Love at Rutgers University

Hey Everyone!

First a big thanks to Kim and Heidi for their work on this blog and to everyone who sent in updates. It’s been great catching up!

So here is my rundown for the last 20 years.
After high school, I went to LSU and got a degree in journalism, then worked as a newspaper reporter for a while, in West Virginia and then in New Orleans. Then, I got a master’s degree from UNO, while enjoying all that the Big Easy had to offer. I also got to spend some time in Ireland and traveling around Europe. After that, I decided to become a cultural anthropologist and enrolled in a PhD program at Rutgers University in New Jersey. That’s when life started to feel grown up and a bit crazy. I taught classes to college students and did my own research at Rutgers, including field work on coastal development in Puerto Rico. Then my mom got diagnosed with advanced cancer. I was so grateful to be able to move home and care for her for a year. She passed away June 2001. I moved back to New Jersey just in time for the 9-11 attacks. I was living across the river from the Twin Towers at the time in Jersey City. Our neighborhood smelled of incinerated concrete and was being patrolled by armed military folks. It was creepy. A month later, I moved to a coastal town near New York to do my ethnographic research on the transition of a fishing community into a commuter suburb. At Rutgers I met my husband Ron Mallon when we were both students. He is probably the smartest and funniest person I know. He became a philosophy professor and spent two years at the University of Hong Kong. So I spent some time there with him and we traveled around Asia a bit. We moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2003, got married shortly after, bought a house, got a dog and then in 2005 became the proud parents of Avanel. She delights and amazes me every single day. I’m still working on my PhD, chipping away at my dissertation and aiming to graduate in the next year. I’m also working as a research analyst for the Utah Department of Health. It’s a nice 9-5 job that engages the qualitative research skills I developed in grad school and also gives me a lot of time to finish my dissertation and care for my family.



I’m not sure we’ll make it back home for the reunion – but we’re working on it.




Cheers,
Johnelle Lamarque

Baby on the Way

Hello,

Hello Everyone. I won't be able to make the 20 year
reunion because I'll be having baby #2 about that
time. I already have a 3 year old boy, and we're
looking forward to the arrival of a girl in June.
Since graduation, I received a bachelors and masters
in physics from Florida State and Michigan State. I
worked at the Goddard Space Flight Center outside of
D.C. for a while then moved to Houston in 1997. I'm
currently working for United Space Alliance
maintaining software for the Space Shuttle. I met my
husband here, and he's busy helping to design the next
space vehicle to follow the Space Shuttle. I'm sorry
to miss the reunion. I was looking forward to seeing
everyone. Have fun!

-Joy

Teaching and Traveling go hand and hand

Well, the reunion is almost here - have you signed up? We have heard from a lot of you, but there are still a lot that have not registered for the event. What are you waiting for? It is not too late to get involved with the festivities. We will be having another meeting in the next few weeks to finalize the reunion. If you are in the area, we would love to have you join us and give us your input. We will need help with decorating among other things.

Here is an update from Charlene - it seems she has been busy for the past 20 years.



Hello everyone. It's been great reading the updates that have been submitted to the reunion blog. Thanks to Heidi and Kim for keeping up with it. I have loved reading about what everyone has been up to. So here's the scoop on my last 20 years...

In 1988 I attended LSU for one half of a semester (whoo-hoo!!) before being presented with the opportunity to work on a cruise ship in Hawaii. I jumped at the chance and spend almost 6 months cruising around the Hawaiian islands. It was a great experience that I'll never forget.

After returning from Hawaii I lived in Slidell and Metairie working full time during the day and attending UNO part-time in the evenings. After several years of attending part-time I decided if wanted to graduate college before I needed a walker to get across the stage I would have to attend full time. I moved to St. Louis, Missouri where I attended Maryville University, a fabulous small private university. I thrived in the small university environment. I was nominated to present the Senior Speech at the awards ceremony the evening before graduation. I was proud to represent the Senior Class and spoke to a several hundred of my fellow graduates and their families about life at Maryville. I continue to stay active with my alumni association, even served as one of the youngest members on the Board of Directors for Century II Society, the university's top fund-raising group.

After graduation I worked several years in the financial sales arena before deciding my heart just wasn't in it. I moved to Houston in 2004 to be closer to my sister, her husband and my then 1 1/2 year old nephew. Shortly after arriving in Houston I decided to follow my heart and went back to school to get a Teaching Certificate. In a few short weeks I will complete my 3rd year teaching 5th grade Math and Science. I love my job. I have finally found my purpose! While teaching in today's "No Child Left Behind" world is difficult, it is by far the most rewarding experience in my life to date. Seeing a struggling student finally "get it" makes it all worthwhile. Every morning I look forward to going to school to see these wonderfully challenging, inspiring children.

I have had many opportunities for travel over the years...my travels have found me in Hawaii, Bermuda, Bahamas, Mexico, Aspen, San Francisco, Portland, New England, Las Vegas....and more. I'm looking forward to my first trip to Europe. Teaching affords me many weeks during the summer to satisfy my desire to travel...I'm looking forward to many short trips this summer.

I've attached a couple of pictures. I'm usually the one behind the camera so my options are very limited. But anyway, one is of me in Bermuda when I went on a swimming expedition with the dolphins...what an awesome experience that was! The other is of me and my friend, Yvette (Maxwell) McCroskey....she was an '86 Pearl River High Grad. She was with me at the Homecoming Party at Eric Abney's house. Alas, she will not be attending the reunion with me. I will happily be there with my boyfriend. I can't wait to see everyone! Please plan on attending....many of you didn't make it to the 10th reunion and I'd love to see you at the 20th.


Best Wishes,
Charlene Cafarelle
cafateach-shs@yahoo.com

Pray For Caroline

Below are a few emails we have received.

Hello! Drew Ann Arbaugh (now Drew Ann Long) is living outside Birmingham, AL and has a wonderful husband, David, and three beautiful children. However, her daughter Caroline is extremely ill. She has a website in case anyone would like to read about her. It is www.prayforcaroline.com.
Drew and David could sure use your prayers.

Tracy Forstall Fatta
____________________________________________________________________________

Hi, this is Gretchen Hudgens, formerly Gretchen Stenhouse. Bruce Newton
recently contacted me and informed me of the reunion. Unfortunatley I
don't think i'll make it, but it was nice to see some of our classmates
now. Just as an update on me, I have been an RN in ICU for the past ten
years, and i also work as a dialysis nurse prn. I have a 17 year old
son named Jake, two chihuahua puppies, and a boyfriend named Joey who
i've been with for a little over a year. I'll try to send some pics soon!

Gretchen Stenhouse Hudgens
____________________________________________________________________________________
Good to hear from y’all! I haven’t been able to find any definitive information about our reunion and was afraid I’d miss out.

I currently live in Hampton , GA , am married to Jeff Nix, have a son, Griffie, and two step-children, Cate and Dillon.

Ericka Montgomery Nix

Persistence Pays Off

Here is a new update from Barri Russell who will be joining us on June 23rd at the reunion. Will you be there? Don't forget to send in your payment information so that we can have a head count for Pinewood Country Club. Please direct all questions you may have to the email address.

See you in June.

Hey guys just wanted to give everyone an update on my life. Things have changed a lot since homecoming. I am now engaged and am moving to Mobile. Some of you may remember my new fiance', his name is Royce Perez. He went to school with us until 10th grade when he moved to Alabama. He has two amazing kids, Darian Jade, nine and Braeden Scott, three. He spent the last two years in Iraq working on Blackhawk helicopters. He looked me up after twenty some odd years, two years ago, and we starting writing emails. We lost contact again and a few months ago, low and behold he found me again. This time we I realized how amazing this guy must be to take the time to find me after all this time so I am not letting him get away again. We are plannng to get married in July and he will be at the reunion with me and he is excited about seeing everyone just as much as I am. So until then, hope everyone is doing wonderful and cannot wait to see you.

Barri