It is quite an honor it is to be invited back to the Class of 1979 reunion. It is nice to be remembered. I left Shawnee Heights in 1982 and started working for an oil/gas drilling contractor. I spent 10 years with them and moved to Lafayette, LA and then later to Denver, CO. In 1992, I had an opportunity to join my father in business and moved back to El Dorado. It was a blessing because he passed away suddenly that year. In 1999, I had the opportunity to return to teaching as a business/computer studies teacher at an alternative high school in the Wichita Public School district. What is hard for me to believe is that I am entering my 11th year of teaching at Metro Meridian! It is a great atmosphere where students who have experienced failure in a comprehensive high school can gain a second chance. Students can earn credits without the seat time normally associated with a comprehensive school. I am a firm believer that students learn differently and we (public education) must be prepared with differentiated instruction to meet those needs.

Over the 30 years I have taken the opportunity to visit our many United States, foreign countries, and little hamlets in our great state. I have experienced the joy of marriage, divorce, moves, and keeping up with my niece and nephew. I enjoy playing golf with friends and riding my motorcycle in my free time. I wish I could say I look the same but have discovered that age comes with graying hair, additional weight, and aches. But hopefully like many of you, I am living a blessed life and look forward to seeing all my former students, my fellow teachers, and other members of the class of 1979.