Priscilla Harmon Putnam

Although I left Oberlin to attend Princeton Theological Seminary, with the intent of becoming a minister then an academic, when I lost my scholarship due to marriage I found a job working as a counselor with heroin addicts in central Brooklyn. I began social work school part time at Hunter, and obtained my social work degree over time. I continued working in addictions and eventually was developing and managing an addictions program in Sellersville, PA.
Then I met my husband Steve, and moved back to Delaware which was where I was from originally. I entered a PhD program in clinical psychology and after 7 long years, finally obtained my PhD (and another MA). I then went into private practice and worked with clients over the lifespan, which was a job I loved!
I retired two years ago and now spend my time reawakening an interest in music. The "senior" band I play in had too many flutists (my instrument) but needed percussionists, so I am now a member of the percussion section, play mallets and all percussion except snare drums, which I am learning. I love playing with the band and playing piano, and feel that I have an opportunity now to pursue the interest that I gave up to have a career as a therapist.

Funny thing--I don't remember anything funny about my Oberlin days!!! It was intense, failure lurked right around the corner, life was intense, a war was raging, friends were being drafted or arrested--holy cow--how did we survive! I loved my friends--but they were as overwhelmed as I was!
I would love to go back to Oberlin now with the perspective I have as an adult--to be in the midst of thoughtful, thinking peers, to be in classes with professors who excelled as academics but also as mentors. To take in all the music and art and theater that is available. Those were very enriched days--but it was all with a great deal of angst!