Her artistic side was not something she’d had a chance to explore during her career. Elise started working for FCPS in 1984 as a special education teacher at the Key and Fair Hill Centers and then became a reading specialist/reading recovery teacher at Poplar Tree Elementary School (ES). She later transitioned to an administrative position, finishing out her career as the vice principal of Kings Park ES.
One of the highlights of her time with FCPS was meeting some of the “smartest, most hard working, and dedicated” coworkers who became friends. The one drawback was that she depended on work for her social circle.
As a retiree in Florida, Elise had to start all over. She and her husband began by doing things they loved. For him, that meant volunteering to help new entrepreneurs start their own businesses. Elise joined a group that cleans the beach each day, helps out at the area food pantry, and tutors students at an at-risk facility every Thursday. Together, they became members of a local Fairfax Alumni group. Slowly, they met new friends with common interests. In short, she advises, “Hang out with people who bring you up and try to be that person, too.”