The Shkabara Family Adventure December 6, 1997

Yes, it’s true. We moved once again! If you will recall, Peter was working as a drafting instructor in a temporary assignment. The plan was to get a permanent faculty position for the next school year.

Although there was some basis to expect a faculty position, past experience showed that strange school politics make it best to look out for oneself. Thus, it came up that in December, a job announcement was found for a computer instructor at the Oregon Institute of Technology. OIT is located in Klamath Falls, south-central part of Oregon at the edge of the high desert.

Peter had applied at OIT on two other occasions, but this time he was contacted! A telephone interview was scheduled for January. Time passed and it seemed that Peter was not selected. In the meantime, other position announcements were found on the Internet.

Applications went to places in California – Eureka, Crescent City, Columbia, and even Coalinga. Astoria, OR was looking for an instructor again. And there were places in New Mexico – Farmington, Carlsbad, Los Lunas and even Alamogordo. Positions in Arizona came up and applications went to Prescott and to Thatcher. It was interesting that Peter interviewed at Thatcher in 1992 but was turned down then.

The school term ended. As expected, the instructor that Peter was replacing did resign. A position was announced and Peter applied. But there were problems. There were rumors that the salary would be low even by New Mexico standards. How low can we go?

With all these possibilities, we got selective. Several invitations for interviews came, and Peter declined. It seemed that there was a good chance to get a job at a really nice location.

Back to OIT. The candidate that was selected after the first interview turned them down. Peter was now a top contender. Two more phone interviews and by May it was time for an interview in Oregon! Things were getting busy. Other invitations for interview came, some were turned down, and an application went to a new opening in Oregon.

The trip to Klamath Falls went well. OIT paid for the travel expenses and for the motel. The interview went well. The college was nice. The pay rate was excellent. All we needed now was an offer, and that looked fairly likely. But there was this strange feeling of foreboding. While at Klamath Falls, Peter started to feel reluctant to move. It just did not feel right.

Upon return from Klamath Falls, Peter went for an interview at WNMU (the school he was working at). The following week he interviewed at Thatcher, AZ and was offered a position there! Remember that in 1992, he wanted the job at Thatcher but was not selected. He told them that he had to check with his wife!

How perplexing. Still no final decision from OIT, an offer from Thatcher, a probable offer from WNMU, and now there is an invitation for an interview at Rogue Community College in Grants Pass, OR!