In this first of two interviews, Ellen T. Ruff, successful lawyer and Charlotte Duke Energy executive, discusses her earliest childhood memories of her life in rural Connecticut and what she knows about her family's history. Ms. Ruff goes into detail about her grandparent's occupations, including living and working in a grocery store and their tragic deaths, as well as the lifestyles of the time period from stories that she'd heard from her parents. She discusses family discipline when she was a child and teenager, as well as her relationship with her parents. In addition Ms. Ruff gives advice for college students and reflects on her own college experiences, her decision to pursue law as a career, and her path to becoming a lawyer.