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Let’s Fly Away

Since my first flight at ten years old, I’ve had a lifelong interest in aviation history along with art. Teaching art for forty years allowed me the chance to indulge both. While teaching in Liberal, Kansas I volunteered and served on the board of the air museum there, so after retiring in Lawrence I found myself getting involved at the Combat Air Museum in Topeka.

I joined a great group of like-minded aviation folks as a volunteer tour guide, flight simulator instructor, and recently becoming the art curator for our new gallery. My artworks have opened many exciting flight experiences, from the F-16, WWII planes, the Navy Blue Angels, to landing on an aircraft carrier at sea.

My education background serves me well in planning tours to varied age groups and the museum offers many opportunities for other educators to interact with young people. I began substitute teaching two years ago, and joind MHED in January. Even with my museum work, and still a practicing artist; I missed the interaction with kids and other educators that substitute teaching offers.

Each day and assignment are different and rewarding and it allows me to still enjoy my interests and spend time with my mother and two siblings. MHED has been very helpful in allowing me this  retirement I enjoy.

Photo credit: Kilo Hobbs