Marjorie-Johnson

After graduating from Sulphur High School, I began summer
school at McNeese State University. While attending McNeese I
married Jim Balshaw. I completed my degrees in English and
Business Education in the summer of 1960.

Since it was too late to secure a teaching position for the fall, I
went to work in the traffic department at CitCon, then
transferred to the engineering department at Cities Service, and
later to plastics production at PCI. My “temporary” non-teaching
solution became a 12 year career.

In 1974, I married Kenneth Isgitt and we moved to Phoenix,
Arizona, to work at Motorola Electronics. Ken was hired as
Training Director and I was hired as Compensation Manager for
Motorola International. We later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ken set up his own business and I began my second career—in
education. I taught business and English classes in Death
Valley, California and Pahrump, Nevada. While living here, I
completed my Masters program at the University of Nevada, Las
Vegas, earning my Master of Education in Secondary, Post
Secondary, and Vocational Education.

We moved to Houston, Texas in 1979. Ken became head of the
Vocational Division of Houston Community College and I began
teaching business classes at Aldine High School. I am still at
the same school, although the classes have changed
somewhat. I now teach Business Computer Information
Systems and I am Coordinator of the Business Education
Careers Co-op Program.

I enjoy visiting these students on the job in offices around town.
I also serve as mentor for the Ladies of Distinction, a group of
deserving young ladies who can benefit from having an
advocate to help them secure scholarships and plan a career
path. I was selected as Teacher of the Year in 1999 and again
in 2006. It was a privilege to represent my peers at events
throughout the district.

I have two daughters who live in Humble, Texas, about five
minutes apart. Barbara is a Certified Public Accountant and
works as a Computer Consultant. She travels extensively in the
U.S. and Europe, and I have taken the opportunity to join her
when my school schedule permits—holidays and summer
vacations. I have been to England, France, Germany, Italy, The
Netherlands, and to Hawaii—some locations more than once. I
get to check out the tourist attractions while Barbara is at work.

Anita is a Physical Therapist who works in the Houston Medical
Center. She has had some interesting experiences and once
traveled to Saudi Arabia, spending three months as a guest of
the Royal Family in order to help the princess with her rehab
efforts.

I am a member of Delta Pi Epsilon National Honorary
Professional Graduate Society in Business Education and a
member and President-Elect of the local chapter of Alpha Delta
Kappa International Honorary Sorority for Women Educators. I
belong to the American Federation of Teachers and the Texas
Federation of Teachers. I also serve as secretary of a local
investment club so I can learn to invest wisely in order to
support myself after retirement. The teacher retirement fund
will not allow me to live in the manner to which I have become
accustomed.

I have not yet decided when I will be ready to retire; I still enjoy
my job and the people that I work with. I am thinking about
completing my 30 years at Aldine High School and then finding
something else to do as my third career. Since my husbands
are deceased and daughters are on their own, I need to find
something that I would enjoy doing. Perhaps traveling and
volunteering will fill the next chapter of my life.