SPECIAL FEATURED ARTICLE
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CAROL MUELLER1963 Theta Chapter Founder
1973-75 State 1st Vice President 1975-77 State President 1976 Int'l Professional Affairs Committee 1982-84 SW Regional Director 1990-94 Theta Chapter President 1996-98 Int'l Executive Board, 1st VP 1998 Int'l Achievement Award 2000-02 International President |
Introduction by Carol Cardillo
May 2018
May 2018
For years I have admired Carol Mueller’s wealth of experience, phenomenal knowledge about the history of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and all its policy changes, and involvement with the expansion of our society into numerous other states and foreign countries.
Carol received a beautiful surprise at the 2018 Nevada State Convention Banquet in Reno, NV – the ALPHA CHI STATE NEVADA EXEMPLARY SERVICE AWARD. We are so proud of her and know how hard she has worked over the years. Carol is one of the original 20 founders of Theta Chapter (October 18,1963). She also founded our state’s annual leadership workshop with the assistance of then state president, Carol Cole (2002-04). Carol’s 55 years of service has encompassed leadership roles at the chapter, state, regional and international levels. Although she is a leader, she pitches in with the grunt work too. Carol is an inspiration to all of us because she is the essence of a super hero role model for a lifetime of service.
I was planning to interview Carol for this article and sent her lots of questions to consider before our meeting. Then she told me that she had previously written an autobiography before becoming International President. She offered to send me a copy to help me get started. WOW! She had just saved me hours of work. Thank you, Carol.
Please read her autobiography below and you will see how much the Society has always meant to her and how many wonderful lasting friendships have been created. She will be attending the 2018 International Convention in Austin, TX in July. What a woman – still kicking, caring, and staying involved! God bless you, Carol.
Carol received a beautiful surprise at the 2018 Nevada State Convention Banquet in Reno, NV – the ALPHA CHI STATE NEVADA EXEMPLARY SERVICE AWARD. We are so proud of her and know how hard she has worked over the years. Carol is one of the original 20 founders of Theta Chapter (October 18,1963). She also founded our state’s annual leadership workshop with the assistance of then state president, Carol Cole (2002-04). Carol’s 55 years of service has encompassed leadership roles at the chapter, state, regional and international levels. Although she is a leader, she pitches in with the grunt work too. Carol is an inspiration to all of us because she is the essence of a super hero role model for a lifetime of service.
I was planning to interview Carol for this article and sent her lots of questions to consider before our meeting. Then she told me that she had previously written an autobiography before becoming International President. She offered to send me a copy to help me get started. WOW! She had just saved me hours of work. Thank you, Carol.
Please read her autobiography below and you will see how much the Society has always meant to her and how many wonderful lasting friendships have been created. She will be attending the 2018 International Convention in Austin, TX in July. What a woman – still kicking, caring, and staying involved! God bless you, Carol.
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DKG and Me by Carol Mueller
Though a native of Idaho, I have spent most of my life in Nevada in various communities. My parents experienced the same Depression-era difficulties in finding employment as most other Americans, which necessitated fairly frequent moves in search of a permanent position. For my father, a disabled World War I veteran, it was nearly impossible to find steady work.
This situation moderated a bit during the mobilization for World War II, and they were able to settle in Reno for good. For me this was a blessing; as an only child and with no other family in the state, my school friends provided the sense of community that all children need, and several remain close friends to this day.
The excellent public schools in Reno provided me with strong preparation for college, and I enrolled in the University of Nevada at age 16. Probably the most difficult challenge was the selection of a major, as my interests were broad, though career options for girls were still quite limited. I finally settled on foreign languages (Spanish and German, plus French), hoping to work for the State Department. However, romance intervened, as I married my college sweetheart, Karl Mueller, immediately after graduation.
Further study opportunities were presented when I was awarded a Fulbright Exchange scholarship at the Universities of Innsbruck and Vienna, Austria. With a second-year extension, this became a two-year honeymoon, as both Karl and I attended classes and seminars and traveled as much as time and funds would allow.
Upon our return to Reno, where Karl obtained a position teaching in an elementary school, it soon became apparent to me that my career plans had to change. After trying out as a substitute teacher for a semester, I went back to school for the courses necessary for a provisional certificate. My college advisor, who had already counseled me, in vain,
to do this, had the satisfaction of hearing me come back to eat my words. And once I entered my own classroom, I found that I loved my students and the work.
Both Karl and I enrolled in programs for a Master's Degree, he in education at the University of Nevada and I in Spanish at the University of California in Berkeley. We completed our work the same year, 1960, and rewarded ourselves with planning another stay in Austria, this time for one year. Some other fine opportunities were presented to teachers by the National Defense Education Act, a response to the supposed superiority of education in the USSR, whose missiles were soaring while ours repeatedly blew up on the launching pad. Karl completed the work for Reading Specialist at one such seminar, and I improved my proficiency in French, which proved to be the language I spent the most time teaching in later years.
A major career adjustment occurred with the birth of our daughter Julia in 1964 and son James in 1966. Maternity leave was nonexistent in those days, and in any case I had no access to reliable childcare, so I observed a professional hiatus of ten years. I consider it my lab experience in child development.
After filling a couple of temporary positions for teachers on leave, I returned to my alma mater, Reno High School, as a teacher of French. Since elective subjects must appear relevant and stimulating to students, I offered my students the real-life experiences of travel in France, probably the most strenuous thing I've ever done, but highly satisfactory.
When the school district created a program for academically talented students in 1980, I felt obliged to apply for the position of coordinator, as I had been among the quite vocal parents in the movement to establish such classes. I served in that position for eight years, watching and working to provide appropriate learning environments for these long
ignored students. In that position I also became immersed in academic competitions, along with staff development and public relations work.
Though I "retired" in 1988 to spend more time with my husband, already retired, I continued working for the district, processing documentation for parents who wished to home school their children. This introduced me to a new segment of the population, which I found to be most interesting.
Just before the previously mentioned professional hiatus, I was invited to join Delta Kappa Gamma as a charter member of Theta Chapter in Reno in 1963. As my children grew and entered school, I became more active, and was elected president in 1970. This widened my horizons substantially, providing this at-home mom with stimulating professional contacts, which were enlarged by service as state editor beginning in 1971.
My interest in state level affairs led to election as first vice president in 1973 and again in 1975, when my duties expanded exponentially after the newly elected president resigned in September. The years attending and observing the state executive board meetings furnished priceless experience. My first International Convention in St. Louis in 1976 was the beginning of another level of awareness and involvement.
In 1976, seemingly out of the blue, I was appointed to the International Professional Affairs Committee. At our first meeting we were put to work on a new program theme for the Golden Anniversary and the ensuing three years. I have never had so much fun in my life. Among my new friends was our brand new Program Coordinator, Dr. Theresa Fechek.
There followed a number of committee assignments: Program, Constitution, Nominations, Speakers Fund, each of which presented a new learning experience and more knowledge of the activities and programs of our incredible Society. The circle of friends was expanded enormously by my election as Southwest Regional Director in 1982, culminating in the regional conference in Phoenix in 1983. I felt then, and still do, that regional director is the most enjoyable and gratifying position among the officers.
There is much to be said, however, for the office of first vice-president, which I assumed in 1996, just as the International Executive Board created a fifth region of the Society, that of Europe. As chairman of the ad hoc committee formed to implement the establishment of a strong and healthy region, I saw members from all geographic areas, professional backgrounds and personal philosophies work cooperatively on this task, which had been a subject of much controversy. Incidentally, the first vice president also serves ex officio on the Board of Trustees of the Educational Foundation, which became another new love for me. In 1998 I was honored with the International Achievement Award.
The first Europe Regional Conference in The Netherlands in 1999, which I attended wearing two hats=-chairman of the International Leadership Development Committee, and Counselor to the Europe Region, was another of the many high points I have enjoyed in Delta Kappa Gamma and added another circle of lifetime friends.
The true mountaintop experience, however, had to be my installation as International President at the 2000 International Convention in Toronto. As retiring President Evelyn Barron read the parts of the ceremony addressed to me, I was awestruck. My husband and my daughter were present at the banquet and reception, and both rejoiced to see how
many people wished me success. It was indeed a heady moment.
An early challenge of the biennium was the continuation of the Focus 2000 project, along with the preparation of proposals reflecting the stated concerns of members. Rather vague suggestions had to be phrased in concrete terms for consideration at the 2002 International Convention in Little Rock. With each meeting of a committee, board or group of Headquarters staff, I continued to learn and appreciate the wide range of activities of the Society and the formidable talents of our members. All the work of the international president is amazingly diverse, fast-paced, comprehensive and, at times, exhausting, but I found it always, always a pleasure.
Despite the negative effects of September 11, 2001, and some personal traumas for me during those two years, I feel that progress was made and issues were openly addressed for discussion. In an organization as homogeneous as ours, achieving diversity can be difficult. With our eyes, minds and hearts open to new ideas and perspectives, and with our strong traditions of support and encouragement for our own members and professional colleagues, we can achieve our mission and feel that we have truly made a difference in our world.
As a past international president, I was asked to be a speaker at the state leadership conference in Glorieta, NM. As I watched it, I was sure that Nevada could do this. Indeed, it must be done. Nevada State President Carol Cole (2002-04) agreed, so we started planning immediately for Nevada’s First Annual State Leadership Workshop. These workshops are still available annually to all members.
This situation moderated a bit during the mobilization for World War II, and they were able to settle in Reno for good. For me this was a blessing; as an only child and with no other family in the state, my school friends provided the sense of community that all children need, and several remain close friends to this day.
The excellent public schools in Reno provided me with strong preparation for college, and I enrolled in the University of Nevada at age 16. Probably the most difficult challenge was the selection of a major, as my interests were broad, though career options for girls were still quite limited. I finally settled on foreign languages (Spanish and German, plus French), hoping to work for the State Department. However, romance intervened, as I married my college sweetheart, Karl Mueller, immediately after graduation.
Further study opportunities were presented when I was awarded a Fulbright Exchange scholarship at the Universities of Innsbruck and Vienna, Austria. With a second-year extension, this became a two-year honeymoon, as both Karl and I attended classes and seminars and traveled as much as time and funds would allow.
Upon our return to Reno, where Karl obtained a position teaching in an elementary school, it soon became apparent to me that my career plans had to change. After trying out as a substitute teacher for a semester, I went back to school for the courses necessary for a provisional certificate. My college advisor, who had already counseled me, in vain,
to do this, had the satisfaction of hearing me come back to eat my words. And once I entered my own classroom, I found that I loved my students and the work.
Both Karl and I enrolled in programs for a Master's Degree, he in education at the University of Nevada and I in Spanish at the University of California in Berkeley. We completed our work the same year, 1960, and rewarded ourselves with planning another stay in Austria, this time for one year. Some other fine opportunities were presented to teachers by the National Defense Education Act, a response to the supposed superiority of education in the USSR, whose missiles were soaring while ours repeatedly blew up on the launching pad. Karl completed the work for Reading Specialist at one such seminar, and I improved my proficiency in French, which proved to be the language I spent the most time teaching in later years.
A major career adjustment occurred with the birth of our daughter Julia in 1964 and son James in 1966. Maternity leave was nonexistent in those days, and in any case I had no access to reliable childcare, so I observed a professional hiatus of ten years. I consider it my lab experience in child development.
After filling a couple of temporary positions for teachers on leave, I returned to my alma mater, Reno High School, as a teacher of French. Since elective subjects must appear relevant and stimulating to students, I offered my students the real-life experiences of travel in France, probably the most strenuous thing I've ever done, but highly satisfactory.
When the school district created a program for academically talented students in 1980, I felt obliged to apply for the position of coordinator, as I had been among the quite vocal parents in the movement to establish such classes. I served in that position for eight years, watching and working to provide appropriate learning environments for these long
ignored students. In that position I also became immersed in academic competitions, along with staff development and public relations work.
Though I "retired" in 1988 to spend more time with my husband, already retired, I continued working for the district, processing documentation for parents who wished to home school their children. This introduced me to a new segment of the population, which I found to be most interesting.
Just before the previously mentioned professional hiatus, I was invited to join Delta Kappa Gamma as a charter member of Theta Chapter in Reno in 1963. As my children grew and entered school, I became more active, and was elected president in 1970. This widened my horizons substantially, providing this at-home mom with stimulating professional contacts, which were enlarged by service as state editor beginning in 1971.
My interest in state level affairs led to election as first vice president in 1973 and again in 1975, when my duties expanded exponentially after the newly elected president resigned in September. The years attending and observing the state executive board meetings furnished priceless experience. My first International Convention in St. Louis in 1976 was the beginning of another level of awareness and involvement.
In 1976, seemingly out of the blue, I was appointed to the International Professional Affairs Committee. At our first meeting we were put to work on a new program theme for the Golden Anniversary and the ensuing three years. I have never had so much fun in my life. Among my new friends was our brand new Program Coordinator, Dr. Theresa Fechek.
There followed a number of committee assignments: Program, Constitution, Nominations, Speakers Fund, each of which presented a new learning experience and more knowledge of the activities and programs of our incredible Society. The circle of friends was expanded enormously by my election as Southwest Regional Director in 1982, culminating in the regional conference in Phoenix in 1983. I felt then, and still do, that regional director is the most enjoyable and gratifying position among the officers.
There is much to be said, however, for the office of first vice-president, which I assumed in 1996, just as the International Executive Board created a fifth region of the Society, that of Europe. As chairman of the ad hoc committee formed to implement the establishment of a strong and healthy region, I saw members from all geographic areas, professional backgrounds and personal philosophies work cooperatively on this task, which had been a subject of much controversy. Incidentally, the first vice president also serves ex officio on the Board of Trustees of the Educational Foundation, which became another new love for me. In 1998 I was honored with the International Achievement Award.
The first Europe Regional Conference in The Netherlands in 1999, which I attended wearing two hats=-chairman of the International Leadership Development Committee, and Counselor to the Europe Region, was another of the many high points I have enjoyed in Delta Kappa Gamma and added another circle of lifetime friends.
The true mountaintop experience, however, had to be my installation as International President at the 2000 International Convention in Toronto. As retiring President Evelyn Barron read the parts of the ceremony addressed to me, I was awestruck. My husband and my daughter were present at the banquet and reception, and both rejoiced to see how
many people wished me success. It was indeed a heady moment.
An early challenge of the biennium was the continuation of the Focus 2000 project, along with the preparation of proposals reflecting the stated concerns of members. Rather vague suggestions had to be phrased in concrete terms for consideration at the 2002 International Convention in Little Rock. With each meeting of a committee, board or group of Headquarters staff, I continued to learn and appreciate the wide range of activities of the Society and the formidable talents of our members. All the work of the international president is amazingly diverse, fast-paced, comprehensive and, at times, exhausting, but I found it always, always a pleasure.
Despite the negative effects of September 11, 2001, and some personal traumas for me during those two years, I feel that progress was made and issues were openly addressed for discussion. In an organization as homogeneous as ours, achieving diversity can be difficult. With our eyes, minds and hearts open to new ideas and perspectives, and with our strong traditions of support and encouragement for our own members and professional colleagues, we can achieve our mission and feel that we have truly made a difference in our world.
As a past international president, I was asked to be a speaker at the state leadership conference in Glorieta, NM. As I watched it, I was sure that Nevada could do this. Indeed, it must be done. Nevada State President Carol Cole (2002-04) agreed, so we started planning immediately for Nevada’s First Annual State Leadership Workshop. These workshops are still available annually to all members.