An unusual life story of an immigrant, who lived through World War II, went to school under Stalin in Budapest. She studied chemical engineering and married a fellow engineer. After a short, happy marriage came the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and she escaped to Austria, pregnant, without her husband. Mother came to help and baby arrived in refugee camp. They started a new life in California, making progress from factory worker, to chemist, to graduate student, while raising daughter as single parent with mother's help. Job opportunity offered on East Coast enabled her to climb up on pioneering female management track to high levels in an international chemical company. An inspirational story with reflections and insight into both historical world changes and the American success story from the perspective of a successful first generation leader and woman.