Today's Featured Biography

Claudia Barlow Vandermade

I'm retired from 20 years in school systems, as a high school librarian and later as a technology resource teacher. My husband (of 37 years) and I recently moved from a smaller town, Fredericksburg (VA) -- home of much Revolutionary and Civil War history, to Arlington, VA -- inside the beltway. This makes my husband's commute sane for the first time in many years. We intended to downsize in this move, and we did buy a smaller house, but didn't seem to throw away enough junk. Our daughters both live close by, and we finally convinced my mother to move from the family home in Denver to a nice retirement high-rise about a mile away. She enjoys jumping on the Metro with a group of friends and exploring all that Washington has to offer.

My main activity is supporting the work of Amnesty International. I started working with them as a high school faculty sponsor, and when I retired I knew that I wanted to become more involved. I live about 15 minutes by car from the DC office near the Capital, and I'm doing work at the office any number of times each week. My official position is the Special Focus Case Coordinator for a case involving two prisoners of conscience in Indonesia, but I also am part of an advisory group, and help plan conferences. I love a good protest, and help organize a monthly rally at the Indonesian Embassy.

Probably because I moved away so soon after graduation, I don't really remember much of TJ, which is weird because it was all so intense -- that's the part I remember. Adolescence, hormones, emotions running wild, insecurities...but I also feel that I got a great education and had the support of wonderful friends and teachers, how ever far away they are now. My main point of connection is my BFF Laurie Walberg Krob.

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