Karl Darden:
CLASS OF 1980
Smoky Hill High SchoolClass of 1980
Aurora, CO
Karl's Story
Life
Post High School snapshot:
* 1980 - 1984 U.S. Naval Academy
* 1984 - 1993 Active Duty Navy (Helicopter Pilot)
* 1993 - 2004 U.S. Naval Reserve
* 1993 - 1997 Health & Fitness Consultant
* 1997 - 2003 Sales Representative (Johnson & Johnson)
* 2003 - 2005 Sales Training Manager (Johnson & Johnson)
* As of Feb 2005 - District Sales Manager (Johnson & Johnson)
Other notes:
* Retired from the U.S. Navy Reserve as a Commander in August 2004 (20 years total service)
* Married in April 2000. (Winnie)
* Two children (Linah, born 5/31/02 and Ethan, born 12/29/03)
* Currently living in Avondale, AZ (West Phoenix)
It's been a fun ride so far. I'm amazed at how the time just keeps marching on. I am looking forward to watching my kids grow up over the next 10-15 years. Even after getting off active duty in 1993, I have still wound up moving every 3-4 years. It looks like the next one I make will more than likely be the last since the kids will just be starting school. July 2007 marked my 10th year with Johnson & Johnson. This was after 9 years on active duty in the Navy as a helicopter pilot. I stayed in the reserves for another 11 in a non flying capacity and completed 20 years of total service in 2004. Through all of that, I was able to make it back for the 10 & 20 year reunions. Both were a lot of fun. It was nice to see how great everyone was doing. I didn't get married until April 2000. My wife Edwina (Winnie) is from Chicago. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to share this ride with. My daughter Linah and son Ethan bring me happiness each day that just can't be measured. All in all, I've been extremely fortunate. I continue to stay involved with the U.S. Naval Academy as a volunteer liaison officer. My primary focus is to educate the local high schools on what the Academy has to offer. This is especially true for high potential Hispanics and African Americans. I have also become involved with an organization whose mission is to bring clean, safe drinking water and basic sanitation to villages throughout sub-Saharan Africa that are sorely in nee...Expand for more
d. They use donations to build freshwater wells in different countries and educate the people on how to properly maintain the equipment. A well that costs only $10,000 to build can provide clean water and severely reduce disease for 500 people for 20 years. It's a terrific organization, and they are truly making a difference. Right now, I guess you could say the two most important things to me are my family and my causes. Take care, everyone.
School
My two favorite teachers without question were Eric Coble and Ken Carmann. I saw Mr. Coble at the 10 year reunion and Coach Carmann at the 20 year. That was great!
College
My four years at the U.S. Naval Academy provided me with an experience unlike any other. The standard course load was 18-19 credit hours per semester, and it wasn't unusual to carry 20 on occasion. We had three formations a day as well as the possibility of Saturday morning classes during the first two years if you got a lousy course registration time slot. Skipping class was not an option unless you enjoyed being restricted to your room on the weekends. Actually, the food wasn't terrible. I still think about what goes into feeding 4000 people at the same time. The biggest challenge was time management. All four years, virtually every hour of your day was accounted for. The trick was being able prioritize everything. It took me a while, but I finally got the hang of it. Suffice it to say that I didn't exactly coast to my engineering degree. No regrets though. The day I graduated still ranks in the top 5 as one of the best days of my life. Over the years, it has gone from #1 to #5, having been replaced (in order of importance) by my wedding day, the days my daughter and son were born, and the day I graduated from flight school. It was a great experience though. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Along with my parents, the Naval Academy played a huge role in determining the course my life took. I will always be grateful for that, and I continue to work to make other promising young men and women aware of this unique educational opportunity.
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Reunions
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Photos
