By Nancy Edwards
I first met local resident Dave Wing, 62, a few months ago at a play that he and his wife, Donna, produced at Oaklandon Civic Theatre about the friendship during the 1800s between Transcendendalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.
Dave and Donna are an example of a couple that have led the American dream: lucrative careers, intelligent kids, wonderful trips and a nice home.
Yet something happened along the way that changed after they retired. The idea of playing golf and relaxing at home did not appeal to them. They wanted something more. They wanted to make a more significant impact in the world.
A few years ago, Harvard University came knocking on their door. The couple were offered a one-year fellowship granted to educated, retired, experienced individuals that had a dream. For some people, these dreams involved offering low-cost HIV medicine to third-world countries or helping survivors of tsunamis rebuild their lives.
David and Donna decided that, with their interest in education, scuba diving, and the erosion of coral reefs in the ocean, they would help educate future generations on lessons in saving the environment.
The Wings traveled to the northern Keys in Florida to meet with a retired marine biology teacher named David Makepeace. Together, they decided to incorporate their vision to high school students interested in marine biology. Together, they are taking an important step toward helping the environment.
Retirees, what is your dream for a second career? Perhaps you were busy raising children or working a job just because of security in your younger years. Explore your options. For more information on Harvard’s Leadership program or the Wing’s idea of saving the reefs, visit http://advancedleadership.harvard.edu.