My name is Arlene Downes.  I was born in Portland, Oregon where I lived with my parents until I graduated from high school.  I then went to the University of California where I majored in Speech and then got an elementary credential.  At that time, I was married to my husband, Yale, who wanted to buy his own drug store.  He did so, and we moved to Hayward with our son, Larry.  While living in Hayward, I worked in my husband’s drugstore and also enjoyed taking care of my son.  Hayward was very different from my college life in Berkeley, but I soon learned to adapt.  We then bought our first home in Oakland.  I really missed teaching, but since we were blessed with another child, my daughter Annette, I felt my place was in my home.  In 1968, we moved to Moraga.  A short time later, my parents moved to Walnut Creek.  Because my father was in poor health, I wanted to spend time with them.  I still missed teaching.  A friend of mine suggested I teach ESL part time.  I had no idea what that was.  She told me, and I became very excited.  My parents had immigrated from Russia so I was very familiar with what the problems of dealing with language barriers were.  I then started taking training.  My first part time job was in an elementary school in Hayward.  John Muir was a wonderful experience for me.  Then I was offered a job teaching at the Berkeley Adult School.  This was a program teaching students who wanted to enter an American college.  In the morning, I taught in Hayward, and in the afternoon, I went to Berkeley.  In 1979, I was offered a full time job here at Loma Vista.  I have enjoyed being a part of this staff. This is the best school.  Now I am working part time because I have five grandchildren, and my husband and I enjoy being part of their lives.