Maria Turner:  

r girl or the most beautiful, but I KNOW I turned out all right! I have a wonderful husband, daughter, and grandchildren, and a nice home and friends to make me smile. I became a teacher, just like I always said I would, and since 1986 I've been a really good one! Although there were some really rough spots, especially during our senior year, I can look back on high school fondly and know that I'm still friends with the people who were a big part of my life then. I can't believe almost 40 years have passed! Fairdale folks, come to the reunions! It's fun to see everyone!! College Go Toppers! Western was the best school . . . close enough to home that I could go back when I wanted to (and even when I didn't really want to), but far enough that I felt like I was on my own. I loved living in Bates Runner Hall, even though we didn't have air conditioning. We were a little family, especially when I was on the first floor. I met my best friend in the whole world on the first floor of Bates; she lived down the hall and around the corner from me. The English department was hard, but fun. Dr. Little's English Grammar was one of the most challenging classes I've ever taken! He was an excellent teacher. My favorite was Dr. Heldman, though. I took all of his classes, I believe. I love Victorian literature because of him. Parties, parties, parties . . . beer and pizza in the dorm (shhhhh!) . . . skipping 8:00 classes . . . going out to pick up cookies or brownies or something to bake when the roads were hazardous with snow and ice . . . almost getting my car towed because I left it in the 10 minute zone . . . my friend, Darrell (WHERE ARE YOU?? UPDATE! FOUND HIM ON FACEBOOK!) . . . the theatre department and "House at Pooh Corner" . . . NEA/SP and traveling as state president . . . so many fun memories will always be with me. I wouldn't go back and do high school over again, but I think I would like to relive college a bit! Workplace My first job was at South Park Country Club, and I suppose my title was, generously, "Tennis Pro Assistant." I signed people in and out at the courts, took care of the shuffleboard equipment, uhhhh . . . swept up a bit, watched some TV, worked on my tan . . . it was boring as heck, unless somebody dropped by to see me! Charlie Hartman stopped by one night after he got off work in the kitchen, and as he was pulling out of the parking lot, he hit my car! Mark broke up with me there, I think . . . I associate the breakup with being at work, somehow . . . anyway, I added myself to the SPCC list because I'm already on all my school lists (where I've taught) and Classmates.com wasn't recognizing that I had a work profile. I always wanted to be a radio DJ or radio advice guru . . .maybe someday . . . for now I'll stick to being a teacher. Update: I retired in 2013, but I never really retired, and now I'm back full time. The kids need me, and I need them, too.