Shortly after the midnight of Halloween many years ago, I was born in New Jersey where I spent most of my childhood. Since my closest friend was a Yankees fan, I chose to root for the Mets who were always the underdog in those early years. One of the most formative influences on my childhood was the Boy Scouts. I spent five years with a very special troop which camped 12 months of the year and where I learned many outdoor survival skills. After my first year of high school, my family moved to the Boston area and I became a Red Sox fan (many years before the curse of the Bambino was broken). I grew up in a very academic-oriented family. My father was an engineer and my mother was a computer scientist (when there were very few women in STEM fields). My three sisters were academic superstars (1st or 2nd in their high school class) so I was the outlier in that regard. My sisters complained that I was given special treatment as the only son and the child with a hearing impairment.

Steve with Einstein at Griffith Observatory.

I studied Economics at Tufts University and then went straight to MIT to study business management. So at the age of 22, I finished graduate school (without a clue about how the world works) and came to Washington, DC to join a major management consulting firm. My wife, who I met at Tufts, had come to DC a year earlier to start law school. I spent the next 25 years in the private sector helping to manage several major tech-centric companies including GTE and Bell Atlantic (who merged to form Verizon) and SAIC. Early in my career, I focused on corporate finance but over time my responsibilities evolved towards strategic planning, product management and marketing.

When the "dot com" implosion occurred, I decided to become a high school math teacher and was accepted into a career switcher cohort sponsored by Fairfax County. My children told me I was crazy to make this career switch (and perhaps they were right) but it turned out to be a very good transition for me. I spent the next 14 years torturing teenagers with math homework, developing a number of enhancements to the curriculum, and co-chairing the math department for several years. I also taught the new required Economics and Personal Finance course.

Almost four years ago, I retired from the school system and became more involved in several volunteer activities. For two years, I volunteered at an elementary school in Arlington helping with the science enrichment program. That is where I met George Pick who told me about Encore Learning. I joined Encore Learning three years ago and have taken numerous courses on a wide variety of topics. I am also on the special events committee and participate in several Encore Learning clubs. I love meeting other Encore Learning members who have some really interesting personal backgrounds. For me, the intellectual and social engagement opportunities from Encore Learning have become a major part of my post-career life.

Steve and Linda at the March for Science

Outside of Encore Learning, I continue to volunteer in several ways. I serve as a tax counselor with the AARP Tax-Aide program, provide assistance to about 30 Afghan refugee families, volunteer for local election campaign efforts and travel to interesting places around the world. I am scheduled for an Arctic expedition with National Geographic in June where we will tour northern Norway, the East coast of Greenland and then spend a few days in Iceland. I also enjoying exploring nature, attempting to become a better gardener, collecting art and reading for pleasure.

-- Steve Shapiro, Chair, Volunteer Committee

Special Events Survey

Our Special Events Committee always works hard to find you the best tours the area has to offer. They'd like some feedback from you, and they are also looking for a few new members to join them. Please take a minute to complete their quick, six question online survey. Your input will be used to help plan future events.

-- Submitted by Pat Chatten, Club Co-Coordinator

Name Badges are Coming Back!

Our all volunteer Name Badge Task Force is taking on the job of getting new name badges out to all current members. We are asking that you wear it to all Encore Learning activities. We are bringing back this practice at the request of many of our members. Why name badges, you ask? Here are a few of the main reasons:

• A name badge personalizes you and invites conversation. It fosters the kind of friendly interaction that many appreciate about Encore Learning.

• It is easy to forget names. Name badges provide a quick at-a-glance name recall for the next time you meet.

• Name badges easily identify Encore Learning members in classroom venues, at special events, or when trying to locate your fellow members at a new location.

More News and Photos

Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol and Arlington Public Schools Board Member Tannia Talento join our Community Advisory Council

Instructor Profile: Ken Avis

The Ethnic Lunch Club met at RusUz in January 2018. Thanks to Carolyn Francis for sharing these fun photos:

Bring friends to our  "Meet the Speaker" series at Arlington Central Library. These events are open to the public and a great way for prospective members to learn more about us.

Anyone can do it! When you simply like our Facebook page or share our Facebook posts and events to your social network, it's a huge help.

Announcements

Welcome New Members

In January 2018, 30  new members joined Encore Learning. Please be sure to give these folks a warm welcome. 

Julie Gentry
Bud Hensgen

Thomas Kilfoyle

Janet Macidull
Lois Mitchell

Bob Stone

Karl VanNewkirk

Don't Want to Wait for the Next Edition of The Inside Scoop?

 

We hope you enjoyed this edition of  The Inside Scoop . If you would like to submit an article or share some photos of members participating in Encore Learning activities, please email Beth Dowd: info@encorelearning.net .