My name is Leslie Harper the eldest of six children. I grew up in Danville, VA, a small rural town, where playing “riding the school bus and playing school” was how we had fun. I was both bus driver and school teacher to my younger siblings. The first time the teaching bug bit me. I left Danville for the rolling hills of Roanoke to attend art school at the community college where I received my Associates in Commercial Art and then on to the big city of Richmond to continue my studies. I received my Bachelors in Communication Art and Design. I worked as a graphic designer for the University from which I received my degree. At the same time I took on a second job catering and became a certified bartender, which I still do from time to time.
I worked at the Medical College for over 17 years doing a variety of projects for doctors and researchers in different media. I was creating medical exhibits that traveled more places than I had been. I was doing print and consulting. Then computers came and everything went electronic and web was not too far behind. Unfortunately, my job position was eliminated and my job searches where not being successful. I decided this would be a great opportunity to start working on my masters. I am single with no children, just my fishes (yes, they can become a hand-full and needy).
I love jazz and serve on a board of directors with a local jazz society. I also spent a year doing public relations and marketing for this organization. I love traveling around to attend outdoor concerts; I guess being outdoors can even make a bad band sound good sometimes. I am a Girl Scout leader at my church working with girls 8 to 11 years old. Most of these girls are inter-city children and have never been camping before. So that has been a learning experience for me and my girls.
