1970: Matriculated at Queenstown Girls’ High School in the Eastern Cape.
1975: Bachelor of Arts in English and Speech and Drama from Rhodes University.
I entered the formal working sector late in life and was privileged to have been a stay-at-home mum (for a great deal of the time) while my children were growing up.

Late in the 1980s: Commenced my ‘formal’ working career – an advertising sales rep for Braby’s. The hours were flexible and allowed me to be with my children in the afternoons.

Around 1992: Accepted a position as a sales rep at the regional newspaper, the Carletonville Herald (foot in the door), before being offered a position as a photojournalist. I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting time.

August 1996: Selected as the runner-up in the environmental category of the Sanlam Awards for Regional Newspapers. This served to whet my appetite, but it has taken me years to follow my dream of writing (there were family matters to consider).

August/September 1996: Accepted a position as a communication and public relations officer in the gold mining industry (Driefontein, Gold Fields).

August 2004: Retrenched.

March 2005: Employed by the National Department of Health in Pretoria (communication unit – last four years as deputy director: internal communication).

December 2012: Early retirement to pursue my dream of freelancing and growing my company, Change Communications. It was a time to act on my reflections: Are you doing what you want to do, or settling for what you have to do? I chose, rightly or wrongly, to follow my dream.

Me as a person: Patient, determined, and sympathetic. Love and adore my three (now grown-up) children. Love my dogs, feed the garden birds and enjoy research, reading, crosswords, playing guitar and gardening (as long as it’s not arduous). Need music and/or children’s noise around me, especially when I’m not submerged in work.