Interview Questions for Andrea Krochalis

Childhood and Growing Up Years

1.) Annie can you tell us your full name, and date of birth?
 
2.) Can you tell me about your parents? What was the relationship between you and your parents like?
 
3.) Where were you raised?
 
4.) How about your grandparents?
 
5.) How many siblings do you have and where in the order of children do you fall?
 
6.) Tell me about your siblings please.
 
7.) Was there anyone in your family involved in social change or volunteer community work?
 
8.) How have your family’s values affected your social change work?
 
9.) How have your family members responded to your social change work?
 
10.) What can you tell us about your personality type?
       a.) How to you define the term activism?
       b.) What does that term mean to you?
       c.) Do you consider yourself an activist? Why or why not?
      d.)  What or who inspired you to do this type of work?
      e.)Why and how is this work meaningful to you?
 
11.) Where did you go to grade and high school and what activities and hobbies did   
        you participate in growing up.
 
12.) What hobbies are you involved in now?
        a.)Can you tell me some of your childhood memories?
        (Some good ones and some bad ones)
 
13.) How did you feel about school when a child and teen?
        a.)What subjects were your favorites or least favorites and why?
        b.) What teachers stand out and why?
 
14.) Who influenced you as a child and teenager or played an important role in your  
        life and why?
 
15.) Who are your personal heroes or heroines in childhood and now and why?

Adult Life And Education
 
16.) Do you have a significant other? If so tell us about your partner and how you met.
       a.)What does your partner do.?
       b) Do you have children; if so tell us about them.
 
17.) You mentioned to me that you have dogs: tell me about them.
        a.) Have you always had pets and what do they mean to you?
         b.)  How have they affected your life?
 
18.) Where and when was your advanced education and reasons for those choices?
 
19.) Tell us about your Hollins experience and why you chose Hollins.
      
       a.) What was your major and why did you choose this major?
       b.) Was there a professor or professors that influenced your decisions about  
             social change work?
       c.) How do you feel your education at a women’s university has affected your
             life and community work?
 
20.) Your resume says that you were a Vietnam Era campus radical activist. Tell us
        about that. What were your views about the war? What activities did you
        participate in or initiate concerning this activism. How did that carry over into
       the rest of your life?
 
21.) What other activities were you involved in at Hollins?
 
22.) Were you involved in any activism or leadership, or social change while at  
       Hollins? Elaborate…
 
23.) What happened after Hollins?                                                                                  
        Your master’s in arts degree was at Virginia Tech. There were 4 years in                    
         between when you graduated from Hollins and started at Tech. What did you do    
         during that time?
        (*graduated in May, 1st job in the next calendar year, what did she do then?)
 
23.) What was your first job?
        (Her job was at City of Roanoke Social services)
 
24.)    What positions and duties did you have?
        What made you decide to pursue this type of work?
        Did and do you find this type of work satisfying? Why or why not?
 
25.)    When did you begin work on you Masters Degree? (The over lap was working and going to Tech)
 
26.)    What was working and going to school at the same time like?  (Took 3 years)
 
27.)    In 1977 while working on your Masters and for the city your position changed to manager of Group Home Program. Tel us as much as possible about the 22 years in that position.
 
28.) You left your position as manager to do research for the city. Can you tell us     
        about this?
 
29.) In 2001 after 24 years you left your position at the city. What have you been
       doing since? (Paw and Whisker business of her own.)
 
30.) Tell us about the name of your business.
       a.) Do you work from home or office?      
       b.) Do you have employees
 
 
 
 
Current Work
 
1.) Please tell me all the things you do in your new business.
 
 2.) What is Roanoke wildlife Center and its goals? What is your involvement with that organization?
 
3.) What is Rail Solution and its goals and your involvement in it?
 
4.) Tell us about your research in integrated health care with Radford University.
 
 
 
Interview Two

Ms. Krochalis, the community service that you have been involved in outside of your job is extensive. Of all these organizations that you have been involved in which are the most important to you and why?
 
Can we start with the very first one in 1971 and can you tell me about the organization, its goals and why you became involved?
 
 
 Trust.
 
Rapeline?
 
VCRCA?
 
Women Unite, Take Back the Night?
 
Nature Conservancy?
 
Blue Ridge Environmental Network?
 
Bent Mountain Civic League?
 
Hosts?
 
Sierra Club?
 
Citizens for Smart Growth?
 
Rail Solution?
 
Jefferson Center?
 
Virginia Forest Watch?
 
Blue Ridge Permaculture Association?
 
 
Conclusion Questions
 
 
1.) What obstacles have you encountered in your life and career?
 
2.)  What do you envision for your future?
 
3.) Is there anything that you would have done differently looking back on your life?
 
4.) If you had any advice for young women at Hollins about activism and community    
     service work what would that be? 
 
5.) If you were in a position of power in the world what changes would you make?
 
6.)  What made you decide to take part in this life history project? How do you feel about   
      participating in the project?
 
7.) How can one learn about writing grants? Was this a part of her formal education?
 
8.) How would you go about taking “Angel with Scissors” national?
 
9.) Do you have any advice for me?
 

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