Education

This transcript highlights the life experiences and insight of Ann Marie Shea, a Worcester native born in 1939. Growing up a Catholic Irish- American, Ann Marie is the daughter of two Irish immigrants. Ann Marie attended Worcester public schools and continued her education at Anna Maria College, where she majored in English. She then furthered her education at Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., where she received a small scholarship. Theater was her area of study at Catholic University. With passion and skill, Ann Marie has worked much of her life in this field.

Geraldine Brophy was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1944 to Katherine and John Brophy. She is the eldest of two daughters. She is the mother to two sons; one from her first marriage and another from her second. Geraldine attended Southern Connecticut State University and got her bachelor’s degree in education. At 48 years old, after she had met and married her second husband, she went back to college at Boston College and received her master’s degree in social work.

Born in 1947 in Lowell, Massachusetts, Joan Barry moved to Worcester at four years old, so her father could run his business as a funeral director. Joan attended Framingham State University where she earned her BA in administration. Shortly after she attended Columbia University for her master’s degree. Joan got a job as an assistant principal at Saint Mary’s Middle School where she worked for 8 years. She explains that she got her first job as a principal during a time when it was very unlikely because the positions were mostly filled with football coaches.

Natalie Alice Atwood Maynard is an 82-year-old accomplished woman who was interviewed at her place of residence, The Eisenberg Assisted Living Center in Worcester, MA. Natalie grew up on a farm with her twin brother, older brother, older sister and parents in Medford, MA.  Natalie attended school at Tufts University where she obtained her degree in women’s physical education, and married her late husband, Herbert Maynard, the year she graduated college. Both Natalie and Herb worked at a school in West Boylston, until Natalie became pregnant with their first child.

Carol Anne Shay Shulman was born in1943 in Worcester, Massachusetts. She was raised in an Irish Catholic home with three siblings. Carol met her husband Joseph dancing the night away. They had three children together and although Joseph was Jewish, the kids were raised Catholic as Carol hoped. Together they created a loving home and today all of their children are successful with kids of their own. Unfortunately, Carol’s husband passed away at the age of fifty-nine and she became widowed. Carol is a very compassionate person, and she displayed her compassion throughout her work experience.