About BJ Hill

What to say?

Grew up in Leicester. Graduated from St. John’s High. Awful at sports but I read alot. Had a Commodore 64 before it was cool. Boy Scout and Eagle Scout.

College at Northeastern University in Boston. Sociology major. Newspaper, drama, band (bass), International Student Office. Studied abroad in Mexico (UDLA-P) and worked abroad in Canada (University de Laval). Studied not-so-abroad at the Salt Institute for Documentary Field Studies in Portland, Maine.

Signed on to AmeriCorps NCCC in Denver. Worked at Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, a YMCA Camp Ohiyesa in Michigan, Easter Seals Camp Sunnyside in Iowa, the Town of Audubon in Iowa, and Excelsior! School in Colorado. Working with people with mental and physical disabilities was one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done.

Became an EMT because of 9/11.

Taught English at an elementary school in Fukushima prefecture of Japan. (Yes, that Fukushima).

Came back to Worcester and studied for a second bachelor’s in Natural Sciences. Moved to Boston and taught English and worked construction.

Walked across Massachusetts for the first time. Met Governor Deval Patrick.

Went to seven wedding in one year. Became an American Red Cross Disaster Responder. Deployed nationally to help with hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes.

Walked across America.

Came back to Worcester. Started to do IT for a nonprofit counseling agency. Picked up a few more clients via word of mouth. Became CompTIA certified. Built a business. Now I have about ten small-office IT clients.

Invited to the White House to deliver my books of messages from the Walk Across America. Hiked there. Met President Barack Obama. Fifteen minutes alone with the Big Cheese.

Began freelancing for my hometown newspaper, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Worked for a few other publications, too. Wrote a regular science fiction (or is it?) column for the Worcester Sun. Joined the Worcester Writers Collaborative.

Walked across Massachusetts (again). Met Gov. Charlie Baker.

Regular blood platelet donor (I have a rare mutation on my platelets which apparently makes them valuable… but I’d rather have adamantium claws).

USCIS certified U.S. Citizenship Instructor.

Volunteer dog walker.

EMT for the Boston Marathon (inc. 2013), charity events, and roller derby.

Help to direct a summer day camp for inner city kids and refugees for two weeks every summer.

Time for a change. Switched to teaching. ESL Teacher at an inner-city elementary school in Worcester. Good kids, good co-workers, good administration. Could do without all the unrealistic mandates from on high, though.

Still reading too much. And playing guitar. Love to clean (weird!) Preparing to take grad-level courses for an M.Ed.

And walking across Massachusetts. One more time.