“Trust your gut.”
A creative optimist, Ann has an insatiable desire to learn new things. She’s a lover of gardening, dogs, singing, habitat conservation, and history.
Ann finds joy in pursuits that require her to learn and be creative. As a professor, she finds she is most confident and in her element when she is teaching or giving a lecture on a topic of research. Ann has been a professor of art history at several universities around Portland and sings with professional vocal ensembles as well.
“When we get to be in our 60s, we haven’t stopped learning. We haven’t stopped developing new interests or trying new things. We haven’t just stopped. People moving into the later parts of their lives will live a full life as long as they can. Some of the most vital people I know are in their 80s.”
Now that she’s retired, Ann is interested in going deeper with botany and gardening. She’s also interested in learning how to scuba dive.
Ann’s advice to her younger self: “Just go for it! Don’t second guess yourself out of doing things you want to do.”
