Chapter 3
Breaking Free
Despite having to constantly care for her mother, Gloria went on to Raymer Junior High and Waite High School. And when she was old enough, she found jobs to earn extra money. She worked as a salesgirl in a local store and as a magician’s assistant. She read scripts and played records at a local radio station. Gloria also used her tap-dancing skills to perform at a local Eagles Club, where she earned ten dollars per show. Dancing gave Gloria confidence in front of audiences, something that would help her later in life.
Between school and work, Gloria found time to take ballet lessons and danced in concerts with the Toledo Orchestra. The area she lived in was a working-class neighborhood. But at school and at her different jobs, Gloria met people who were wealthier and lived in nicer parts of town.
Gloria began to realize that most of the girls and women in her own neighborhood didn’t have many opportunities. Their choices in life were limited.
With just one year left of high school, Gloria’s sister invited her to come and live with her in Washington, DC. She wanted Gloria to attend a much better high school there.
Gloria didn’t want to leave her mother, but she did want a chance at a better life. Gloria and Susanne asked Leo if he would be willing to look after Ruth for a year. With a bit of coaxing, Leo agreed. He loved Gloria and knew that she deserved the opportunity to leave her dreary life behind.
So Gloria moved to Washington, DC, where she attended Western High School. It seemed like a different planet, a million miles away from Toledo, Ohio! Gloria’s new high school
focused on preparing students for college. Gloria went to parties and made new friends. She had fun, something that had been missing from her life back in Ohio.
Gloria was happy to finally have the life of a normal teenager. Having to work hard at such a young age made Gloria a mature, confident person. She was popular with her classmates. Gloria was elected vice president of the student council and the senior class. She also joined the archery club and French club, and she worked on the yearbook.
Although Gloria enjoyed school, she worried about getting into a top college. She had good grades in English, but her grades in math, French, and social studies were much lower. But Smith College, where Susanne had gone, accepted her! Gloria was looking forward to a brighter future.
