Me with twenty-two years at Estrella Mountain Community College, six at the Maricopa Community Colleges' District Office, six at Northern Arizona University prefaced by short stints at The University of Illinois and University of North Carolina, Marylyn after fifteen years as Advisor to Phi Theta Kappa, it's time to start a new life.

We've had it easy compared to almost everyone. Born right after the Great Depression deprived most Americans of everything but a sense of right and wrong and family pride we had the best of parents. I was born and raised on a farm free to do unsupervised important work that contributed to family success. Marylyn was born and raised in a big city with a good public education system, and parents who valued her and education. They made it possible for her to graduate at the very top of her class and be awarded a scholarship to The University of Illionis where we met in 1967.

Born healthy with a close to obsessive-compulsive work ethic we've had a good lives. Marrying Marylyn Patton, and staying with her for several decades, put us on third-base.

No profession is perfect but being employed by The Maricopa Community Colleges was a lot like being raised on our farm. When I first came to Estrella a colleague named Steve Shriver facilitated the consensus belief that "We build better communities one life at a time because your success is our success." I initially seized the freedom to "Make dreams come true". Marylyn followed a few years later and was even more successful as Advisor to Phi Theta Kappa the national Honor Society for Community College students.

Career choice mistakes cost money. What former students remember of us is we made it easier to make logical career choices.

Southwest Valley parents can now send gifted 10th grade children to Estrella to complete high school; and for they themselves and their chidren to complete an associate degree at Estrella followed by Northern Arizona University baccalaureate and master's degrees; without leaving home.

Furthermore, the Northern Arizona University degrees offered at Estrella help community members' advance in the very jobs most Southwest Valley residents hold.

We've been incredibly lucky. Married right
and employed by the best higher education system in America.
It doesn't get better than this.