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Today's Featured Biography
Susan Morris Swain
May 7, 2016
I will be travelling to SLC for the 50th Reunion in September, so I hope to see a few old wrecked bodies like mine, hanging around, and trying to guess who's who!
We'll see you there.
Thanks to the organizing committee for getting this all together.
Cheers, Susan Morris Swain
Well, since I managed to fluke a visit to SLC for the 25th Anniversary of
Granite High School, I'm surprised and shocked to think that it's the 40th
coming up!! At least I'm still alive and well for it, even if I won't be
there.
Where to begin?
Currently, I live in Perth, Australia, with my husband and two gorgeous
daughters. I'm coming up for my 25th wedding anniversary next year. The
oldest daughter, Kate, is studying Environmental Engineering, and the
younger one is studying Psychology, both at Uni now. Chris, my husband, is
a geophysicist, and does exploration for minerals (like diamonds), for the
mining companies here.
I am an Architect, and run my own practice. I have 3 people that work for
me, and we work on mid-size projects (not high-rise), mostly in remote and
regional areas. We are currently designing a Visitor's Centre for an
endangered species bird (Malleefowl); a two story restaurant right on the
ocean, a fire station, a Multi-media and Recording Studio in the Aboriginal
Lands to allow the Aboriginals to broadcast radio in their native tongue,
and record music and oral history for future generations; an upgrade on a
the prison, and restoration on a heritage listed building in the Ozzie
outback. I do a lot of flying to the site, and love going in those small
planes, and seeing the countryside first hand.
We've been in Perth for 9.5 years now, before that we were in Kalgoorlie,
about 600km inland, near the big gold mines. We've been in Australia for
13.5 years now, and we are Australian Citizens, since 1995.
Before that, we lived in Cambridge, England, while Chris had a job with the
British Antarctic Survey, where we lived for nearly 2 years. Prior to that,
we had 16 years in Africa, with me working as an Architect, and eventually
meeting and marrying Chris in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1982. I headed to Africa
in 1975, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and virtually, never came back to the
States. I've been overseas ever since then.
I did my University degree (BFA and then MArch at the U of U, graduating in
1973.) I worked in SLC for two years, before I joined the Peace Corps, in
Morocco, North Africa. I served two years in Morocco, then 7.5 years in
Kenya, and finally 6.5 years in Zimbabwe, working as an Architect, before
moving to England, and eventually to Australia.
Life's been good, we're always having fun. Thankfully, we're still fairly
fit, and enjoy the great outdoors a lot. We Orienteer once a week, go rock
climbing on weekends and I've taken up sea kayaking in the warmer months, to
keep me out of trouble. I go to the gym in the mornings before work, to
keep the stress levels at bay!
In my spare time, I still do a lot of arts and crafts, and am currently
making a lot of "felted" wearable art. This is using the Australian merino
wool, and making it into clothing, of various wild and wooly shapes, which I
just love. I also do a bit of watercolours, when I get a chance to relax,
which isn't often enough.
The only person I've kept in touch with is Sheryl Bennett, (now Fullerton),
living in Berkely, California. I'll send her a copy of this, and ask her if
she's planning on a trip to SLC, or she can give you an update on what she's
been doing in the past 40 years.
Thanks for the email, and I'll be interested to know who attends. I still
have the "farmer's sun visor" from the last reunion hanging on my hat rack
at home. Memories, aren't they great.....
Best wishes with the organizing of the event. The IMG photo is on the
Aboriginal Lands. I'm seated, the 2nd from the right side, the others are
the Clients and the team. The other photo is from the Christmas letter,
sent last year. I'm the second from the left hand side, with my family.
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