The Second Decade: Raising Kids to Be Happy, Self-Sufficient Adults Through Work

Eugene m. helveston, md, is emeritus professor of ophthalmology; founder of the section of Pediatric Ophthalmology; and former Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Indiana University School of Medicine, where he provided patient care and teaching, and carried out clinical research. During his career, he taught in forty-five states and also served as a volunteer surgeon and lecturer in fifty countries. In 2002, he founded an award-winning international telemedicine program to serve doctors and their patients in developing countries. After authoring hundreds of professional papers and three medical textbooks on pediatric ophthalmology and surgery for strabismus, he turned his attention to writing about the two things he felt had the most meaningful impact on his life: getting the best education for the career you want to pursue and working at a meaningful job starting at an early age. A native of Detroit, Michigan, and a graduate of the University of Michigan, Dr. Helveston has worked since early in his Second Decade. He believes this was the mortar that held together the bricks of his formal education-or maybe it was the other way around! He believes that helping children earn a high school diploma and encouraging them to find a job early in their Second Decade are two of the most important things parents, grandparents, and mentors can do to prepare youth for becoming happy and self-sufficient adults.