I remember in my first English class at Assumption, I had a teacher that was very liberal, and probably a non-conformist, and he wore sandals to class. I thought that was outrageous, and he smoked cigarettes all through the class. One of the first things he said, and I remember this so clearly, and I was so shocked, he said, ‘In order to grow up, you have to figuratively kill your parents,’ and I was…a freshman. I had never been in any situation quite like that…
As a contribution to the Worcester Women’s Oral History Project, we interviewed Laurie D’Amico who was born in 1955 in Rhode Island. Major aspects of Laurie’s identity were religious views, careers, college experiences, social changes, and major historical events. Laurie addresses religion during her college years where she attended church regularly. Currently she views herself as a believer, rather than a churchgoer. Since college, her career has shifted from being a middle-school teacher to the Director of Literacy Volunteers for Greater Worcester at the Worcester Public Library. Between her two careers, Laurie not only educates children but also adults. During her college experience, being a part of the first co-ed class of Assumption College, she faced little sexism among her classmates, however, her teachers often discriminated against women during class. She also faced conflicting social views because of the generation gap between Laurie and her parents. She was often viewed as rebellious. Her “rebellious” activities intertwined with the Peace Movement, which Laurie was caught up in. This movement included events such as protests against the Vietnam War. All of these experiences led us to conclude that identity is made from experience and hardships that someone, like Laurie, overcame.