Class of 1971: Karen Markham

To understand the character of the class of '71, it's important to understand the changing world we were born in to. Our parents grew up in the Great Depression where the highest education usually obtained was a high school diploma. Their parents often had no more than an eighth-grade education. College was for rich people only.

We Baby Boomers started arriving at the end of World War II—and there were lots of us! I remember, as far back as kindergarten, waiting my turn to play with a toy only to have the teacher call time before it was [ever my turn]. Education, however, was changing. By the time I was ready to graduate from grade school, I had to decide whether I wanted to take the college or business lane in high school. I chose the college lane, although I had no idea how I could afford it or where I could go.

In my sophomore year, Indiana State University started an extension in Evansville, and for me it was a golden ticket to higher education. To finance my education, I had to gamble on the future with student loans, small scholarships and the occasional part-time job. I studied English. I loved writing and hoped to have a career in it.

I graduated and reality set in; the economy was in a recession. I had a classical education, looking for work in blue-collar Evansville. After months of searching, I found a job with the local welfare department as a caseworker. The doors that were opened [by my education] have never closed.

Karen Markham '71

English