Sharon McMahon

Yes. Outside of a town of 80,000 people and 150 miles from the nearest Whole Foods. Oh, my God. Wow.

Yes. Outside of a town of 80,000 people and 150 miles from the nearest Whole Foods. Oh, my God. Wow.

Yes. Outside of a town of 80,000 people and 150 miles from the nearest Whole Foods. Oh, my God. Wow.

That's true. But, you know, I grew up in a lower middle class family. My dad was a blue collar worker.

That's true. But, you know, I grew up in a lower middle class family. My dad was a blue collar worker.

That's true. But, you know, I grew up in a lower middle class family. My dad was a blue collar worker.

He was a carpenter. He was a disabled Vietnam vet who later died of his war related injuries. Oh, wow. He didn't have enough food to eat and things like that. But there were times where each person got a $10 Christmas gift. So neither of my parents went to college. I certainly was not well positioned for this trajectory from my childhood. But what I did have was a library card.

He was a carpenter. He was a disabled Vietnam vet who later died of his war related injuries. Oh, wow. He didn't have enough food to eat and things like that. But there were times where each person got a $10 Christmas gift. So neither of my parents went to college. I certainly was not well positioned for this trajectory from my childhood. But what I did have was a library card.

He was a carpenter. He was a disabled Vietnam vet who later died of his war related injuries. Oh, wow. He didn't have enough food to eat and things like that. But there were times where each person got a $10 Christmas gift. So neither of my parents went to college. I certainly was not well positioned for this trajectory from my childhood. But what I did have was a library card.

And I did live one block from the library. And that was very instrumental in who I have become. The unfettered access to books has been super instrumental in what I do now.

And I did live one block from the library. And that was very instrumental in who I have become. The unfettered access to books has been super instrumental in what I do now.

And I did live one block from the library. And that was very instrumental in who I have become. The unfettered access to books has been super instrumental in what I do now.

I taught for 12 years in California. I taught up in the Bay Area. Oh, you did? I did. I did.

I taught for 12 years in California. I taught up in the Bay Area. Oh, you did? I did. I did.

I taught for 12 years in California. I taught up in the Bay Area. Oh, you did? I did. I did.

My husband's job. And that was great. I've taught in Minnesota, but I taught for the majority of my career out in the D.C. suburbs. Which is a very different animal than teaching in the Bay Area. When I was in the Bay Area, it was middle class high school. It was like a performing arts magnet. Great people. I loved teaching there. But we had no hot water.

My husband's job. And that was great. I've taught in Minnesota, but I taught for the majority of my career out in the D.C. suburbs. Which is a very different animal than teaching in the Bay Area. When I was in the Bay Area, it was middle class high school. It was like a performing arts magnet. Great people. I loved teaching there. But we had no hot water.

My husband's job. And that was great. I've taught in Minnesota, but I taught for the majority of my career out in the D.C. suburbs. Which is a very different animal than teaching in the Bay Area. When I was in the Bay Area, it was middle class high school. It was like a performing arts magnet. Great people. I loved teaching there. But we had no hot water.

We had no toilet paper or soap in the bathroom. Children carried around toilet paper in their backpacks. Wow. We had rolling blackouts all the time where the power would just go out. We did not have TVs in every classroom. The media center was closed because there was nobody to work at it. We did not have even like whiteboards and overhead projectors.

We had no toilet paper or soap in the bathroom. Children carried around toilet paper in their backpacks. Wow. We had rolling blackouts all the time where the power would just go out. We did not have TVs in every classroom. The media center was closed because there was nobody to work at it. We did not have even like whiteboards and overhead projectors.