ers ▁( née ▁Ge ary ), ▁was ▁a ▁school te acher . ▁When ▁Sand ers ▁was ▁eight , ▁the ▁family , ▁which ▁included ▁her ▁younger ▁brother ▁and ▁sister , ▁moved ▁to ▁Rol ling ▁M ead ows , ▁Illinois ▁where ▁her ▁father ▁took ▁a ▁job ▁in ▁wall paper ▁sales . ▁Sand ers ▁attended ▁Will ow ▁B end ▁School , ▁Central ▁Road ▁School ▁and ▁Carl ▁Sand burg ▁Junior ▁High ▁before ▁moving ▁back ▁to ▁Canada ▁where ▁she ▁went ▁to ▁high ▁school . ▁The ▁family ▁settled ▁in ▁Water lo o , ▁Ontario ▁and ▁Sand ers ▁worked ▁at ▁D air y ▁Queen , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁lif egu ard ▁with ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Water lo o . ▁Sand ers ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Water lo o ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁with ▁an ▁hon ors ▁degree ▁in ▁English . ▁She ▁then ▁attended ▁Ry erson ▁Poly techn ical ▁Institute ▁( now ▁Ry erson ▁University ) ▁where ▁she ▁obtained ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁degree ▁in ▁journal ism ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁ ▁Career ▁as ▁a ▁writer ▁Sand ers ▁began ▁her ▁career ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁television ▁rep orter ▁for ▁CH EX - TV ▁in ▁Peter borough , ▁Ontario . ▁She ▁worked ▁at ▁various ▁jobs ▁including ▁a ▁st int ▁with ▁the ▁Toronto ▁Board ▁of ▁Education , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁public ▁relations ▁consult ant ▁with ▁Re id , ▁Bur ry , ▁Young ▁in ▁Toronto . ▁She ▁married ▁Steven ▁Gre er , ▁a ▁lawyer , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁and ▁when ▁her ▁first ▁child ▁was ▁born ▁in