About Meike Sillevis Smitt-Huizinga

I’m the loving mother of 2 daughters (rising senior at UW and rising junior at UCSC) and happily married to my husband of almost 24 years! I own a small Music Together center in San Jose, CA (smileynotes.com), I’m the Super Stars and Rising Stars program manager at Angels on Stage (angelsonstage.org), a theatre troupe for children and young adults with special needs, and I teach two classes at California Community Opportunites (ca-cco.org), an organization committed to providing purposeful lives for adults with special needs. I’m also an avid tennis player with ambitions to reach a higher level (4.5 but really my dream is being a 5.0). While I love all these activities and they certainly take up quite a lot of my time (and I also like to have time to just chill and hang out with my husband and kids), I am trying to figure out if this is what I want to keep doing in my fifties (and maybe sixties). Hence: The Fifties Project!

All articles by Meike Sillevis Smitt-Huizinga

Interviews

Becky Maguire: the adventurous ex-Mormon who worked in childcare for 30 years, earned two degrees in her thirties and forties, became a mom at 40, and will never be too old to keep learning.

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How I know Becky: Becky’s son Erik joined Angels on Stage as an Angel the same year I joined Angels … More Becky Maguire: the adventurous ex-Mormon who worked in childcare for 30 years, earned two degrees in her thirties and forties, became a mom at 40, and will never be too old to keep learning. →

Interviews

Azmina Juma: the Uganda-born Kenyan third culture kid from Pakistani descent who grew up in the Netherlands and now is a relocation specialist and Dutch language and culture teacher in the US

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How I know Azmina: I met Azmina when she was on a pre-assignment visit to the Bay Area with her … More Azmina Juma: the Uganda-born Kenyan third culture kid from Pakistani descent who grew up in the Netherlands and now is a relocation specialist and Dutch language and culture teacher in the US →

Interviews

Mariette Meijaard: The Dutch nurse who became a stay-at-home mom, moved to Malaysia and California, and is now a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth in Atlanta, Georgia

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How I know Mariette: Mariette and I met just before my husband, our two daughters and I moved to Malaysia … More Mariette Meijaard: The Dutch nurse who became a stay-at-home mom, moved to Malaysia and California, and is now a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth in Atlanta, Georgia →

Interviews

Nicole Kim: The wannabe special education teacher who became a special needs mom, chose a career in tech, AND teaches a class for adults with special needs

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How I know Nicole: I met Nicole a few times at Angels on Stage (the theatre troupe for kids and … More Nicole Kim: The wannabe special education teacher who became a special needs mom, chose a career in tech, AND teaches a class for adults with special needs →

Interviews

Heidi Gilles: The tidy, creative wannabe world saver and people helper who became a marketing professional and then circled back to helping people with her creativity

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How I know Heidi I met Heidi a few years ago when my youngest daughter joined Pony Club at Garrod … More Heidi Gilles: The tidy, creative wannabe world saver and people helper who became a marketing professional and then circled back to helping people with her creativity →

Interviews

Elisabeth Bik: The microbiologist who worked in the background for years, decided she wanted some recognition, and now has 73,400 followers on Twitter and interviews in multiple major publications

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How I know Elisabeth I met Elisabeth after we had just moved to the Bay Area, through our husbands who … More Elisabeth Bik: The microbiologist who worked in the background for years, decided she wanted some recognition, and now has 73,400 followers on Twitter and interviews in multiple major publications →

Interviews

Liz Langerak: The wannabe teacher who had to get a Master’s degree, worked at the Dutch Immigration Services, became a stay-at-home mom, and is now an incredibly creative special needs teacher for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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How I know Liz I met my friend Liz when we were both “expat wives” in Penang, Malaysia, and our … More Liz Langerak: The wannabe teacher who had to get a Master’s degree, worked at the Dutch Immigration Services, became a stay-at-home mom, and is now an incredibly creative special needs teacher for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. →