David Padgett:
CLASS OF 1986
Travelers Rest High SchoolClass of 1986
Travelers rest, SC
Presbyterian CollegeClass of 1990
Clinton, SC
Spartanburg Methodist CollegeClass of 1988
Spartanburg, SC
David's Story
Life
Well, what can I say about myself after not keeping up with anyone from highschool. I spent 18 years trying to get out of South Carolina and got as far as North Carolina. After highschool, I went to Spartenburg Methodist College and obtained an Associate in Arts, then went on to Presbyterian College to obtain my Bachelors of Arts Degree. After college, I was hired by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. Being employed, I set my sights on a beautiful and intelligent young lady that I met at Presbyterian College. Well, the planets must have been in line, because we were married in June of 1991. I 've been married my wife, Renee, for 22 years now. She a very beautiful and intelligent woman, and she prides herself on being a Proverbs 31 woman. I have two wonderful kids, James (15) and Carlina (13). They keep me very busy and involved in their lives. We live in the small town of Mt Holly and love it here. I 've been a Police Officer for 23 years with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. I been lucky to experience a number of different positions such as Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Warrant Officer, Community Coordinator, Detective for the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office, Parole Accountability Officer for Mecklenburg County and Research Officer in the Research, Planning and Analysis Division. Currently, I am a Response Area Cordinator for the Providence Division. My next career goal is to be promoted to Sergeant with the next couple of years. I've been a part fo the Military Reserves for the last 27 years. Currently, I hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and serve as the Battalion Commadner for the 1188th DDSB in DeCatur, GA. In November 2003, I was mobilized for active duty service in Kuwait/Iraq with the 812th Transportation Battalion out of Charlotte, NC as a Staff Officer / S-4 (Logistics Officer). I returned home to my family in November of 2004. In December of 2004, I was awarded a Bronze Star for my work in Logistics and up armoring over 500 vehicles in the battalion to keep soldier safe during convoys into Iraq. Let's just say that my work over there involved a lot of long hours, and that I experienced a number of things that most people will never have the opportunity to. I'm proud of my service to my country, I was deployed again in Nov of 2010, but this time to the country of Afghanistan. I was awarded the Brinze Star for my work in Logistics with the 401st Army Field Support Command located in Bagram. I 'm more proud of my wife and how she handled everything in my absence. On the day I was mobilized, our house sold after being on the market for three years. So my lovely wife had to close on the old house, get the VA Loan by herself, move into an Apartment with two young kids, start the building process on our new house, and once it was completed, move out of the apartment into the new house. Meanwhile, I was enjoying the desert environment desperately wishing I was home. To be honest, I wish there was a Bronze Star for military spouses, because she definitely deserves it. It's great being married to such a wonderful woman. On top of that, she bought me a new scooter (motorcycle) when I returned home. What more could a man ask for? I've come a long way since 1986, especially considering in highschool I was a shy, skinny, geeky kid. I quess some things do improve with age. My plans for the future are to catch up on lost time with my family, and start to work on my Masters Degree sometime in the near future. I'd like to hear from the guys and gals that I used to hang out with during highschool. It's hard to remember everyone, but these names come to mind; Aubrey, Rowdy, Allen, Rawlin, Jeff, Gina, Bruce, Pam, Donna and the gang from the River Falls community. Please forgive me if I left out any out.
HIgh School
Hmmm......What can I say about high school? To be quite honest, I couldn't wait to get high school behind me and go on to college. I had a select group of people that I called friends and concentrated on what defined me as a person. I often wonder what happened to Troy, who I thought was one of the smartest guys in school, besides Bill Williams. Last thing I remember was Troy dropped out of school in the eleventh grade to pursue a dream of becoming a guitar player. Bill Williams was an all around great guy and I imagine he went on to be somebody of importance in the engineering field. Like everyone else, I got busy with life as an adult and lost track of several people that I called friend back in high school. I would like to apologize to those friends. I remember fun times with great guys like Aubrey, Rawlin, Rowdy, Jeff and others that also escape my mind. I remember the trip to the beach in my VW Camper Van and the bottles of Champagne that explod...Expand for more
ed during the trip and showered us with the bubbly. I remember afternoons with Jeff modifying my Honda Civic and talking about the future. I remember afternoons with Rowdy fishing in the creek talking about who we thought was the prettiest girl in school (You already know who I mentioned). I remember sharing my summer adventures in California with my friends and telling them about my summer romance with a beautiful young woman named Monica. If it hadn't been for this select group of friends, I think high school would have been unbearable. To all those that I considered to be my friends, I hope that life has treated you well and that the good Lord has blessed you. I can honestly say that my college experiences allowed me broaden my mind and put me on the path of the man I am today.
College
In order to save some money, I decide to go to Spartenburg methodist College to start my studies. I could n't wait to live on campus and experience college life. Unlike highschool, college allowed me to broaden my mind, discover a lot of new experiences and come out of my shell little by little. I have a lot of fond memories of SMC, most of them dealing with friendships that were made and romances that were sparked. Ah....to fall in love and to have your heart broken by a beautiful young woman. A lesson that I learned several times at SMC as a part of growing from an ackward high school kid to a young man in college. Who do I remember most....that would be Chirstine Fitzgerald. I remember her name because she was the first girl that I fell head over heels for at SMC. But I was not fated to be with her as she fell for another student and left me devestated. My first true lesson at SMC, "How to mend a broken heart." I had a great time with Christine and hope that she found her soulmate. I made a lot of friends at SMC and enjoyed the classes that I took in pursuit of my degree. The one friend that I still keep in touch with today is my classmate Jorge Orsavey. They say that true friendships are very seldom, so hold on to them tightly. Jorge and I still call one another and keep each other up to date on the events of our life. I received my Assoicate in Arts Degree and transfered to Presbyterian College to pursue my Bachelor in Arts. I have to admit that the studies at Presbyterian College were harder than SMC. Even though I had to buckle down when it came to studying, I still took the opportunity to enjoy what college life had to offer. Even though there were many a nights that I spent at the Waffle House studying for tests and exams, there were usually a group of friends that were sharing the experiences with me. There are several people that I remember from Presbyterian College. One of them would be Amy Thurmond, whose friendship I valued very much. I hate that I lost contact with her. The last I heard was that she married her sweetheart, Josh, and moved to Canada. I do hope that life has treated her well. Another person that I still keep in touch with is Keith Simmers. We had a lot of good times in ROTC. I specifically remember the fruit punch spiked with Everclear and that we all got extremely drunk. I remember Keith having to hold Phil head over a trash can while he puked from drinking too much. That was quite a party and a hell of a hangover. Another person would be my wife, Renee, who I met one afternoon in the MTV room at the student center. Renee worked in the Library as a part of her student work study program, but you could always find her in the student center reading or watching TV in the MTV room. Renee and I didn't date seriously until I graduated from Presbyterian. I can truly say that the good Lord blessed me by putting her in my path. In June of this year, we celebrated 22 years of marriage. We experienced quite a bit over the last 22 years, but I wouldn't have chosen anyone else to share this journey with through this life. I lived in Doyle Dorm, which used to be the Infirmery for the college. My parents weren't particularly frilled that I chose to live there, but I had some great times in Doyle and wouldn't trade them for anything. The guys in Doyle were known for throwing some wild parties. I enjoyed all the classes that I took at Presbyterian because the professors challenged our minds instead of going through the motions. There were a number of very interesting discussions as a result of professors challenging students to think. After spending two years at Presbyterian, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and moved to Charlotte, NC to start a career. I would later come back to Presbyterian to date my future wife, then bring her to Charlotte also. I am truly thankful for the education I received and the life lessons I experienced at both Spartenburg Methodist College and Presbterian College.
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