What are some of your biggest motivators during trials and tribulations? For Lane, the motivation came from the will to excel as a mother, but also for herself. Lane accomplished both motherhood and college. After her children moved out and went on to the next phase of their lives, Lane decided to not give up one of her own dreams that she held not so long before her children were born. When asked why she enrolled in college in her forties, she said, “Just being the best and fulfilling some dreams that kind of got put to the side a little bit, always wanted to do my best, always wanted to excel, but maybe got onto a little bit different path. So being able to do those things that I had really wanted to do was motivation to do it and to do it as quickly as I could.”

Lane grew up in a small town in North Carolina and went on to have the full responsibility of raising three children, while working various jobs, such as being an operator at Western Electric, a data processor at a community college, and an executive assistant at a bank in south Oklahoma. She enrolled in college in her forties and went on to become an auditor at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

Lane and her sister Lola both spoke highly of their childhood home, calling it “simple yet beautiful.” “We were very close,” Lola said, referring to their relationship growing up. “It was only the two of us… if we didn’t have each other, we would have been kinda desperate… we were each other’s best friends all through high school.” Despite their closeness, they each had their own unique passions. Lola preferred sports and reading while Lane liked mathematics and music. Lola spoke of Lane’s love of learning, saying, “Mathematics was always a passion for her. I think learning was the base of everything. Our father always said that, ‘education was everything.’” A highlight of Lane’s education, Lola recalled, was that “in that small city of Fayetteville, they had a wonderful pipe organ, so she took lessons at the church there.”

Lane’s youngest son, Keith, said the most memorable piece of advice his mom gave him was, “To not limit myself to what my dad was telling me… go work at Western Electric and follow that career path, but then if I wanted to go to school then I should definitely pursue that as an alternative…” Keith has many reasons to be proud of his mom but, when asked what gives him the most pride in her, besides rearing three children and having a full time job, he replied, “she took a step back after all of us got a little bit older and decided to get her own degree in accounting, which was a lifelong dream of hers.”

Lily had just graduated from college when she met Lane. Lily admired Lane’s professional demeanor as well as the kind of woman she was, which was an inspiration for Lily. After Lily and Lane started working together, they discovered that they also lived in the same apartment complex. They would commute into work together and go running on their lunch breaks. Much has changed since then, especially working at NASA. When asked about some of the major differences, Lily said, “they were launching shuttle missions almost on a monthly basis, so there was all the excitement of all of that going on.” Lily’s voice beamed with excitement when saying about her friend Lane, “When she really wanted to do something, she did it, and she did it in such a polite and nice way… she certainly had her own opinions about things, and when she knew that she wanted to progress or get another assignment or get more complicated work so that it built her resume, she was very tenacious in doing so.” Through watching Lane, Lily learned that you can be professional and easygoing while simultaneously being tenacious in getting things done.

When asked about her definition of love, she responded, “I think caring more about the other person and wanting them to have everything that they could possibly have that would be beneficial for them to fulfill their dreams and then learning that that is generally reciprocated. So, it becomes a partnership and that, along with trust and other ingredients, makes for a long lasting and very sweet, wonderful love.” She met and fell in love with Mark Seger, who would be one of her biggest supports and greatest loves in her life. Lane’s accomplishments are outstanding in their own right. Her remarkable story proves that everyone has a chance at fulfilling their dream, regardless of the perfect timing.

What dreams do you want to fulfill?

If you want to learn more about NASA click here:   https://www.nasa.gov/