Mohammed AL-Abdulla

3/21/12

                                             Knowing about Linda Strelluf

Yesterday, getting to know Linda Strelluf was really interesting. Learning about how she grew up and how she not only achieved her goals but also became successful in her life made the interview exciting.

We started the interview with how she grew up. Linda Strelluf mentioned that she was lucky because she is the only child from a working class family. She said that her dad built lines, meaning that he fixed machines. She also mentioned that her mom stayed at home with her and that she had lots of attention from her family which she considered special for her even though her family did not have lots of money. She did not have a dog or a cat. She went on family trips. Her life was a typical American one in an old fashioned house. All those things shaped the way she grew up. She likes to read and watch movies.  Also, she always liked to make her parents happy and not disappointed.

The thing that she thinks has made her beneficent and successful in her life, both career and family, is that she always listens and pays attention to what people say. Paying attention and listening to what people were saying and remembering it during growing up helped her a lot. She also said that listening and paying attention is one of the most important and underrated attributes a person can have. The more you listen the more you know about the people around you both in friendships and at work which helps you be more successful in your life.

When her children where small, she decided to take a break from her career and stay at home with her children to raise them. She stopped teaching and she went into business, which she could do at home. When she did that, she learned how to manage time. She said that even though she had lots of things to do, still she took care of her family. She believes that those things were really important.  She also mentioned that a negative side of that is that she is behind in her career. She could be at a big university or a head of a department, but in her mind she believes that taking care of her family comes first and that it is a worthwhile achievement.

One of the achievements that she wants to make in the feature is that she wants one of her students to get recognition. Also, she wants Avila to be known for more than being a nursing school. Instead, Linda says she wants Avila to be known as a school that produces very well educated professional students that would help Avila to succeed. Although she would like to take time to travel more she is happy with what she is doing.