Retired college public relation director; Teaches ESL; Volunteer at Heifer International and UMass Medical School
"One friend introduced me to a group of single people with whom I became good friends, people who were going through the same kind of thing as I was. But we did talk as women a lot in those days because we didn’t know what was going on. There was a lot of support, and laughter, and potluck suppers [laughter]. So the friendships, to this day, are those people who are still in my life. But yes it was hard, I was still a single mother, but I couldn’t look at it as a problem, I had to look at it, ‘Okay, what am I going to do next?’"
Abstract:
Born on December 22,1942 in Washington, Pennsylvania, Nancy McBride lived in several places throughout her life, eventually settling in the Worcester area in 1984. Drawn to Worcester by a job as the Director of Communications with the United Way, Nancy then moved on to work for Assumption College for 20 years as the Public Relations Director. Although she retired in 2007, Nancy continues to work at UMass Medical School as a Standardized Patient Instructor. In this interview, Nancy speaks of her experiences as a woman working in Worcester, raising her family, and being active in the community. Nancy speaks out about the difficulties of being a single, working mother, yet conveys all that she has learned throughout her struggle. Now that her children are grown, Nancy is better able to dedicate her time to her artwork and to the organizations that are closest to her heart, such as Heifer International in Rutland, Massachusetts, the United Way of Central Massachusetts, and teaching English as a Second Language. Nancy is grateful for all the opportunities Worcester has afforded to her over the years and plans to remain very active in the community.