Kera VOIGTLANDER

Kera Voigtlander

Kera's 2011 Autobiography

I seem to be doing things backwards in this lifetime. By the time I graduate in 2012 with a BA degree in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, I will have taken college courses on-again and off- again (mostly off-again) for 49 years. I look at it though, as continually exercising the little grey cells! I was not ready for college when I went off to Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA after graduation. I left school that first semester and worked for a year, with the goal to travel to Europe in January1963. I had grandiose plans to work my way around the world. After much discussion, my parents agreed to let me go as long as I left money with them for a return trip to Westport, wherever I ended up.

I convinced a friend to go with me and we traveled on a Yugoslavian freighter from New York to Tangiers, Morocco. We crossed the Straits of Gibraltar to Spain, up to Portugal, a return through Spain, through Southern France and then to Switzerland, where we decided to look for work. After being asked how many languages we could take shorthand in, we gave up and went to Munich, Germany. My friend decided to return home, so I was on my own. I managed to find work for a month in a restaurant kitchen in Munich. I worked a night shift, which left time for me to visit art museums and castles in the surrounding area during the day. I saved enough money to travel to Denmark then to Sweden and Norway, and a return to Hamburg. I tried to find work again, but realized real employment was not available, so I returned home on a German freighter to Montreal. My European odyssey, and the adventures along the way, was truly a life changing experience.

I returned home in July 1963, and started working in August as a professional, as a degree at that time was not a deal breaker. I have been fortunate to have had a diversified working career; the changes I made usually came when I was at a personal crossroads. I began as a Research Laboratory Technician, both in academia and industry, which was a path into a Research Chemist position. I was able to get my name on publications, two while at the Center for Alcohol Studies, Rutgers University, and two while working for an in vitro diagnostic reagent firm. I took a regulatory position as a Quality Engineer and then went back on the bench as a Research Chemist. Another career change was for the position of Industrial Hygienist at an Environmental, Safety & Health consulting firm. This led to my work for the past 22 years as an Environmental, Safety & Health Specialist in private industry.

Last year, after 19 ½ years at a division of a major corporation, I and my Director boss were part of a RIF, and our ES&H department was outsourced to a consulting firm. I have been working as a part-time contract hire since then, and I am again at a crossroads. Do I continue to look for another full-time ES&H position, or should I try something new and challenging. Any ideas or offers for me? I am in no way ready to retire!

When I am not working or in school, I try to keep up with things that bring me joy- tap dance, Argentine Tango and Salsa classes. I am a student and teacher of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan and the 3HO organization. As if that were not enough to fill the time, I am an officer of and Producer for a local theater company. We produce original plays in NJ, and have brought them to NYC under an Actors Equity Showcase Code. We are producing a show in NJ in August, and plan to produce a play in NYC in 2012.

I am looking forward to our 50^th reunion; a time to laugh, and the blessing to connect with old friends, and to make new ones.