▁en rolled ▁in ▁a ▁school ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁children . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁life - ch anging ▁experience , ▁and ▁D ela ine ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁attention ▁she ▁needed ▁to ▁th rive ▁academ ically . ▁As ▁she ▁says , ▁" I ▁came ▁by ▁my ▁interest ▁in ▁class ▁size ▁reduction ▁from ▁personal ▁experience ." ▁ ▁East in ▁received ▁her ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Davis , ▁and ▁her ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁political ▁science ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Santa ▁Barbara . ▁ ▁Te aching ▁and ▁business ▁career ▁After ▁gradu ation , ▁East in ▁taught ▁women ' s ▁studies ▁and ▁political ▁science ▁at ▁several ▁California ▁community ▁colleg es ▁including ▁Vent ura ▁College , ▁De An za ▁College ▁and ▁C añ ada ▁College . ▁Following ▁seven ▁years ▁of ▁teaching , ▁she ▁joined ▁Pacific ▁Tele phone ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁as ▁an ▁account ing ▁manager ▁and ▁then , ▁as ▁a ▁corpor ate ▁strateg ic ▁pl anner , ▁where ▁she ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁company ▁that ▁became ▁Pacific ▁T eles is ▁Group ▁and ▁sought ▁to ▁re create ▁itself ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁break up ▁of ▁AT & T . ▁As ▁a ▁corpor ate ▁pl anner , ▁she ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁team ▁that ▁advoc ated ▁expansion ▁into ▁a ▁then ▁new ▁technology ▁area , ▁cell ular ▁phone ▁service , ▁resulting ▁in ▁Pac T el ▁Mobile , ▁finally ▁acquired ▁by ▁V od af one . ▁ ▁Early ▁political ▁career ▁East in ▁began ▁her