Lafayette, Ind.

I grew up in Lafayette, Ind., the youngest of five in a family of modest means. I had big dreams and was ready to do the hard work to achieve them. My first job was in a busy ice cream store. I remember the owner saying, "If you can lean, you can clean." I learned that there's always something to do in a business, and that hard work is rewarded. I started playing the recorder in elementary school and went on to play all the wood instruments. In high school, I sang in the choir.