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ALUMNI STORIES: GUNHILD SAUGESTAD

GUNHILD SAUGESTAD

I am Gunhild Storoy Saugestad who went to Fullerton Junior College in 1960-1961. I was sponsored by the Fullerton Rotary Club and had the opportunity to live with 10 different families in Fullerton and Anaheim, all Rotary members.

As I did not know your school system before I came there, I had to decide at once what to choose. I chose Secretarial subjects. That was not a bad idea, as l have been working as a secretary until I retired. As secretary in a bookstore, in the college administration, in a car shop, and my last job was as a secretary in the administration in our local hospital. The last job lasted for 23 years.

The year at FJC was for me a good learning year, both in school and also the experience I got living with 10 different families. The Rotary Club asked if that was possible for me to do, so I accepted. There were 10 good families, I got many parents, sisters and brothers. In school I remember my teachers Don Brunskill and Phillis Clark . Then I remember Mr. Schneider and Mr. Reid, I believe they were chairmen. And so there was the gardener who was called “the Captain” - “keep the campus clean.”

I was selected as Secretary in the Foreign Students Association in 1961. 150 of 2000 girls at the college were chosen as “Women of Distinction for serving the college” I was one of them and the only Norwegian.

As time has come and I have more time to think about the possibility I had, the more it means to me.

I traveled back to Norway after a wonderful year in Fullerton and California. After a short time I met my husband to be. We got married in 1963, have two children and four grandchildren, and next year we are celebrating our 50th anniversary. To celebrate our 75 and 70th birthdays this year my husband asked if I would like to go back to California. So in February this year we went on a tour by plane to Las Vegas. Then with bus through Nevada, Ohio, Arizona and to California. I didn’t have the possibility to stop at Fullerton. I was very sorry, but we stopped at San Diego and went out to Coronado Island. On Coronado Island I was retaining one Foreign Student Congress in 1961. 51 years after I could set my feet on the Coronado Island and remember the time I went on a parade in my national suit with students from 79 different countries. That was unbelieving. I took many pictures and went home to see in my old scrapbook and saw places I had been 51 years later.

So after coming home and showed my pictures and told my story to my friend, she “googled” on Fullerton College and there we found that you wanted stories and pictures from old days. So I try to send you some of my pictures from my scrapbook.

Hope you will find some interest in my letter.

I congratulate you with your 100 years anniversary next year.

Sincerely yours,
Gunhild Storøy Saugestad