I attended Central as a freshman. Then, two new high schools were built in South Bend (LaSalle and Jackson) and I finished high school at LaSalle. While I met many wonderful people at LaSalle, I have to admit I always followed the Central Bears and often wish I had been able to graduate from Central.

Started out at St Stephens for K thru 3rd grade. In 4th grade transferred to Marquette....Muessel Jr Hight for 7th & 8th. Then, unfortunately, my mother made me attend St. Joseph High for my freshman year. We fought the entire year because I wanted to go to Central with all my old classmates. Finally my father said I could transfer to Central for my Sophamore year. After graduation I attended IUSB. Then the babies came along and we ended up being transferred for Terry's work to Mississippi & Louisiana. So from 1975 till the present we have changed from "Yankees" to what they call "Damn Yankees". In the South, if you weren't born in the South you aren't a real Southerner.

I so enjoyed being in Barnstormers drama group under Director and teacher Mr. James Lewis Cassidy. I remember my 2nd year Spanish teacher, Mr. Aguirre. He was bringing a friend to a fish fry I was working at telling me his friend spoke no English so I practiced a special greeting in Spanish and asked if he enjoyed his meal. I was nervous and hoped my Spanish was correct. Well when he answered me he spoke in English and we all had a good laugh and I was relieved he told me my Spanish was good!!

I have nothing but fond memories of Central; so much so that it's hard to talk to anyone about it without becoming teary. I owe so much of the happiness and success in my life to growing up in South Bend and attending Central. Five years ago, after a business trip to Chicago, Sharon and I visited South Bend and had a wonderful time - although I was an emotional wreck as we visited the old house on Riverside Drive, enjoyed the downtown and, yes, walked every hallway of the Central High Apartments. Boy, oh boy, was I tempted.... Highlight (?) of the trip was the releasing of my parents' ashes into the St. Joe on the north end of the island that's just south of the Michigan Street bridge. Both were Central High graduates.

Attended Indiana University, Bloomington and graduated in 1970 with BS in Elementary Education. Received my MA in Librarianship from San Jose State University in 1976. In 1987 I received my CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) certificate.

Enjoyed Ms. Hatt's world history classes. She showed pictures of her world travels which made the class so very interesting, not just something out of a book. I was fortunate to see some of the same places while my husband spent 22 years in the AirForce.