What to Do After High School

During my senior year the thought of what to do after high school always

entered my mind. With the guidence office going over the options of colleges and

some other careers. It gave me some ideas of just what I could do. I new that it

would be hard to go to college due to the fact that my family did not have much

money. What I really wanted to do was to enlist in the army. But that

option was out untill I turned 18 years old. Because my father for sure did not

want me to enlist in the military because of the fact he feared for my life and

survival.

First I needed to find a way to earn money. For three major reasons, one to

purchase a vehicle second for college and last to be able to save some for

retirement. I started looking for work during my senior year and found a position

with Burger Chef restaurant. Although the pay was low and was not much of an

income I did manage to save most of my pay to put a down payment on a car. It took

couple of pay checks and I finally now I could purchase my own automobile.



At the age of 16,I purchased my very first car. Oh how very happy and excited

I was. After few months I came to realize that I should be earning higher

wages,being I was a high school graduate. I decided to look for new job. So right

after high school in June of 1972 I found new job at Foster Metals. It was jewelry

factory in Attleboro,Ma. They plated jewelry with yellow gold and rodium. I worked

in the plating room itself. I would take racks with jewelry strung on them with

copper wire and place it in a series of tanks.First in the degreaser tank,to remove

any grease left from stamping machines. Second dip the racks into the Nickel

planting soloution tank, then into plain water tank, then into a yellow gold or the

rodium tank,then into water. I then hung the jewelry racks on a large rods over

the top of a sawdust box for drying. I then would take an air hose and blow off the

water on the jewerly. From there the deracking person would come and take the

racks full of jewelry to there section for deracking and packing. The position of a

a plating factory worker sure did not make me feel I was going anywhere in life. I

held this position for about a year. My wages were higher at Foster Metals,than

they were at Burger Chef but not great. I decided to return to job hunting and it

led me to a position with Foxboro Company.


My postion with them was on an assemble line. We built an item called a Chart

Drive. The instrument was used to control and measure the movements of fluids in

very large tanks. Such as oil refinery's have and use to store oil in. My job was

to install the electric motor in a base plate and attach a plastic cover on the

front of the unit and make adjustments to the needle. I then place the unit on a

lazy susan made of wood and the next employee would add another pieace to it and

complete the unit.

I was doing very well in this position for about two years. I still had in

back of my mind how much I did not like being a factory worker and how I thought

that I would be happier in the military,I wanted to see the world.

One afternoon I received an ad in the mail for an Airline school. I called them

and set up an interview. A representative came to my home, my dad and I went over

the course and I felt it would be great thing to do. So I completed the

correspondence part of the course and also the resident training. But

unfortunately upon the arrival at the school. I along with all the rest of the

students was notified we would be the last graduating class. That the world is

suffering some oil crisis and the Airlines are now laying off. I completed the

course and went home. Despite the oil crisis I kept applying for jobs in airline

field without any luck.


One Friday as I was driving home from work I noticed a military recruiters

office. I decided I had enough of waiting and searching for work. So

I decided to stop in and see what they had to offer. My intention was to speak to

an Army recruiter but he was no where to be found. I notice the door open to the

Air Force recruiters office and I went on in. He showed me some films, went over

some benefits of joining and I knew I was enlisted for 6 years. I was to leave on

Valentines Day. And hence I did just that. The next 6 years of my Life was very

exciting. My Air Force life brought me new experiences and adventures in many

places I never been.



In August of 1979 my son was born and I became a proud father. Two years

passed by and my enlistment was near its closing. I had a choice to reenlist or be

discharged. The personnal office said that their is a great possibility my next

assignment would be a remote tour to Korea. Korea being in a state of kaos and

located in what is know as a combat zone is off limits to civilian personnal. In

which my family would not be able to accompany me on my assignment.



This did not make me very happy, I decided it be best finish my enlistment and

be discharge from the military. On February 13th 1975 my enlistment was up and my

family and I returned to Massachusetts.



After some carefull thought I decided to return to school and learn a trade. I

choose to attend Rhode Island Trade Shop School in Providence, Rhode Island. I

completed there course in Auto Mechanics.


When I graduated from the school in November 1981 I worked as auto mechanic for

many years. The money I spent on tools seamed to out way the wages I earn as an

auto mechanic. So one more time I choose to work in a different field. I did


enjoyed working outdoors and decided to go into landscaping. I worked in the

landscaping field for about 10 years. It was very rewarding and satisfying to me.



On one rainy evening in August 2007 after being involved in accident I suffered

some injury to my spine. (crushed vertibre). No longer could I work as a landscaper

without causeing more damage to my spine. Time to decide once again what are my

choices for work. After alot of serious long thinking over several months. I

choose to return to school and learn a new career as a radiologist. What had

spark my interest in this field was when I was having MRI's and x-rays done while

recovering from my accident. I was very interested in the technoloby behind all

the instruments and machine used to take pictures of the human body.


Now I have return to school to learn a new and challenging career in medical

field as a radiologist.