Jeanette Jimenez
From National City (Cad Operator)
My Little Pony. I got one when I was four years old. I had it for maybe two years. A lot of the girls in my neighborhood had that at the time I was growing up. They were plastic and had a scent to them. You could also brush their hair.
Jose Alicea
From Downtown (Engineer)
Voltron, which was a robot that was made out of robo cats and dogs. You could take it apart and put it back together. The arms were tigers or lions; the legs were different, various animals. It was a bit like a Transformer. I think I was around four when I got one. I probably had it for about a year. My brother lost it or hid it from me. I eventually found it behind his bed in pieces. To this day, he doesn't admit to breaking it.
Laura Van Horn
From Otay Ranch (Engineer)
Definitely an Etch-a-Sketch. From the time I was four to eight years old. I was always drawing the inside of houses. I was one of the only girls in my neighborhood. All the boys had G.I. Joes and footballs. Sure, I liked Barbies and all her shoes. I enjoyed riding my bike, but of all my toys, the Etch-a-Sketch was my favorite. I even got one on my keychain. And it had an influence on what career path I chose.
Less Poole
From San Marcos (Bartender)
AVertiBird. It was a little police helicopter connected to a 36-inch wire. It flew up and down and in circles. The controller allowed it to move forward and backward and hover. It had a hook in it to pick up items and fly off with them. All speeds and movements controlled by a hand lever. I'd buy one right now if they still made them...for my son, of course.
Dori Schriebman
From Point Loma (Real Estate)
It depends on your age as a kid. It always changed. I had a Mercedes go-cart. It started like a lawn mower, had ten horsepower, and used regular gasoline. It was about six feet long, with a stick shift. I liked my Muscle Men action figures. There was a time the Pogo Ball was my favorite. It was like a Pogo Stick. My all-time favorite was probably my Red Rider BB gun. I'd blow everything up with that.
Ray Stevens
From Carlsbad (Accountant)
Matchbox cars were a favorite of mine for years. I had a five-year period where I collected them. I would trade them with all the neighborhood kids. We had these little suitcase things we stored them in. Some of them were replicas of real cars. Others were hot rods with flames painted on the sides and huge engines. At some point, you get older and grow out of them.