Eleanor Revelle

Evanston Alderman, 7th Ward

Eleanor Revelle is now the alderman of Evanston's 7th Ward, but her first job was working as a mother's helper in California.

Revelle was 17 when she worked for the summer helping a woman with a young baby, several stepchildren, and a large house to care for. It was Revelle's first extended time away from her family.

"It was very interesting to be part of this huge household," says Revelle. "The job wasn't difficult, but I had a lot to do."

Revelle says that she enjoyed her first job. "It felt good" to earn her own money, she says, and she learned how to do many different things, from house work to childcare to fitting in with people of different backgrounds.

"It's important as a young person to have opportunities to learn and grow," says Revelle. This is exactly how she views her own first job.