Those born on January 20 following each election year share their day of birth, and their birthday every four years after, with the swearing in of the President of the United States. The occassion serves as a useful marker to measure change - political, social and economic change in America. We interviewed seven people born on Inauguration Day dating back to FDR's fourth term in office to see how the American experience has changed over the decades.
The timeline: Use the menu on the left to navigate through each profile. Bold lines identify Inauguration years. The arrow indicates the year they were born.
Those born on January 20 following each election year share their day of birth, and their birthday every four years after, with the swearing in of the President of the United States. The occassion serves as a useful marker to measure change - political, social and economic change in America. We interviewed seven people born on Inauguration Day dating back to FDR's fourth term in office to see how the American experience has changed over the decades.
The timeline: Use the menu on the left to navigate through each profile. Bold lines identify Inauguration years. The arrow indicates the year they were born.
Robert Olen Butler, 68
Pulitzer-Prize winning Fiction Writer - Capps, Florida
"I always make it a point on my birthdays to watch inaugural addresses. John Kennedy's 1961 inaugural was on my 16th birthday. He was of course the great hero of our household."
Read the full profile
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- Birthdate: January 20, 1945.
- Where he grew up: Granite City, Illinois, a steel mill town across the river from St. Louis
- President sworn in that day: Franklin D. Roosevelt, for the fourth time
★ Growing Up
- The home he grew up in: "We valued the word in our family. We valued the mind. My first remembered political time of my life was 1952. My first passion as a young person was for Adelai Stephenson in 1952 and 1956. He was the thinking man's candidate. In some ways, his appeal was Obama's appeal. He was an extraordinary mind and one of the first really terrific thinkers among candidates. His articulateness, his intelligence, the quality of his mind: we revered him in our household."
- What his parents did for employment: "When I was born, my dad was a captain in the infantry under Patton. We didn't meet until I was 19 months old. He was the commandant of a displaced persons camp, got home in 1946. My mom I guess she did some odd jobs. We lived in a very low income housing unit in Granite City when he was gone. When he came back, he went back to school, got his master's degree, taught at Granite City High School, then at St. Louis University. He eventually became head of the Theater Department there. Mom eventually became the executive secretary for the local steelworker's union."
- Who his parents voted for: "They were lifelong mostly Democrats, certainly always liberal, socially liberal. That defines me as well. Dad had voted for FDR in 1944. In 1940, he voted for Wendell Willkie. This guy was a Republican the like of which we'll never see again unfortunately. He was the first presidential candidate to have had no pubic office, no politics, no military leadership position. He was a lawyer and businessman and came to prominence because he opposed the Tennessee Valley Authority. Willke had been a Democrat, switched to the Republicans not many years before 1940. He wrote a book called "One World." He was an internationalist, a civil rights advocate, not a reflex anti-government guy. He thought things like the TVA could be best handled by private enterprise."
★ Retrospective
- Whom he would have voted for: "I think I would have agreed with my parents at the time, and I agree with them now. I have not voted for every Democrat but largely so. I was not a McGovern supporter. I was not a Dukakis supporter. But I wasn't crazy about their opponents either. My sense of things is that my dad and mom voted straight democratic for all my lifetime, and most of the time I would have too. I don't feel a great divergence."
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "We always had to watch a penny. My mom had to work. I had to work in summers. We were lower middle class, always very conscious of money. I've remained that way. I never let writing support me, even after the Pulitzer Prize. I'm pretty blessed by my situation now. My chair [in the Creative Writing Department at Florida State University] isn't dependent on the state budget. It's from an endowment based on a chemist synthesizing a compound that led to a breast cancer drug. But I guess nobody stops worrying about money, even the very rich. The folks that [Mitt] Romney runs with, even they worry. There's always a risk. No one is safe really. But there's always opportunity. What is it 7.7 percent now? The unemployment rate in the depression was big double digits. I think we will come out of this. I think we need to address in a balanced way the economic difficulties, the revenue and debt. I don't worry about our capacity to do this. I think I have a bedrock confidence. It might be misplaced, but my instinct is that the country as a whole, the world as a whole, individuals still do have the ability to solve big problems and to get ahead. But I understand that I could be wrong."
Robert Olen Butler, 68
Pulitzer-Prize winning Fiction Writer - Capps, Florida
Pulitzer-Prize winning Fiction Writer - Capps, Florida
"I always make it a point on my birthdays to watch inaugural addresses. John Kennedy's 1961 inaugural was on my 16th birthday. He was of course the great hero of our household." Read the full profile
- Birthdate: January 20, 1945.
- Where he grew up: Granite City, Illinois, a steel mill town across the river from St. Louis
- President sworn in that day: Franklin D. Roosevelt, for the fourth time
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- The home he grew up in: "We valued the word in our family. We valued the mind. My first remembered political time of my life was 1952. My first passion as a young person was for Adelai Stephenson in 1952 and 1956. He was the thinking man's candidate. In some ways, his appeal was Obama's appeal. He was an extraordinary mind and one of the first really terrific thinkers among candidates. His articulateness, his intelligence, the quality of his mind: we revered him in our household."
- What his parents did for employment: "When I was born, my dad was a captain in the infantry under Patton. We didn't meet until I was 19 months old. He was the commandant of a displaced persons camp, got home in 1946. My mom I guess she did some odd jobs. We lived in a very low income housing unit in Granite City when he was gone. When he came back, he went back to school, got his master's degree, taught at Granite City High School, then at St. Louis University. He eventually became head of the Theater Department there. Mom eventually became the executive secretary for the local steelworker's union."
- Who his parents voted for: "They were lifelong mostly Democrats, certainly always liberal, socially liberal. That defines me as well. Dad had voted for FDR in 1944. In 1940, he voted for Wendell Willkie. This guy was a Republican the like of which we'll never see again unfortunately. He was the first presidential candidate to have had no pubic office, no politics, no military leadership position. He was a lawyer and businessman and came to prominence because he opposed the Tennessee Valley Authority. Willke had been a Democrat, switched to the Republicans not many years before 1940. He wrote a book called "One World." He was an internationalist, a civil rights advocate, not a reflex anti-government guy. He thought things like the TVA could be best handled by private enterprise."
★ Growing Up
- Whom he would have voted for: "I think I would have agreed with my parents at the time, and I agree with them now. I have not voted for every Democrat but largely so. I was not a McGovern supporter. I was not a Dukakis supporter. But I wasn't crazy about their opponents either. My sense of things is that my dad and mom voted straight democratic for all my lifetime, and most of the time I would have too. I don't feel a great divergence."
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "We always had to watch a penny. My mom had to work. I had to work in summers. We were lower middle class, always very conscious of money. I've remained that way. I never let writing support me, even after the Pulitzer Prize. I'm pretty blessed by my situation now. My chair [in the Creative Writing Department at Florida State University] isn't dependent on the state budget. It's from an endowment based on a chemist synthesizing a compound that led to a breast cancer drug. But I guess nobody stops worrying about money, even the very rich. The folks that [Mitt] Romney runs with, even they worry. There's always a risk. No one is safe really. But there's always opportunity. What is it 7.7 percent now? The unemployment rate in the depression was big double digits. I think we will come out of this. I think we need to address in a balanced way the economic difficulties, the revenue and debt. I don't worry about our capacity to do this. I think I have a bedrock confidence. It might be misplaced, but my instinct is that the country as a whole, the world as a whole, individuals still do have the ability to solve big problems and to get ahead. But I understand that I could be wrong."
★ Retrospective
Ashley-Anne Masters, 32
Chaplain at Lurie Children's Hospital - Chicago, Illinois
"I'm in an interracial marriage because I was raised that everybody's the same. I didn't know that wasn't true until I went to college."
Read the full profile
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- Birthdate: January 20, 1981.
- Where she grew up: Born in Charlotte, South Carolina; grew up in Taylor, S.C.
- President sworn in that day: Ronald Reagan
★ Growing Up
- The home she grew up in: "It was a church manse — they weren't paying rent or mortgage, so that helped financially. It was your wood-paneling, boring, free home. I remember we could do our own flare with curtains and furniture. It had three bedrooms, a yard with a fence; we had a dog. [We always used to congregate] in the kitchen. It’s my favorite room. Mom had a little black-and-white TV that she would have on when she was cooking — she would always watch 'Andy Griffith' at night. Yeah, we're very Mayberry. I think especially for an associate pastor, on that one salary, the way that they were able to have a good lifestyle was that they weren't paying a mortgage.”
- What her parents did for employment: "Dad was an associate pastor at Sugaw Creek Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. Mom stayed at home with me."
- Who her parents voted for: "Carol and Al both voted Reagan."
★ Retrospective
- Whom she would have voted for: "I would like to think Carter. But I get all the arguments of why people voted for Reagan in terms of the economy and all that."
- Did her parents have more or less opportunity than ahe has today? "I would say definitely I'm better off than they were," she says. Especially with her mom's employment history – she doesn't have a college education but until she was on disability about four years ago, Ashley-Anne's mother was development director for an international nonprofit. "That's the kind of thing, I think, as society progressed they began to look at more skills and not just your diploma. I don't know that she could have had that kind of job in 1980 or 1981 without a college degree."
Ashley-Anne Masters, 32
Chaplain at Lurie Children's Hospital - Chicago, Illinois
Chaplain at Lurie Children's Hospital - Chicago, Illinois
"I'm in an interracial marriage because I was raised that everybody's the same. I didn't know that wasn't true until I went to college." Read the full profile
- Birthdate: January 20, 1981.
- Where she grew up: Born in Charlotte, South Carolina; grew up in Taylor, S.C.
- President sworn in that day: Ronald Reagan
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- The home she grew up in: "It was a church manse — they weren't paying rent or mortgage, so that helped financially. It was your wood-paneling, boring, free home. I remember we could do our own flare with curtains and furniture. It had three bedrooms, a yard with a fence; we had a dog. [We always used to congregate] in the kitchen. It’s my favorite room. Mom had a little black-and-white TV that she would have on when she was cooking — she would always watch 'Andy Griffith' at night. Yeah, we're very Mayberry. I think especially for an associate pastor, on that one salary, the way that they were able to have a good lifestyle was that they weren't paying a mortgage.”
- What her parents did for employment: "Dad was an associate pastor at Sugaw Creek Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. Mom stayed at home with me."
- Who her parents voted for: "Carol and Al both voted Reagan."
★ Growing Up
- Whom she would have voted for: "I would like to think Carter. But I get all the arguments of why people voted for Reagan in terms of the economy and all that."
- Did her parents have more or less opportunity than ahe has today? "I would say definitely I'm better off than they were," she says. Especially with her mom's employment history – she doesn't have a college education but until she was on disability about four years ago, Ashley-Anne's mother was development director for an international nonprofit. "That's the kind of thing, I think, as society progressed they began to look at more skills and not just your diploma. I don't know that she could have had that kind of job in 1980 or 1981 without a college degree."
★ Retrospective
Christopher Ashcraft, 28
Project Manager at CRDF Global - Washington, D.C.
"I'd just like to be happy, which is really hard when you're always worrying about how long will my job last."
Read the full profile
★ Personal Info(scroll to view more)
- Birthdate: January 20, 1985.
- Where he grew up: The suburbs of New York near Sussern, N.Y.
- President sworn in that day: Ronald Reagan
★ Growing Up
- The home he grew up in: "Pretty traditional, American – what you think of, like two parents together, suburbs, dog, brother. My parents were super intense about school, like, 'Here's my report card!' and they would say, 'Oh, why is there a minus next to these A's? What did you do wrong?'"
- What his parents did for employment: "Both parents are pastors with the Salvation Army."
- Who his parents voted for: Ronald Reagan.
★ Retrospective
- Whom he would have voted for: "I don't know a lot about Walter Mondale. I'm not sure. Now, I'd be more likely to vote along party lines but back then it was probably awful. Honestly, if I had to choose I guess it would be Mondale if I had a gun to my head."
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "I think it was easier for them. I guess they were coming of age in the Cold War, but it wasn't an actual war and it was a lot less globalized. They don't think about outside of the United States at all whereas with me that's my worldview, so I think that it's a lot more complicated now. I think they probably had a lot more opportunities than we have now. I feel like it was easier back then to get a good job based on merit. I feel like now it's a lot more connections and nepotism and networking and things like that and way more competitive because now everybody has a Master's degree."
Christopher Ashcraft, 28
Project Manager at CRDF Global - Washington, D.C.
Project Manager at CRDF Global - Washington, D.C.
"I'd just like to be happy, which is really hard when you're always worrying about how long will my job last." Read the full profile
- Birthdate: January 20, 1985.
- Where he grew up: The suburbs of New York near Sussern, N.Y.
- President sworn in that day: Ronald Reagan
★ Personal Info(scroll to view more)
- The home he grew up in: "Pretty traditional, American – what you think of, like two parents together, suburbs, dog, brother. My parents were super intense about school, like, 'Here's my report card!' and they would say, 'Oh, why is there a minus next to these A's? What did you do wrong?'"
- What his parents did for employment: "Both parents are pastors with the Salvation Army."
- Who his parents voted for: Ronald Reagan.
★ Growing Up
- Whom he would have voted for: "I don't know a lot about Walter Mondale. I'm not sure. Now, I'd be more likely to vote along party lines but back then it was probably awful. Honestly, if I had to choose I guess it would be Mondale if I had a gun to my head."
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "I think it was easier for them. I guess they were coming of age in the Cold War, but it wasn't an actual war and it was a lot less globalized. They don't think about outside of the United States at all whereas with me that's my worldview, so I think that it's a lot more complicated now. I think they probably had a lot more opportunities than we have now. I feel like it was easier back then to get a good job based on merit. I feel like now it's a lot more connections and nepotism and networking and things like that and way more competitive because now everybody has a Master's degree."
★ Retrospective
Justin Daugherty, 28
Guitar Musician and student - Moss Bluff, Louisiana
"I feel like I have plenty of opportunities right now, and that's why I am trying to make the most of them and provide other people with the same opportunity."
Read More
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- Birthdate: January 20, 1985.
- Where he grew up: Moss Bluff, Louisiana, a rural town that is mostly white.
- President sworn in that day: Ronald Reagan
★ Growing Up
- The home he grew up in: "It's a pretty standard home. My mom and dad are still married. We are in a small town Louisiana. My brother and I played sports when we were kids. We have ducks, we have quails, we always have animals around, but it wasn't like a farm or ranch or anything. My parents sold the house right after I moved away in 2003. They lived in a townhouse for a little bit, and they actually sold that, and they are living on a land where they can take care of horses. They have really downsized their life and got out of the burden of a home."
- What his parents did for employment: "They have a rescue horse (charity) organization in Louisiana. It's struggling because of the hurricane. It hasn’t quite been the same here."
- Who his parents voted for: Daugherty said he never asks his parents who they vote for, but he guesses it was probably Reagan, because his dad is a Republican.
★ Retrospective
- Whom he would have voted for: Jimmy Carter
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "Yes and No. My dad went to school pretty cheap. I am pretty sure he just walked in. Now the cost of education has gone up so much that it's a pretty big business, so I would say [I have] more opportunities because of the internet and technologies, but the cost of food and the cost of education has been continuously rising. I don't have an answer for why. I feel like I have plenty of opportunities right now, and that's why I am trying to make the most of them and provide other people with the same opportunity.”
Justin Daugherty, 28
Guitar Musician and student - Moss Bluff, Louisiana
Guitar Musician and student - Moss Bluff, Louisiana
"I feel like I have plenty of opportunities right now, and that's why I am trying to make the most of them and provide other people with the same opportunity." Read More
- Birthdate: January 20, 1985.
- Where he grew up: Moss Bluff, Louisiana, a rural town that is mostly white.
- President sworn in that day: Ronald Reagan
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- The home he grew up in: "It's a pretty standard home. My mom and dad are still married. We are in a small town Louisiana. My brother and I played sports when we were kids. We have ducks, we have quails, we always have animals around, but it wasn't like a farm or ranch or anything. My parents sold the house right after I moved away in 2003. They lived in a townhouse for a little bit, and they actually sold that, and they are living on a land where they can take care of horses. They have really downsized their life and got out of the burden of a home."
- What his parents did for employment: "They have a rescue horse (charity) organization in Louisiana. It's struggling because of the hurricane. It hasn’t quite been the same here."
- Who his parents voted for: Daugherty said he never asks his parents who they vote for, but he guesses it was probably Reagan, because his dad is a Republican.
★ Growing Up
- Whom he would have voted for: Jimmy Carter
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "Yes and No. My dad went to school pretty cheap. I am pretty sure he just walked in. Now the cost of education has gone up so much that it's a pretty big business, so I would say [I have] more opportunities because of the internet and technologies, but the cost of food and the cost of education has been continuously rising. I don't have an answer for why. I feel like I have plenty of opportunities right now, and that's why I am trying to make the most of them and provide other people with the same opportunity.”
★ Retrospective
Larry Sequino, 24
Software Engineer - Los Angeles, Ca.
"I don't specifically remember when I realized I was born on Inauguration Day, but I remember being conscious of it when I was little and I was very proud of it."
Read the full profile
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- Birthdate: January 20, 1989.
- Where he grew up: Woodridge, Connecticut – outside New Haven
- President sworn in that day: George H. W. Bush
★ Growing Up
- The home he grew up in: "It was a pretty traditional suburban upbringing. I lived in a colonial house in Connecticut – two story, four bedroom – in a rural town. I went to public school; a good school. My mom was a judge so rules were strictly enforced. I think I had a pretty normal, good upbringing."
- What his parents did for employment: "My dad sells software and my mom is a judge."
- Who his parents voted for: Dad voted for George H. W. Bush. Mom voted for the Democratic candidate, Michael Dukakis.
★ Retrospective
- Whom he would have voted for: "Probably not George H.W. because I'm liberal, but I also don't know what the issues were at the time."
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "I think I probably have a bit more opportunity, though it's probably similar. It's a hard question to answer. Both of my parents had a good upbringing, and I got to fly across the country to go to college at USC.”
Larry Sequino, 24
Software Engineer - Los Angeles, Ca.
Software Engineer - Los Angeles, Ca.
"I don't specifically remember when I realized I was born on Inauguration Day, but I remember being conscious of it when I was little and I was very proud of it." Read the full profile
- Birthdate: January 20, 1989.
- Where he grew up: Woodridge, Connecticut – outside New Haven
- President sworn in that day: George H. W. Bush
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- The home he grew up in: "It was a pretty traditional suburban upbringing. I lived in a colonial house in Connecticut – two story, four bedroom – in a rural town. I went to public school; a good school. My mom was a judge so rules were strictly enforced. I think I had a pretty normal, good upbringing."
- What his parents did for employment: "My dad sells software and my mom is a judge."
- Who his parents voted for: Dad voted for George H. W. Bush. Mom voted for the Democratic candidate, Michael Dukakis.
★ Growing Up
- Whom he would have voted for: "Probably not George H.W. because I'm liberal, but I also don't know what the issues were at the time."
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "I think I probably have a bit more opportunity, though it's probably similar. It's a hard question to answer. Both of my parents had a good upbringing, and I got to fly across the country to go to college at USC.”
★ Retrospective
Matthew Wood, 20
Student, Concordia University - Irvine, Calif.
"You could say I have it easier today because of the advancements we've made, but we've also had harder economic times than my parents back in the day."
Read the full profile
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- Birthdate: January 20, 1993
- Where he grew up: Born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in Glendale, Ariz.
- President sworn in that day: Bill Clinton
★ Growing Up
- The home he grew up in: Wood's family has lived in the same home for 23 years, where both he and his sister grew up. "It's a very standard two-story Southwest-style single-family home. Desert Landscaping. A pool in the backyard. A basketball hoop in the driveway," Wood says. The Woods live in Glendale, a city northwest of downtown Phoenix that is part of the Phoenix Metro area.
- What his parents did for employment: "Dad was a salesman for a lumber company. Mom was working for American Express as a senior financial analyst."
- Who his parents voted for: Both parents voted George H.W. Bush. "Dad's a hardcore Republican. Mom is registered Democrat but votes Republican often," he says.
★ Retrospective
- Whom he would have voted for: George H.W. Bush
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "It depends. You could say I have it easier today because of the advancements we've made, but we've also had harder economic times than my parents back in the day. My dad grew up in West Virginia. His father was the same as him — in the lumber business. And my mom didn't go to college. She grew up in a poor family and had to stay home to actually take care of her family. In that regard, I think I have more opportunity because my parents didn't have as much as I do. In that regard, I guess you could say I have more chances. But it's also hard to get a job now. Overall, I have a better chance because of the circumstances of my family right now compared to their families."
Matthew Wood, 20
Student, Concordia University - Irvine, Calif.
Student, Concordia University - Irvine, Calif.
"You could say I have it easier today because of the advancements we've made, but we've also had harder economic times than my parents back in the day." Read the full profile
- Birthdate: January 20, 1993
- Where he grew up: Born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in Glendale, Ariz.
- President sworn in that day: Bill Clinton
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- The home he grew up in: Wood's family has lived in the same home for 23 years, where both he and his sister grew up. "It's a very standard two-story Southwest-style single-family home. Desert Landscaping. A pool in the backyard. A basketball hoop in the driveway," Wood says. The Woods live in Glendale, a city northwest of downtown Phoenix that is part of the Phoenix Metro area.
- What his parents did for employment: "Dad was a salesman for a lumber company. Mom was working for American Express as a senior financial analyst."
- Who his parents voted for: Both parents voted George H.W. Bush. "Dad's a hardcore Republican. Mom is registered Democrat but votes Republican often," he says.
★ Growing Up
- Whom he would have voted for: George H.W. Bush
- Did his parents have more or less opportunity than he has today? "It depends. You could say I have it easier today because of the advancements we've made, but we've also had harder economic times than my parents back in the day. My dad grew up in West Virginia. His father was the same as him — in the lumber business. And my mom didn't go to college. She grew up in a poor family and had to stay home to actually take care of her family. In that regard, I think I have more opportunity because my parents didn't have as much as I do. In that regard, I guess you could say I have more chances. But it's also hard to get a job now. Overall, I have a better chance because of the circumstances of my family right now compared to their families."
★ Retrospective
Ronan Goto, 4
Pre-schooler, Chicago Illinois.
"I was watching [Obama's] speech but started going into active labor," says mom Ciara McDonagh. "I do remember when I delivered [the baby] and he came out during the 'Star Spangled Banner.'"
Read the full profile
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- Birthdate: January 20, 2009
- Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
- President sworn in that day: Barack Obama
★ Growing Up
- What his parents do for employment: Mom, Ciara McDonagh, is a human resource director for a small tax firm. Dad, Jeff Goto, was working in the financial division at United Airlines when he was laid off with 2,000 other people in a single day in 2008. He subsequently started his own small business called Ameline Dijon Mustard, importing high-end mustards from France, but he has not been able to get a loan to grow the business.
- Who his parents voted for: Mom is a Democrat and voted for Obama twice. Dad worked in government in Washington D.C. in his 20s, and continues to follow politics closely, CNN is always on in the house etc.
★ Retrospective
- Political family history: Ciara says her mom was a Democrat and her dad was a Republican. They avoided too much talk about politics, but it did produce the occasional argument. She says her mom always encouraged her to be politically active and to vote.
- Opportunity With one child in Chicago public schools and a second not far behind, Ciara and her husband say they are deeply concerned about the quality of public education in the United States. "I don't think education, on a societal level, is receiving the attention and resources it needs," she said. "Everyone knows it's important, intuitively at least."
Ronan Goto, 4
Pre-schooler, Chicago Illinois.
Pre-schooler, Chicago Illinois.
"I was watching [Obama's] speech but started going into active labor," says mom Ciara McDonagh. "I do remember when I delivered [the baby] and he came out during the 'Star Spangled Banner.'" Read the full profile
- Birthdate: January 20, 2009
- Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
- President sworn in that day: Barack Obama
★ Personal Info (scroll to view more)
- What his parents do for employment: Mom, Ciara McDonagh, is a human resource director for a small tax firm. Dad, Jeff Goto, was working in the financial division at United Airlines when he was laid off with 2,000 other people in a single day in 2008. He subsequently started his own small business called Ameline Dijon Mustard, importing high-end mustards from France, but he has not been able to get a loan to grow the business.
- Who his parents voted for: Mom is a Democrat and voted for Obama twice. Dad worked in government in Washington D.C. in his 20s, and continues to follow politics closely, CNN is always on in the house etc.
★ Growing Up
- Political family history: Ciara says her mom was a Democrat and her dad was a Republican. They avoided too much talk about politics, but it did produce the occasional argument. She says her mom always encouraged her to be politically active and to vote.
- Opportunity With one child in Chicago public schools and a second not far behind, Ciara and her husband say they are deeply concerned about the quality of public education in the United States. "I don't think education, on a societal level, is receiving the attention and resources it needs," she said. "Everyone knows it's important, intuitively at least."
★ Retrospective