![[Picture of the captain]](bio_picts/lisa_co.jpg)
I have a confession to make. I was five years old when I first discovered Star Trek and I hated it. I hated it because my brother Jim loved it and I wanted to annoy him. However, curiosity got the best of me and I started "borrowing" his James Blish books when he wasn't looking, and I got hooked. However, this "closet Trekkie" was outed at the age of seven when Jim made a Trek-related joke and I responded to it. Jim always promised to take me to a Trek convention, but never did. It wasn't until I had graduated from college and was working full-time that I finally heard about a convention before the fact. That convention was OktoberTrek '92. While I was there, I picked up flyers for STARFLEET, the USS IDIC, and other groups. I signed up for STARFLEET and the IDIC in early '93, not fully aware of what I was getting myself into (grin).
The kicker is that after the fact, I found out that the USS Christa McAuliffe met not too far from where I went to college and even did things in the Fall River, MA area (where I grew up). So, had I known, I probably would have started my life in fandom much, much earlier.
Oh, and if you want to see what became of my dear brother, check out his web page.
The first Trek group that I joined was the USS IDIC in February, 1993. It wasn't long before I became heavily involved in many of their community service, fun, and general activities. I have also been heavily involved with STARFLEET at the regional and international levels working on various committees and task forces, and acting as a liaison between the IDIC and other ships in the Fleet.
Then came Athena and ending up as the commanding officer. It has been a joy to see the group come along, grow, and become active. It's wonderful to see people organizing activities and doing things that are fun.
Before joining formal fandom, my existence in fandom was limited to watching episodes, reading books, and talking about Trek with friends and relatives (back to Jim). I tried to find fan clubs in my area and wrote letters, but really didn't get anything back.
Trek is many things. On the philosophical side, I have learned about being tolerant and open-minded. I grew up in a semi-rural area of Southeastern Massachusetts in an area that was predominately white, predominately Roman Catholic, had sharp ethnic divisions (each church had an associated ethnicity), and was static to the point of being suffocating. That environment was definitely not one that fostered accepting people for who and what they are. Even though we had an excellent school system, exploring one's limitations or the universe around us were not addressed either. Star Trek was one place that opened my mind to other possibilities. That mindset enabled me to thrive and enjoy the multi-cultural, limit-breaking atmosphere when I went to MIT.
At the age of seven, between Star Trek, astronomy, and computers, I was well on my way to developing a love of science and engineering. Being a female (a blonde one at that!) going into a male-dominated field did not bother me. In Trek, people were given their positions based on their capabilities rather than gender or race, so why not inject a little of the 23rd century in the 20th century?
So, basically, Trek has given me a philosophy that has opened my mind to both technical and cultural possibilities. It helped to spark my interest in science and engineering, and showed me that the future does not exclude people from those fields. [written February, 1996] Back to top
My parents did not know anything about Bajor or Bajoran culture. They thought that the ridged nose, a predominant feature of Bajorans, was a birth defect and had my nose ``fixed.'' Throughout my childhood, I was treated as a human (because I looked like one), but somehow felt different. I was always more assertive than my peers and typically ended up in positions of leadership (both academic and non-academic). In spite of my successes as a student and a leader, I still felt out of place. It was not until I was filling out my Starfleet Academy application that I found out about my origins.
It was at this point that I started to learn about my homeworld and its culture. I started to adopt the spiritual aspects of the culture --- including wearing the cuff-earring.
I was accepted into Starfleet Academy in 2358. Being the enthusiastic person I am, I decided to double-major in Engineering and Command. My analytical skills served me well in Engineering and my Bajoran assertiveness enabled me to obtain high honors in Command. However, I still did not fit in. People, including the Bajorans at the Academy, did not accept me as a Bajoran because I did not look like one. This made me angry at my parents --- angry that they were so ignorant of where I came from that they robbed me of the features that made me look Bajoran.
I graduated from the Academy with top honors, the Grankite Order of Honor, and other honors in 2362. My first assignment was in Warp Systems on the USS Circuitprise (NCC-6002). The four years on that ship were hectic, adventurous, fun and rewarding. I also met someone who also felt like an outsider --- an android named QJB.
Both QJB and I began a tour of duty aboard the USS IDIC in 2367. During my tour of duty aboard the USS IDIC, I served as Assistant Chief Engineer and then as Chief Engineer. The department was kept quite busy, especially when our engineers at the Engineering Research Outpost started sending us the experimental data from their weapons and communications work.
As my tour of duty was ending, the new orders from STARFLEET Headquarters officially transferred Xanthe from Engineering to Command. There was a ship out in the gamma quadrant that needed a commander and crew. Once my impending departure was announced, several members aboard the IDIC requested permission to transfer to the new ship. My android companion QJB, some other shipmates, and I set off for our new jobs aboard the Athena. [written February, 1996]