What have you been doing since high school?
I married my husband, Rick Edelson in 1972. For 47 years, we have lived in the DC area, Greenbelt, New Carrollton, and Potomac. We raised two children, Aaron and Rachel. Rachel gave us the gift of our grandson, Zachary, who just turned a year and is the joy and light of our lives. My education at University of Maryland includes a BS in Interior Design, after which I reevaluated my professional life and went directly back to school to complete a BS in Zoology. Next, I went to the University of Maryland School of Medicine to pursue graduate work in medical physiology with a concentration in reproductive physiology. I spent 15 years as a research physiologist at NNMC, NIH, and USUHS. After the birth of my second child, having just completed directing a clinical trial, I took some time at home with my children. During that time, one of my volunteer efforts was volunteering through Tourette Syndrome Association, doing outreach to families. I then turned my skills toward educational consultation and advocacy for those with Tourette SyndromeLook related educational issues. I started giving in-service presentations to faculties and peer presentations to classes, helping families to analyze their children’s needs, and attending meetings to help write IEP’s. I became a member of the National Tourette Association’s Speakers Bureau, and chairman of the Board of Directors of the local MD/DC/VA chapter After much encouragement from families, friends, and mentors, I started doing educational consulting and advocacy professionally. At this point, Rick and I are retired-ish. We both still consult in our fields, picking projects we like. We have a home in Potomac, MD, and one in Delray Beach, FL; and split our time between the two. We also find time for frequent visits to our grandson, Zachary in Boston, as well as time for travel. Rick is an avid, excellent tennis player, and dabbles in golf, which fills his time in both locations. I eschew the most typical FL pastimes. Instead, I am a gym rat. I love training. I also sculpt in stone, do ceramics, do needlework, and have many other artistic endeavors waiting for my time.
