Tuesday, September 6, 2011

25 Years Later: Where Are They Now?

My 8th grade class is having a reunion at St. Matthew's Catholic Church this Saturday. We'll tour the school at 3:00, and reminisce a bit before and after. I put together a questionnaire and figured that the easiest way to post responses was through Hidden Blog. So here we go, so far:

Jeanne (Kelly) Hamilton

3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
I am married to my husband, Brian and have three girls Kelsey (8), Katelin (6) and Lauren (4). We have a family dog - Marley.

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
I attended Driscoll High School, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Denver. I have worked for a marketing firm in London, England, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Westchester, IL, CCFA in Des Plaines, and Habitat for Humanity in Waukegan.

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
I live in Wadsworth, IL. I have lived in London, England; Denver, CO; Wildwood, IL; Zion, IL.

6. What do you do for fun? Have you traveled outside of Illinois?
For fun, I bike, swim, downhill ski, slalom ski, travel, play with my kids, hike and enjoy gardening.
I have traveled many places: England, France, Germany, Ireland, Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Canada, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Florida, Tennessee, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
I remember one science fair project: the affect of baking soda on mold. I grew lots of fun molds.

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
My most memorable teacher was Sr. Janet Marie in 4th grade. She was very disciplined and was very disciplinary. She taught me that life involves a lot of discipline and how to live with it.

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
My favorite school subject was history. My favorite playground activity was kickball.

Carolyn Weinbaum (maiden-Diesing)


3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
Husband- Aaron
Daughter Hannah 9yrs
Son Ryan 6 yrs
No pets any longer:(

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
Glenbard East HS/ Farragut HS (Knoxville, TN)
Went to College at University of TN, Knoxville
Worked at Duke University Medical Center, Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology Research Lab
Now work at Duke as Program Manager for The Duke Center for Science Education

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
Durham, NC Lived in Knoxville, TN

6. What do you do for fun? Have you traveled outside of Illinois?
Still sing and compete in quartet competitions. We love to bike as a family and spend time with the kids as much as possible. We have traveled to China, Jamaica, Mexico, & Puerto Rico...and of course a LOT of the states:)

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
Yes...try NOT too!

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
Ms. Vilimek....she taught confidence and acceptance.

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
Math! Loved when we would play softball with Sister Mary Catherine pitching.

10. Any other favorite memories?
Fr. Quinn getting US citizenship (all in red, white, & blue sweater). Hot Lunch! The eraser cleaner. And going to school before it started to help the teachers decorate the rooms and make copies (before copiers!)

Ron Sport Dukes


3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
Evan Dukes 18
Emilie Dukes 13
Ethan Dukes 10

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
Junior college for the fire service no exciting jobs

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
Glendale Hts, IL
Lancaster, MO 3 years
Kaneville IL 5 years

bill diesing


3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
Linda, mom
deana, older sister
toni, younger sister

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
immaculate conception, elmhurst Loras College

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
addison il, dubuque IA rockford, IL platteville WI

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
made a Manger ashtray, took oriental cooking

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
mrs reade, had a nice heart to heart in 8th grade about my potential

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
softball in our school uniforms

10. Any other favorite memories?
county fair

Heather Holtz Banks


3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
Husband James Daughter Charlotte(Charlie) Dogs Dobby 2 year old lab Gracie 1 year old pom

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
Lake Park Highschool College of Dupage ISU work The Baby Fold Residential Treatment Center St. Mary's Catholic Grade School now Coal City Public Library District

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
Now Coal City, IL Normal, IL Streator, IL

6. What do you do for fun? Have you traveled outside of Illinois?
For fun I scrapbook and camp and spend time with friends and family We have been all over the USA and to Jamaica

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
4h I did Paper Quilling with the Sister in Charge of the library. I also Did Oriental Cooking

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
Mr. Fuoco we always played that cut throat game when studying for a test. Around the world i Think

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
Science

10. Any other favorite memories?
7th Grade field trip to Chicago. the homeless guy peeing outside the McDonalds window while we were eating and the boys getting in trouble for chewing tobacco in the bathroom.

Rick Herrera


3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
Single

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
Glenbard north high school... Northern Illinois university

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
Glendale Heights

6. What do you do for fun? Have you traveled outside of Illinois?
Music/ guitar ..... Movies/.... Anything eighties Sports... College football/ pro

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
I was in a rocketry 4h project... We got to make and launch rockets!!!

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
I remember something about each teacher... To be discussed later...

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
I remember spirit day... And the track meets that we had!!!

10. Any other favorite memories?
8th grade field trip to Milwaukee, miller factory... Riding on the back of the bus!!

Elizabeth Nowick-Ignatius


3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
Husband jerry, Ðaughters rebecca (8), penelope (4). 2 parakeets, 1 fish

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
SFHS and Driscoll, UC Irvine. Now work for Carol Stream Police

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
Wheaton IL
Mission Viejo,CA

6. What do you do for fun? Have you traveled outside of Illinois?
Gardening, cooking, Art, Concerts

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
4H - Painting w/ mr. Lee, cake decorating with mrs. Foss, knitting All of which I still use.

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
Sr. Janet Marie - although I spent a lot of time in the hallway copying dictionary pages, she unknowingly fostered my love of language.

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
I remember liking Mr. Fuoco's science classes. He always made sure we had fun, while yelling at us. I remember when the school got enough "jog a thon" money to get us playground equipment. That Maypole ROCKED!! Probably not the best activity for girls in skirts though.

Joe McDonald

3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
Dena (married 1998), no children or grandchildren, no pets.

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
Driscoll HS, Illinois State U.
I work as an actuary for State Farm Life Insurance Company (17 yrs)

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
Normal, IL since graduating high school. Lived here longer than the burbs!

6. What do you do for fun? Have you traveled outside of Illinois?
I assistant coach boys' basketball at the local high school, tutor math, play guitar, read and blog.
We've traveled to Paris, Los Angeles (honeymoon), and the Grand Canyon.

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
4-H: Computers. Also woodworking with Mr. Mroz (twice!). Totally bombed at crocheting (come again?).
Science fair: Which battery brand lasts longest?

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
Mr. Lee, what a character! His dramatic readings/impressions in Social Studies.

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
Softball in the parking lot. Get Dave Nelson on your team! Monkey bars were fun.

10. Other memories?

Tornado warning... hunched over in the hall while nuns led us in prayers.

Basketball... too many to list. 8 points in 19 seconds to beat St. Joe's 20-19. Pete's buzzer beater hook shot. Six games in one weekend.

Lunch ladies, milk delivered in big plastic trays, cleaning erasers using the machine, hot lunches.

8th grade vs. faculty softball win.

Mr. Pelletier the old janitor.

Blue knit polos and black pants!

Sr. Janet's yardstick, and jumping jacks after lunch.

Mr. Fuoco's bout with hepatitis.

Laura Monaco Fischer

3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
Husband Jeff, Twins - daughter Danielle and son Dylan, baby Sean

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
Glenbard North HS '90, Illinois State University '94, worked for Caterpillar in Joliet, Baxter Healthcare Corporation - Environmental Health & Safety and coached figure skating at Fox Valley Ice Arena, Geneva, IL and director of FS at Leafs Ice Centre - West Dundee, IL

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
Elmhurst, IL currently lived in South Elgin, IL and Geneva, IL

6. What do you do for fun? Have you traveled outside of Illinois?
Still love skating, love being up at the lake in Lake Geneva, golf, movies, dinner club with a chef, NU and UW football games with my family and traveling to university campuses with my family

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
Heck ya - rug hooked a sweet dog, made a fantastic cheeseburger and fries with all the fixings, THE BEST cabbage patch cake decorator, but I can't remember my arts and crafts final project (the only 5th grader with all 8th graders in the class)...

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
I would have to say that I loved Mrs. Mangini the most in second grade. I have vivd memories of her with her favorites - Ted & Sean. Doreen was one too (she shared her cucumbers and carrots for lunch with them) I was jealous :) But seriously, I just remember how fun her class was, how creative she was, how she read to us Charlie & the Chocolate Factory AND the Great Glass Elevator and she taught cursive unlike any other - it was a true art form. She could put the fear of GOD in you and hug tightly all at the same time.

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
My favorite subject was US History and the Constitution exam with Mr. Lee - LOL - enough said - we all now how entertaining that was. My least favorite was ALGEBRA with Mrs. Read - she hated me and thought I was dumb!

10. Any other favorite memories?

1. I remember our 8th grade talent show luau.
2.Theresa Enders always doing flips off the monkey bars
3. Sweaty hands during square dancing
4. Chelsea always had the cutest/perfect hair (still does)
5. David Nelson and Lynn Obenza dating in 8th grade
6. The best sleepovers at Doreen's house
7. Krystina and her love affair with PRINCE
8. Beth Nowak getting busted for make-up and nail polish often
9. Jim Nagrant being pulled by his ear into the office of Sr. Mary Catherine
10. Kim Glancey breaking her leg
11. Hiding inside the playground tires while hanging upside down
12. Being pushed into a large mud puddle by Jason McKenna after school and having my younger brother run out of school, jump on his back, hitting him - while screaming "you hurt my sister"!
13.Hanging out at Medaline's house every summer,
14.Jason McKenna giving me gold earrings for Christmas (yes I still have them),
15. Jason Reyes giving me earrings for Christmas too!
16.Making colored glue rulers in our desk and being ticked that the CCD kids would destroy them each week,
17. I remember Holly Chojnacki always being in trouble - don't quite remember why. Eric, Ron, Ed and a few others were in trouble often too...
18. Does anyone else remember Sean, Ted, Patti, Holly and whom else went to school with us, but didn't graduate?

Theresa Morgan (Enders)


3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
Chris is my husband, we married in February, 1996. Beth Nowick probably remembers how frigid it was that night , -50 with windchill. My Dad used to say hell would freeze over before I married "that long haired guy"... well? They talk more now when we're together than my Dad and I do:) I am blessed with two wonderful girls, Makayla is 10 years and Isabella is 8 years old. Had no idea how motherhood would forever change me for the better. We have a spunky spirited golden retriever puppy ( he's almost 2yrs, but they act like puppies until they're at least 4yrs old... at least that's what our last golden, Buzz, taught us) We are down to two parrot fish and an algae eater( can't spell that one) Can't say that I'm too sad that our four hamsters are no longer part of our lives~ had no idea how stinky they could be!!!

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
I also went to Driscoll H.S. then went on to N.I.U. and have worked as a nurse ever since. I started at Marionjoy Rehab center in Wheaton. I then went to Elmhurst Hospital and worked there in the operating room and on the heart team for about 12 years. I am now working at Delnor hospital in Geneva and have been there about 7 months now. I am much closer to home now, but miss my old work buddies a lot!

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
I have lived in St. Charles, IL for 7 years, prior to that I lived in Lombard, IL. I am blessed to have most of my family within a 30 minute drive away, so I'm not going anywhere soon.

6. What do you do for fun? Have you traveled outside of Illinois?
I love being outdoors. Camping, biking, bumping a volleyball with my daughters. Running with my dog. I like to cook, but am still hoping to get good at it. Luckily my family is forgiving. I've travelled to Mexico & Costa Rica both for family weddings. I've also been to a few states, AZ, NJ, NY, FL, WI, MI, IA. So fun to see our country~ wish I had more vacation time and money to travel more.

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
I mostly remember my brothers Science fair mouse maze project. I loved watching that mouse try to get to the cheese. I also just loved having a living creature in our home. " animals are for farms, not for inside the house"...you know. Love my Dad!

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
I also just loved Mr Lee and his dramatic "bows and arrows" descriptions of history...so great! I can picture him now. I also just loved Mr Fuoco. He did yell-teach, but he really did make it fun!!!

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
I had so much fun on that maypole too. Many skinned knees, but probably didn't even see those. Hard to see behind those bruised shins from hockey in the gym. That was another one of my favorites!

10. Any other favorite memories?
I had so much fun at volleyball practice....sure volleyball was fun, but jumping off the balcony into the gymnastics crash mat was AWESOME!!! Loved Track...the long jump, hurdles, long runs. Loved Ms. Olsen...tough and funny. Loved wearing my rollerskates to school for Halloween and rollerskating in all the hallways. How did I get away with that one? Loved coming to school in August to " help the teacher" so we could secretly try to get information on which class we and all our friends were in:) I was crazy and loved all those Presidential physical tests we would take. Sounds crazy but St Matts still has the same "smell" in the hallways I remember as a kid. Love that!

Medaline Santiago

3. Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
I got married to Ariel Ibarrientos in 2001. I have a 6 year old daughter Mia, and a 4 year old daughter Allison.

4. Where have you gone to school or worked since St. Matthew?
Glenbard North High School
Northwestern University for undergrad studies and then medical school Loyola University Medical Center for pediatric residency training
Worked at Victoria's Secret through most of high school.
Currently a pediatrician in Arlington Heights, IL.

5. Where do you live now? Where else have you lived since St. Matthew?
Bartlett, IL is where I currently live. Before that, Evanston, downtown Chicago, Oak Park then circled back to Glendale Heights before moving to Bartlett.

6. What do you do for fun? Have you traveled outside of Illinois?
I have traveled to many states (Hawaii, California, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, D.C., New York, New Jersey and nearby midwestern states). Visited the countries of Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.

7. Do you remember any of your 4-H fair or science fair projects?
Counted cross stitching...my eyesight has never been the same since! The effect of electromagnetism on the growth of a bean seed...such a nerd!

8. Who's your most memorable teacher, and why?
Mr. Fuoco- he was a riot. I remember him telling jokes during class and getting busted by the principal who was listening in on the intercom.

9. What was your favorite school subject or playground activity?
The playground monkey bars. I remember practicing the penny drop and nickel drop off of them, and watching Theresa Enders (?) do back flips off the monkey bars.

10. Any other favorite memories?
When my brother Simon and sister Tish and I just missed the school bus pick up one morning and we saw Eric Meyer and the gang at the back of the bus waving bye to us. Don't think they bothered to tell the bus driver to stop. Oh well, it worked to our advantage cause when we walked back home my dad called us all in sick. We played Atari Space Invaders all day!

Pat Flynn

I won't be there, but here are some memories I wanted to share w/ you Lancers from back in the day.* Oliver Ramiro trying to teach me to DJ in his basement * Henry Nocom & I singing "Shout" by Tears for Fears in that studio recording place in Stratford Square * Ted Novy & I riding bikes to see "Back to the Future" for the 3rd time * Eric Meyer & I walking to the Convenient Store on Friday Night's * Becky Sparks piercing my ear with a safety pin & ice cube * Jim Nagrant's dance to "Conga" by Gloria Estefan in music glass * Asking Laura Simon to be my girlfriend & then only communicating with her through notes because I was too
scared/shy. * My favorite Teacher was the guy with the mustache that worked as a beer vendor at Wrigley for the Cubs in the summer * Last, but not least in countless memories provided by the Best Coach & one of my all-time favorite people...Mr. McDonald :-)

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