you learned in everyday life?

13:00 Well, I'm very talkative and I meet a lot of people and I am a very good listener. I try to listen to what they're telling me because I can always pick up some you know new information and like last swimming when I went to Spain course, I didn't speak Spanish, but when I ask for those two months and I did well and it was so interesting that the professors there. They really wanted to sit down and talk to me because I represented a portion of the student body. They didn't often see I was older person and I could share some of my experiences with them as well. And we still keep in touch. Wow, and it was just a studying abroad in Spain. Can you tell me more about that experience in Spain? It was funny and sometimes and it was one look tense moment, but we took care of that. I went to Madrid and initially I was not going to apply because I felt like being an older student. I was lucky that I had met.

14:00 To the Woodruff and I said I did not going to send me the Spain and I threw it application initially and when I went back to the

14:11 Educational Department, and I talked to the counselor and she said I'm so disappointed in you. You know, she said where is your faith and I felt really bad. So I went on and filled it out the next day they couple weeks. I got to answer that. I had received a scholarship almost fully funded my trip and I was a little apprehensive, Of course again, I was the oldest person going and we had all these young students going and I didn't want them to feel like a hoe Here Comes mama with us and I hope God she's watching us. We got to entertain her I can get around. You know, I had no problem getting around and sometimes I will pass them in place in Italy. How did you get here? Yeah, I get around. I don't have to hang out with you guys. I know my way, you know, and we shared a lot of warm experiences that and the one that was a little iffy. We were on the train me and one of the students and went to retiro park and it was beautiful. It reminded me like Piedmont could have been to head the paddle boats and they had musicians.

15:11 Families and it was skating and everybody was just having a good time. So we were coming back and a Gentleman came and stood in front of me and he put his arm kind of across my chest when I'm already knowing you don't pay your purse up like that. Well, what happened was he had a coat over his arm and what he was doing under the coat was trying to open my purse and I felt the emotion of it and I realized the train is going in opposite directions. So I should be getting this this kind of motion and when it dawned on me what he was really doing I said, how dare him and I let him have it next to he was getting up on the other side of the train and he was screaming and the people the train was laughing at him and I was yelling and he was he was like he hovered until that train stopped and what did he took off? So when I told Professor slick who was our instructor here at Agnes it went with us. He was she told the rest of the girls. He said from this point forward when you go anywhere. Better take the enforcer with you.

16:11 So so I guess like the other thing I'm curious about is you mentioned that you had two sons that were also in college while you were in college. And what were the what were they thinking about mom being in school with them when they were about to finish and

16:31 I have been always very active in my children's education and I was a room parent for all I have five kids. Okay. I was a room parent for just about all the kids and anything happened to school. I was usually there I was on every committee and board it was PTA president calendar committee and I are booster club dinner so that we used to me being present and they they knew that it was really exciting for me to come down on that campus and students on the campus when they saw my car they were excited cuz he can come Mama Wallace and she's going to cook waffles. She going to hang out with us and they just love that. They were chasing the kind of help me get everything unloaded. So when I said I was going back to school to get my degree. They said we want you to get just as much out of your college experience as we did we want you to do is exactly the same be involved.

17:17 Learn as much as you can and shares many opportunities that offer to you.

17:23 And I did have it.

17:28 Oh, yeah, here we go. So so I guess my other question about that is where you married or has been passed away in 2006. He was a Vietnam War veteran and he had a number of illnesses and my youngest son was graduating that year and he passed away like their birthdays my two younger sons are in January. He passed away like 5 days after the the birthday. I'm sorry to hear that. So so how are you able to to balance being a member of the PTA and also having classes and also like putting food on the table? How did you do it? Well, I wasn't when that when I was a PTA member. I was working at a bank and I was training people into a customer service. And what idea was I will go up to the school early in the morning. I open the store. I open the first door in a school High School in DeKalb County and I would open the store.

18:28 Days a week and I will stay there and run the store and only has supplies. No food. No junk your school supplies and I would do that in the morning. And then when I get home in the evening if it was time for a meeting or something, I was up there for meetings. And then when they had the baseball games, I was there in the evening. I lived in the community. So and I worked in the community so I can go up there and run the concession stand or whatever they needed me to do. I was always available and and grades didn't slip like your grades are pretty consistent with all that I am I was in student government.

19:09 And I did some traveling with the school as well. My grades the only struggle I had was algebra cuz I didn't know anything about algebra and I kept telling myself ABC does not mix with 123 and I took this class maybe three times and I could not get the concepts. But as long as I was doing that negative self-talk, I had a barrier. So what I start doing was well, I don't know how to do it, but I'm going to get it and surely enough. I got it that's good that you're very persistent and that you persevered. What was your final grade in that class? And we had to take that this was like a remedial class. We had to take before we can move on until a college-level classes and my professors and everybody they were just standing outside waiting for me to come out the room and the test ended so quickly. I thought I had messed up and when I came out

20:09 Doing it like you did it. We were all out there hugging and and we were so excited. So what are some of the challenges that you face that Agnes Scott College?

20:22 Challenges I'll save it rather than challenges are faced opportunities.

20:32 Opportunities for growth and for travel and

20:37 One I can specifically elaborate on is when I went into a class and I expected it was a lot of younger students are of course and the teacher told us to pick it up and nobody didn't want to sit with the old lady and that I wouldn't call it a lot of times when everybody will pair up that one eyed person will be the one that had to come over there and sit with me and I feel really bad for them cuz they were like, oh God, I'm stuck with her, you know, but I wasn't a handicap to him actually found out that I was very helpful. And then after that the other ones wanted me to be their partner, but it was initially they just like again the mother figure, you know, okay, she's here to watch and I told him I'm not your mother. I'm not here to watch you. I'm not here to charge you anything you here is an adult and I'm here as an adult and we all students and did you end up making friends with any of the not reduce traditional students with

21:37 Yeah, because the first semester I came the the present would discuss president and his and her vice-president. They met me and they said you going to be our next president. I already know we we know we know you like to do things. You're going to be our next president and they graduated and actually I was the next president, you know, and I tried to incorporate a lot of activities that will be more inclusive because when I went to Retreats leadership Retreats people felt like the what do Scholars were out of touch and that they should be separate because you know, why why would they even want to be here, you know, and you know, I had to dress that issue as well and some of them felt like

22:25 So before the interruption Martha, I was just asked you were talking about being president of the woods are Scholars and talking about how you were trying to make the wither Scholars more opening for non-traditional students. The non-traditional students. They I caught on PCP parking lot class parking lot and they basically that's what they did and I told him that you're paying its usage fee for ACT Student Activities. You need to get some benefit bring the kids out when we have activities you do bring your family, you know, stay a little longer make some arrangements and then sometimes I tried to help schedule of events that would be more conducive to the different time. So that they could come back or they could be on campus when different events started because I did I recently signed up to be on the pro board and I had did programming at another college. So I figured out it was a shoe-in but then I realized it at that point with the

23:25 Equation for the pro board it was more so for the students that lived on campus, you know, all of the activities were around time. Is it no would there still be here and I kind of question that and no one had questioned it before and they will resist it and they will like what why would you guys want to come I said cuz we're paying a fee to be here to a participate unless you let us take our feet separate from what you guys are doing and do I own programming you need to make some up some more programming decisions that is going to include it with us.

24:02 And can you give me an example of one event? We had a study break and we headed up in the commuter lounge and it was so successful to so many students at came and it was so I was a number. I know we had maybe 10 to 12 Woodruff. They're just facilitating of event and it was in the evening and we had pizza. We had all kind of games and we had they were singing and playing cards and then a lot of them the youngest is like cash. I didn't know you guys were this much fun. You know, y'all go do this again. Also whenever we gave another study break they were anxious to come because it will just became cold.

24:48 Yeah, I would like you guys are cool. Thank you. Yeah, so I know we talked about some challenges but let's talk about some accomplishments that that you have all you shared Agnes Scott College. Okay. Well besides being Woodruff present of the witness College, I had student president of the Woodruff Scholars. I had two poems posted in two different. He is an ID magazine and I was the recipient of the Janice Newman Preston award for nonfiction by The English Department. And when I graduated. I graduated magna cum laude. Wow, that's really impressive. Can you tell me more about the awards at The English Department gave you for non-fiction surprised because I had no idea. I just happen to come up on campus and visit my professors and and they so I got something for you. You know, that was I wrote a fool me more for my senior seminar and

25:48 The name of it is a sampling of Life One Taste at a time and I'm currently working on getting it published and it's stories that reflect different times of my life like from my childhood on up to my trip to Spain where not only do I give Lily examples of moments with family and friends but it ain't corporated recipes in it and special occasions and and just stops because I usually whenever someone give you a recipe it's a story that goes with it, you know, so I wanted to to put that in there and then the second part of the book. I have a collection of recipes and usually these the ones that was shared with me with other people, you know from other people that I think that were noteworthy.

26:32 And can you also tell me about the two poems with those two poems were about yes. The first one was.

26:40 Oh my goodness. I'm thinking I had like three of them published two of them here that going to Scott. The first one was just the girls and the F-word that was the name of it. And I made it weird play with f faithful frolicking frivolous fruitful and it was like a story about some women on us a cruise ship and they were they were they were enjoying yourself and they hit their flutes of champagne mimosas or they had strawberries in there and it was totally enjoying their self, you know, because they knows what the sister girls and all the descriptive word starting with f

27:23 And the second one was we were doing more so writing on violence and and and against you no human beings and all and I wrote One captive innocence and it was in one was Raising Hope and with Raising Hope with all of the fighting and in an in a tension between the different races and ethnic groups in the police and everything and I think the first line in the poem said I will raise my hand to you, but I won't strike you and the ending line is and together. We will race hope

28:06 Wow, that's really powerful.

28:09 And I think the day that I saw you I was giving up a form that I had written which when I wrote it I had no idea I would ever meet her or anyting and it was ironic that the poem was was actually mirroring everything that she has spoken about.

28:29 Yeah, yeah. I remember that you find it for her. Right? Yes. I did and then I had her to sign my copy so I can take it home and frame it. Wow. That sounds amazing and in like did you have any people at these events supporting you like friends and family members? And yes, when I was at the at the two events here on campus for 90 magazine roll out. I had several friends and family members and even at the other campus the other college I attended when my point was published. I think I had half of the room full because not only was it my kids with some of their friends from college and from high school and everything and it it made me feel really good. It was a tremendous your support and I like your family members that they seem very supportive of you going to college after I sell the mommy anymore than it was Marty. Okay. How's it going Marty?

29:28 You study and Marty. What are you doing Marty?

29:34 But he just raised the bar because I do have grandchildren and I tell them that you know, if I can do this at my age got to do better than me you should be able to do.

29:48 If not better than me, as well as I do.

29:53 So I know we talked about academics, but now let's talk about social like did you go to any of the homecoming events or attend black cat to the Pancake Day? I was here for the Harvest Fest. I was here for the bonfires and you're off the black cat. I was here at the first day. I came in the first time. I seen it I didn't have a clue what was going on. I seen all the stuff all over campus and I was just I had to just sit down and look at everything. It was so much going on and it was amazing and it seemed like it it build such a tight-knit community among all my Scotty sisters and everything. Everybody was so excited. So, you know, it was contagious. Did you help participate in any of the Venom like our homecoming events?

30:48 I think

30:51 That the would just did do some participation and some of the events as far as partnering up with other clubs and organizations on campus to help make their events even more successful. I can't recall all the names because we kind of spread out and then, you know different people was helping in different areas. But yeah, I was always there and I do, you know, if you need me let me know I'm there.

31:17 And I guess my other question for you is do you feel that you made the right decision going tagging Scott College? Yes. I feel like I made the correct decision and I think that the experience was both empowering and enlightening and motivating actually because

31:39 I never is things I never could have imagined that happened, you know because of the experiences I had here I learned a lot, you know, I had never had to do any critical thinking and reading and I was totally stumped and now I see things in a different View and so I that wasn't my thing one of my biggest accomplishments because I struggle with that. My professor Tolliver wanted us to write paper is critically and I and he said you're writing a book report. You're not right. You're not thinking critically I said, well, this is what I see if this box is red is red. He's like no you got to see more and then I was able to discern things differently. So yeah.

32:26 Well, that's good. And you know, that's like the mission with Agnes Scott to make us think critically and and also contribute in a way and unlike you still use those tools on a day-to-day life. I do I do I do I do some customer service work and I also do freelance writing and I right verbage for social media and for websites for different companies. And so yeah, I have to look at it and usually if that person tells me what this is what I want and I can discern what they're wanting I think about it and I'll write it out and I'll send it to him like oh my God, you got this. This is this is really what I was trying to say, you know, so I think that because I my critical thinking skills have sharpened. Am I listening skills have sharpening hard to believe cuz I talked a lot to do but they have that that was very beneficial to me.

33:23 And I know earlier you mentioned that you went to Africa was that also part of Agnes Scott program as well? And that was the only triple that can they ever did and we put it together basically because the year before we were doing like a black history tour and we went to the pain center in South Carolina. And after that knew this was their equivalent to the would rest because it was the second wind the non-traditional students and once we went there, some people just really got excited about that when I want to learn a little bit more and that's how we ended up going to Africa, okay?

34:10 So so you had your degree in English and in an Africana studies? So what are you now doing with your degree? I have a bunch of fiction stories and I'm still not even doing a few points and I'm still doing working on my food Memoir so I can just get it. Just perfect because that's been my baby right there after I started writing it. It was just it was it was it just became a part of me and I really want to get it out. I want to see it over here in the book store on the shelf. And in the fall when Decatur Festival Festival, I want a box of my book sitting out there on the table. That's a great goal. Yeah. That's what I'm that's what I'm hoping for and and you mentioned like to others fiction books are working on what are those books about stories is a lot of stories is called touches and all touches in life are not pleasant. Some of them are a hug and Brace with some of them are not and it and it tells

35:10 Have people had to go through life being tested sometime inappropriately or being in it doesn't have to be a physical touch. It could be a mental touch, you know, and a lot of them stories were based on things that I remember growing up and it I wrote it down and when I wrote it down and I talked about it to someone and I put the ID on a piece of paper and people were you know, I have to send it out and let you look at it you okay. What happened? Why didn't why didn't you write this story? Oh my God what happened? You know, and I'm like, I was just something I remembered I remembered you know, and so that's why I didn't want to I didn't want to expose the person's, you know, true identity and everything. So that's why I became fiction and I probably don't remember the girl's name. I just remember the incidents, you know, and in the Indies different,

36:07 Little stories and I have

36:10 And I know you also mentioned like besides writing that you also have a job now. I work for amazon.com customer service when you call and have an issue with your account of your order.

36:26 So so now I kind of want to say that lady week will look I got my call history now. Absolutely and I've seen a lot of the people that used to work with you. No, and yes, I do have my degree now. They're like, oh my God you I can't believe you did it and I couldn't have done it. I said, yes, you could we have to quit telling what we can't do and concentrate on what we can do.

36:51 So what have you learned from your experience at Agnes, Scott College?

36:58 Well, don't limit yourself. That's one thing and be open for new experiences and don't get yourself in a little corner or where you know, I'm just

37:11 Just like in Haskell. Okay, we don't know anything about them. So we're not going to learn about them will stay in our own little box, you know be more inclusive if you know and poor thing. I learnt the assumptions I had a when I first came to Agnes many people had stopped me because I was an older person and they asked me did I work in the kitchen or was I one of the janitors know? Yeah, and even one of the safety patrol offices. I was working in the Writing Center and it was like 10:30 at night. It was one of our tutoring nights and I know it would take me up to the train station. And when the guy took me he said are you here pretty late? What are you do clean the dorms?

37:57 And I said no. I'm a student. He's a really and so he asked me what I was taking and I told him he said he'll you think that's going to make you a text pay legitimate tax-paying citizens once you get out of school.

38:13 So he was distracted at my age that I had gone back to school and furthermore. He really didn't see the value of me taking English or African studies, but that was not his decision. That was me.

38:27 And it seemed like that you appreciated those subjects and you learned more about yourself through those subject lot of self-reflection, you know a lot of growth and I mean after that every time you see me, you can see he was humble. Do you know he would hit on he was very respectable after that point cuz I guess he said this lady still here and she still doing it, you know, and I think he was even out on the daddy graduation. He was out there as well, you know.

38:53 And can you tell me about your graduation what what it was like walking down through the stage and I had invited everybody that wanted to come, you know, and I had a girl I went to high school with in Ohio and she adjusts a bad throat cancer the year before and her grandson. He got was coming out to see Auntie. I'm going to see Mama down there for your graduation and she was so excited because she hadn't even have opportunity go to college and so she came in and I had other people that I had known for a long time that I kind of didn't I was when I was 13, I was studying I didn't really socialize a lot and then I was a part of Trio student Support Services, which is a federally funded program for students at all of their Department from the other college was here at the graduation and my children were here and my grandchildren.

39:53 We're here and when I walk through I didn't see anybody cuz all I was focusing on with a person in front of me and when they call my name.

40:01 All I heard was a roar, you know and when I came off the stage somebody told me she know the president had to do this for him to calm down cuz they couldn't hear nobody else is named after you came and it was just a course because I would never I was at the oldest person in the class, you know, cuz she did mention president quiche did say, you know, we have one that's like 17 in the oldest one at 62 and I heard a few gas then they were like really, you know, so I was proud I didn't feel bad at all. I was very proud of you say I still wear my ring. I proudly wearing my black ring. I am a part of the black ring Mafia. So what advice would you give to girls at Agnes Scott and or or just girls in general about higher education?

40:55 What I would say is

40:59 Well, I'm sitting here with us. She inspired me a lot and she always said education was pilot was powerful and knowledge was power for and I feel like having an education levels the playing field because like I said earlier women are so underpaid undervalue, you know, and it levels the playing field and open new doors and with the changes in the world and Society eat it. It's it makes you step up the ladder rather than to be standing at the bottom holding onto the ladder, you know, and I said and I would say to take advantage of all opportunities. I always encourage students if you can travel travel don't say I can't give it a shot. You don't never know cuz look at me, you know and life doesn't give you a do-over. So I'll try things and you go change your mind. We staff no more in life and you going to feel some time but the key is not to quit keep on striving until you get to that point where he

41:59 This is where I want to be and where you can make a difference and and never give up the on the possibilities before you you know, because you're a whole lot more than you think you are.

42:10 And I guess my other thing it is like my last question is like, you know, if you could go back in time and my tell your younger self any advise. What advice would you tell your younger self?

42:24 I would have gone to college earlier because I've gone further I Would by now have been doctor somebody because I feel like going to school and reading and studying open my eyes and open my mind and it just made me like have a hunger to learn more. So my younger self. Yeah, if you had a you know even went part-time when you were helping Mama to get to a point where you can go ahead and go full time yet. No, telling what I might have achieved by now. Well, thank you so much for doing this project. I'm on the house of Agnes Scott in myself. It's been wonderful talking to you. You really opened my eyes to about about how I should approach life in general and who knows? Maybe I'll also start riding as well.

43:16 Inviting me