Susan L. April 2021 Volunteer Spotlight

What brought you to FIA? Who referred you?  What got you to contact us?

I learned about FIA from the State Farm Good Neighbor program.  I had gotten a new sedan, and because of the flexible scheduling, it seemed like the perfect fit.  And it is!

 When did you become a volunteer for FIA, and what volunteer positions have you chosen to do?

I started driving for FIA in 2019.  At the time I was still working for State Farm.  I would drive patients home from the dialysis center on my way home from work.

 Do you have a favorite FIA story?

I’ve met so many wonderful people through FIA. Every experience is a favorite.  Because I retired in the middle of the pandemic, driving gives me a social opportunity that I would not otherwise have.

Where is your hometown? Have you lived in the area long? Other places you have lived?

 I’m originally from Fort Worth, Texas, but we have lived in Bloomington/Normal since 1984. I’ve lived in Wisconsin, South Dakota and Evanston, Illinois.

Are you working or retired?  What jobs have you held?

I retired this past summer from State Farm where I was a principal data scientist. I had planned to spend my time in retirement traveling the world (see hobbies below). 

Hobbies/ Past times/ Passions?

My hobby is climbing the stairs to the top of tall buildings.  I have participated in stair competitions in 20 different states as well as the CN Tower in Toronto and several buildings in London. My favorites are the Willis Tower in Chicago and the Freedom Tower in New York. Both of these are over 100 floors!

Tell us about your family/ pets?

 My husband, Tim, is a chemistry professor at ISU.  We’ve been married 40 years. We have two dogs, Sherbert and Norbert.  When the weather is nice, you can find us all out walking on Constitution Trail.

Anything else you’d like to share? Anything unique or unusual about yourself you would like to share

My car has a sun visor that makes it look like it’s from the movie “Cars”.  It also has self-driving features.  It’s fun watching the reactions of people walking out of medical facilities with us when they see Lighting McQueen driving up to the door.