people and in everything that surrounded you. She came from good Iowa farm stock and towered above her male compatriots and never thought twice about wearing 3-inch heels. She was elegance and Mother Earth all rolled up in one package with a laugh that could melt the ice off the coolest of CEOs. I was a young designer in the visual merchandising and store design department. Susan allowed me to pore over drawers of blueprints night after night. This was before the advent of CAD (Computer Aided Drawing) when we actually handdrew all of the details for a project. I learned how to put a set of documents together, how to draw construction details and how to manage a wide variety of projects. I lost track of Susan around 1995 when I went to work for Taliesin Architects. The last I heard about Susan, she had married and might be divorced, and had left for Albuquerque or maybe Texas. I finally tracked Susan down through the magic of the Internet to say thank you. I would not be where I am today had it not been for her tutelage. Maya Angelou said it best: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you do, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” These are scary times for new graduates. I get a lot of resumes across my desk hoping for work. The best thing that any of us can do right now is to take the time to impart knowledge, share a bit of wisdom from business and your life’s lessons. Mentor someone. Who knows? You may get that call 25 years later from someone who just wants to say thank you. Interior Design: Elizabeth Rosensteel Design Studio Robert Reck Photography
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