As a young girl growing up in the South, Martha Layne Collins led a different kind of life than most of her classmates.

"I grew up in the funeral home and ambulance business," says the dynamic woman who went on to become the first female governor of the state of Kentucky. And having parents in the mortuary business naturally taught her to serve others, she says.

"I was brought up to always help people. My philosophy and the philosophy I grew up with was that I was put on this earth to make a contribution," explains Collins, who finished her four-year term as governor two years ago.

It was her parents' dedication to others, which kept them on call every day at every hour, that eventually inspired her to pursue a career in politics.

"They helped others every day, and I saw them do it," says Collins. "They practiced what they preached, and that made a big impact on me."

Collins has had an impressive career in public service. Among numerous offices, the Kentucky native was chair of the 1984 Democratic National Convention. As a spring fellow at the Kennedy School's Institute of Politics this semester, Collins teaches a study group entitled "In the Public Interest: Leadership and Decision Making."

In her short time as governor, Collins pushed through an impressive number of reforms, and she attributes this feat not only to her own abilities, but also to the power of office itself.

"Over the last few years, governors have been much more active than in the past--the governorship has evolved into an active position," says Collins. But, she warns, there are many frustrations that come with the job.

"We're responsible for a lot, but we don't have the funds," she explains. "Because we have to have a balanced budget, we have to either set priorities and cut programs or find new revenues somehow."

Collins says that while in office, she chose the last route--increasing the state's funds by encouraging tourism and industry, and thereby creating more jobs and enlarging the state's tax base.

The Kentucky go-getter, who says she likes winning more than just competing, traveled around the world to "sell the state" to foreign companies. She lured Toyota, the largest Japanese company in North America, to Kentucky, creating 4500 new jobs and a $1 billion investment for the state. More than 400 new industries opened during her term, and more than 4000 companies expanded with the help of government financing.

Altogether, Collins presided over the creation of 90,000 jobs in a state of fewer than four million people.

From Polygons to Politics

Before running for elective office, Collins taught mathematics at a middle school. And once elected, she initiated an overhaul of the state's education system.

"We built in accountability for everybody--students, teachers, principals, superintendents and board members," Collins says. "We required school board members to have had at least a high school education and to attend seminars regularly to stay informed on current educational issues."