I grew up in a somewhat dysfunctional family. Looking back, it’s clear that my dad was an alcoholic. This was also a tumultuous time in American history. Post-WWII brought significant changes to the roles of women. The Vietnam War was ongoing, and race relations were tense, with riots frequently occurring.
School counselors advised my parents that I wouldn’t do well in college. As a result, I initially tried to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. When that didn’t work out, I ended up attending a small state school, Southern Oregon College, in Ashland, Oregon.
At college, I began exploring my interests and career options. I started as an Art major and later considered a career in law enforcement. During my second year, I had the opportunity to apply for a position as a Resident Advisor (RA) in the dormitories. I had lived in the dorms for my first two years—sharing a room my first year and living alone my second.
In my third year, I began studying psychology. The courses were introductory but sparked my interest in the field. Two key experiences from this time stand out in my memory. First, I worked as an aide at a local high school, helping troubled students. Second, I became an RA, and later, a Head Resident of a dormitory, which exposed me to a wide range of human behavior.
I vividly remember one evening as an RA. I was studying in my room while another RA was on duty. Suddenly, I heard a loud commotion from the floor above me. I put down my books, left my room, and went upstairs. The noise was coming from the restroom/showers, and students were milling around in the hallway.
As I approached, groups of students fell silent and moved aside. Entering the restroom, I found a group of students, with male and female voices coming from the showers. When I reached the showers, a student tried to block me by stretching his arm across the doorway. I didn’t say a word—just gave him a stern look, and he stepped aside.
Inside, I found a man and a woman showering together. It was clear they had been doing more than just showering. I took in the scene and said loudly, “I don’t believe this! I’m going upstairs to get another RA. When I return, I don’t want to see or hear anything.”
I left the restroom, quickly went upstairs, and sprinted to the other RA’s room. As I did, I heard pounding footsteps and slamming doors behind me. When we returned, the floor was empty, and the restroom was quiet. Later, we learned the woman was a transient passing through town, offering “services” for money. The man was an RA candidate who, needless to say, did not get the position.
The second memory was during my time as a Head Resident. While still studying psychology, I came down with mononucleosis and tore the hamstring in my left leg. On top of that, I was doing poorly in my classes and going through a breakup with my girlfriend.
One evening, a student knocked on my door wanting to talk. He began sharing what I now remember as a trivial problem. As he spoke, I found myself fantasizing about grabbing him by the shirt, pushing him against the wall, and yelling, “You think you have problems? Let me tell you about problems!” This moment made me realize that psychology and working closely with people might not be the right career path for me.
At the same time, I had started working with computers for the housing office and discovered an aptitude for it. Unfortunately, the college didn’t offer a degree in Computer Science. I decided to finish my senior year there and then transfer to the University of Oregon, which did offer a Computer Science degree.
At the University of Oregon, I crammed two years of courses into one. Since I already had many psychology credits, I decided to make it my minor. I took courses on memory and learning, which complemented my Computer Science coursework.
This is the background behind my interest in psychology. Incidentally, my sister Sue earned her Psychology degree from Reed College. As my career progressed, I became increasingly interested in topics like personality types, artificial intelligence, and the psychology of computer programmers.