Chapter One – The Good Years

After she checked herself out of the University of Chicago Hospital, Linda worked various jobs waitressing and selling real estate, and when she had enough money set aside she worked on completing her college education. She eventually received a master’s degree in music education from St. Xavier University in Chicago. It seemed that her liver disease was not going to be an issue. By the early 1990’s, Linda was looking for a permanent career in the education field, and she found a very successful one.

Linda went to work as Director of the Britannica Learning Center in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, on April 27, 1992. Linda’s salary when she started as Director of the Chicago Ridge Britannica Learning Center was $2,750.00 per month. On December 15, 1992, Linda received a pay raise to $2,916.66 per month. Sometime in 1993 a Sylvan Learning Center franchisee acquired the Chicago Ridge Britannica Learning Center., and on March 26, 1993, the new owner merged the Chicago Ridge Britannica Learning Center into the Evergreen Park Sylvan Learning Center. At the time of the merger, Linda became the Director of the Evergreen Park Sylvan Learning Center. Under Linda as Director, the Evergreen Park Center achieved annual gross revenue for calendar year 1993 of $191,499.56.

During 1994, the new moved the Evergreen Park Center to larger quarters in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Under Linda as Director, the Oak Lawn Center achieved annual gross revenue for calendar year 1994 stated as $248,578.89. Linda’s gross earnings as Director of the Oak Lawn Center for calendar year 1994 were $33,347.91.

In the summer of 1995, Linda found a lump in her left breast, and was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery at Loyola University Hospital, and two weeks after her operation, she went back to work at Sylvan with the bulbs of her Jackson-Pratt surgical drains tucked into her trouser pockets. Under Linda as Director, the Oak Lawn Center achieved annual gross revenue for calendar year 1995 of $261,578.89. Linda’s gross earnings as Director of the Oak Lawn Center for calendar year 1995 were $35,710.67. Despite her cancer and the surgery, Linda continued to work through five months of chemotherapy at Loyola University Hospital, and the Oak Lawn Sylvan center continued to thrive under her leadership.

Under Linda as Director, the Oak Lawn Center achieved annual gross revenue for calendar year 1996 of $430,478.01. Under Linda as Director, the Oak Lawn Center achieved annual net operating income for calendar year 1996 of $55,391.00. Linda’s gross earnings as Director of the Oak Lawn Center for calendar year 1996 were $46,626.39. Under Linda as Director, the Oak Lawn Center achieved annual gross revenue for calendar year 1997 of $541,418.34. Under Linda as Director, the Oak Lawn Center achieved annual net operating income for calendar year 1997 of $93,223.37. Linda’s gross earnings as Director of the Oak Lawn Center for calendar year 1997 were $49,393.38. Under Linda as Director, the Oak Lawn Center achieved annual gross revenue for calendar year 1998 of $749,666.61. Under Linda as Director, the Oak Lawn Center achieved annual net operating income for calendar year 1998 of $120,449.01. Linda’s gross earnings as Director of the Oak Lawn Center for calendar year 1998 were $65,001.70.