Mrs. Calandri

Growing up in Israel everyone knew that when they turned 18 they would have to join the Israeli army. Knowing this information Mrs. Calandri was not afraid. She was happy that she was going to serve her country for two years.

Around 1986, Mrs. Calandri joined the Israeli army. The first three months she went through boot camp. She went to boot camp to train to become a soldier. The first day of boot camp there was a lot of other soldiers with her. Everyone started to receive uniforms and put them on. Then the soldiers trained and exercised. After a long three months Mrs. Calandri was drained. She was so happy to be out of boot camp.

After boot camp, she was officially trained and would not have to go back. Because she is a girl, she only had to spend two years in the army. If she were a boy, she would have had to spend three years. Every day since she was out of boot camp, Mrs. Calandri would have to get up at 4:30 in the morning and begin to exercise. It was hard for most soldiers to get up so earlier because at night some didn’t get a lot of sleep. No matter what kind of weather the soldiers would be doing the same routine every day. She would also be dressed in full uniform. If someone were wearing their uniform incorrectly, they would be sent straight to jail.

Being in the army, Mrs. Calandri’s favorite part was living on her own. Her least favorite part was having to follow instructions that didn’t make common sense. She remembers living on her own, following instructions, struggling with little money, and how to shoot a gun. She had to carry a gun in a secure place every day.

In 1989, Mrs. Calandri moved to the United States. It was really hard for her to come to the U.S. and leave her family behind. She had to do this though! She wanted to finish her degree and accomplish something for herself. That is what kept her going to come to America. When she was coming to America, she was very nervous. Things were different for her. She also had a lot of things on her mind. Which college to go to? Which house? What job? She was under a lot of stress and nothing seemed clear.

Finally in 1995, Mrs. Calandri took a job as an engineer. She was an engineer for twelve years. She also worked for two companies; United States Postal Service and Bradlees. Being an engineer made her feel good and lucky. In her opinion people who also had her job were mostly males. She was the only female with a master's degree where she worked. The hardest part for her holding this position was when she had to travel all around the U.S. and leave her kids. The easier part was that she had three secretaries who were always ready to help her.

Before coming to Maine, Mrs. Calandri lived in New Jersey for twenty-six years. She came to Maine about a year and a half ago because her husband owns a restaurant here. Moving to this state she decided to become a teacher. Her own children inspired her to become a teacher for kids who need special education. She has been a teacher at Bonny Eagle for six months.

One of the hardest parts for her coming to America was learning the language. She speaks five languages, and in her opinion English is the hardest! She has been learning our language for over twenty-seven years and she is still learning. She also still can speak fluent Hebrew. Overall being in the army has impacted Mrs. Calandri. The experience has made the teacher more mature and responsible.