Thea VIERLING

Thea’s Autobiography (2021)

I graduated from University of Connecticut in 1965 with a BS in Biology and Chemistry. I went to the Philippines as a Peace Corps Volunteer right after college spending 2 years as a high school teacher in Cotabato. On the way back to the United States in 1967, I stopped in Barcelona, Spain where I found a job teaching elementary school. I did that for a year. I came back to Connecticut and went to Storrs for several courses for my masters degree but decided that was not what I wanted to do.

I moved to California and worked in many short term jobs but finally found a good job teaching junior high school. During the next 35 years I worked in various school systems at various levels, finishing with 10 years as a community college counselor. I am presently retired and very active in keeping Honey Bees. I continue volunteering in a lot of schools teaching about the bees and love it.

During my 53 years in California I have sailed on the bay with my own boat and have taught so many people to sail. It has been a most wonderful pastime. I presently live in Kenwood with my partner of 36 years and am very happy. I have kept up with a small group of Staples graduates all of whom live in California. We get together occasionally and it has been fun to reconnect.