Kathleen Wyrwas:
CLASS OF 1984
Greendale High SchoolClass of 1984
Greendale, WI
Butler Middle SchoolClass of 1981
Waukesha, WI
Horning Middle SchoolClass of 1981
Waukesha, WI
Corpus Christi Catholic SchoolClass of 1980
Milwaukee, WI
Heyer Elementary SchoolClass of 1978
Waukesha, WI
Kathleen's Story
Life
After h.s. graduation, I went off to Michigan for college on a scholarship at the University of Detroit. My first two semesters were as a journalism major, then I switched to MIS to be a systems analyst. I started working as a co-op programmer for Burroughs (now Unisys) in 1986. I graduated in 88 and am still with Unisys in metro Detroit. However, I'm no longer a programmer. In 1996 I made a career change to technical writer, and now write paper documentation, online help, web-based user assistance, and field servicing videos, all for the equipment my company builds. I'm still single, no kids, 2 cats, bought my first home (a condo) in spring 2000. My dad is still in Germantown, still married. My mom moved from Greendale to West Allis in 1990, then to the far northwest burbs of Chicago in 2001. My brother (GHS class of '91) is now a doctor and working in Cleveland, running an orthopedics rehab clinic at a hospital.
My recent passions are local rock bands, and taking photos of them! There are 4 bands I see regularly. One of the groups even calls me up to sing with them once in awhile, and another group will too, but first I gotta find songs for us all to learn.
Well, it says we're not *supposed* to list email addresses here, but I will anyway (but you'll have to "translate" into the right format): kwyrwas at ameritech dot net.
School
What the heck DID I do in high school anyway?? Freshman year was my first year in Greendale. We had moved there from Waukesha after my mom remarried. Sports? Not much -- synchronized swimming for one year (although I had done it at the Waukesha YMCA for a couple seasons). Looking back I *wish* I had joined the softball and soccer teams, but didn't know anyone and was too shy (insecure maybe?) to join on my own. Other activities? I tried drama with Ms Vavra the summer before freshman year, to try and meet some future classmates. Went to Europe with Ms Hiebl in summer 1982. Makeup crew for the fall play. Yearbook stuff for 3 yrs. Math club for 3 yrs. Rode the school bus from the "M" section. Didn't have my own car till the summer after graduation. Hosted traveling AFS students for a week before they went back to their own countries - did that for...Expand for more
3 yrs - the big dance party downtown Milw at the end of the week was always the best time! Hey Wendy, Julie, remember being "groupies" for the boys' air band? :)
College
A "college" biography?? Letsee, University of Detroit is a small private Jesuit school in a very urban area. NOT at all like Greendale! Boy was I surprised, even though I had been to campus twice while still a senior at GHS. I lived in the dorms my first three years, and got a "real" apartment when I was a senior. Not just off-campus housing, but something totally unaffiliated with college life.
I didn't do the sorority thing. At the time it bothered me, since my roommate joined, and the neighbors on both sides of my room joined. As a small school, there were only 2 sororities available. It got pretty snobby to the point where they didn't even talk to you if you weren't a sister -- so that's why I'm glad I didn't join!
Overall, I got a great education, and they had a terrific co-op program (I still have the job I found thru them, 18 yrs later) so I can't complain.
Workplace
May of 2004 saw my 18th anniversary with my employer. As a co-op programmer way back when, I worked on a manufacturing inventory system. When I hired in after graduation in 88, I joined a group that was creating a brand new engineering bill of material and change control application. Since I had "experience" from co-op days, I got to help design the underlying architecture of the database and the main structure of the application. (Arnie Engebretsen would've been proud!) Then in 1996 some re-prioritizing was done and I went to work on an travel expense reporting application. That didn't last; the interpersonal stuff in that group was not a good fit. So I ended up writing!! All the years spent writing application specs (how things were supposed to work) were good training for writing "Step 1, Step 2, do this, do that." I've had MORE fun as a tech writer ... got to attend conferences, did presentations at other conferences, I get to play with lots software, and make my own graphic drawings and video. The people at my location are very social, and we have shuffleboard, bowling, softball, sailboat outings, cabin weekends on the lake....
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