Kathy Konen-Ornelas:
CLASS OF 1981
Quincy High SchoolClass of 1981
Quincy, WA
Big Bend Community CollegeClass of 1983
Moses lake, WA
Kathy's Story
Life
Hello all! Still living in Quincy! I love it here! Happily married to another QHS Grad, Andy Ornelas - 1974 (married for 39 years!). Have 3 boys, Jordan-36, Aaron-35, Christopher-31. Jordan graduated from USAF Academy is married & was in the Air Force until Fall of 2019; now living in Georgia and they have 5 great kids! Aaron is 35 and working & living in San Diego, he loves it there, Christopher is married to a great local girl & they have 2 little ones and he still lives in Quincy (Yay!)
POST HIGH SCHOOL YEARS: After HS, I went to Big Bend Community College on a volleyball scholarship - attended 1 year. Married a wonderful guy, Andy Ornelas, June 1982. Decided to stop college & work full-time. (silly me! Shoulda finished college...oh well!) Became teacher's aide at one of our old "Alma-Maters": Pioneer Elem. School. Worked there 3 yrs, also coached Jr. high soccer and high school volleyball. Stopped working at Pioneer when 1st child was born. After 3rd & last child was born, went back to work various places: local Dept. Store for a couple yrs, sold Tupperware and kept coaching. Then went back to work for Quincy School District, as a substitute teacher's aide in Jan. 1994, and also refereed HS volleyball all over the Columbia Basin. Subbed for a few yrs as teacher's aide, then got permanent teacher aide job in '97 at Quincy Alternative high school. Eventually my job was combination of time at alternative high school and also at good ole Quincy High, working in the office-doing attendance. Fall of 2002, my position was moved to QHS permanently. Worked in the computer lab at the HS that year, then have been working in the Spec. Ed. Dept. at QHS since Fall 2003. Have coached Volleyball as an Asst. at QHS for over 20 years! I love working w/the HS age kids!
Non-work related:
Very involved in church - Faith Community Church -on the Worship Team, Co-Youth-Group Leaders for a couple years, also Home Group leaders, etc. Love working and worshipping with all the people!
Lived in Quincy ever since grad., except 5 months in Moses Lake while attending college at BBCC.
My parents, Ed & Evelyn Konen, stayed here in Quincy, but have both passed away quite a few years ago. (Dad in May-2002. Mom in March 2004.) Also family still in Quincy are 2 brothers (so 3 out of the 7 of us Konen kids are still living here): Myself, and brothers: Steve Konen - QHS 1974, and Bob Konen - QHS 1970. The rest of my siblings live in Wash, Idaho & Texas!
I always love to see my old classmates! Had a great 20th Reunion! Much fun! Missed many of you, but still was a great turnout! Sorry, short notice for many! We tried! Hard work! And we had a really great 30 year reunion too!
I keep in contact with ...Expand for more
quite a few of our old classmates. Have many of their email addresses, etc. and/or connect with them on Facebook.. Love to see you all!
God Bless You all! Hope to see you at the next reunion! (if not sooner!)
Workplace
After one year of college & getting married to my wonderful husband, Andy, (we stayed in Quincy), I went to work for the school district at one of the elementary schools for the next 3 years as a teacher's aide. At that time there weren't very many aides in the district, only 3 of us at Pioneer. Learned alot about working with kids, mostly through experience. We weren't really very qualified for the jobs we held as we were often asked to practically "teach" many kids, but thanks to the Lord and help from teachers, I did pretty well anyway. I also coached for 7 seasons as an assistant high school volleyball coach during much of that time and afterwards.
In 1985, I left to start a family and then took several years off from teacher aide job...raising kids. Went back to more full-time work when our youngest was 1, working in a local men's clothing store. After a couple years there, started substituting as a teacher's aide at all levels in Quincy schools. In 1997, got a job as a paraprofessional (newer, fancier word for teacher's aide) at the alternative high school and was also the building liaison to the regular high school. Was at the alternative HS for several years. Also worked as a high school volleyball official for approx. 6 seasons. I continue to work as a parapro, but moved to the High School quite a few years back; where I have done several things in the last bunch of years: worked in the office doing attendance, helped to run the computer lab, and am currently a special education instructional aide, which is what I've done most of the time there.
I also ran my own business from home for a time. My mom sold Avon cosmetics for 35+plus years, and when she sadly passed away in March of 04, I took over her business. (I did fairly well at that for about a year and a half, but just was hard working at the school & running a business. I did enjoy it, but was too time-consuming with everything else I had going on.) I am guessing I will continue to work at the High School, and have been coaching volleyball there for many years, also...and may also referee volleyball when I'm done coaching. I enjoy working with high school students, though am very saddened to see the decline in morals and behavior among the youth, and in what is allowed to take place at the high school level. They're often mostly good kids, but they really need extra help, support and guidance, so hoping that I will be able to be a good influence and support for them.
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Reunions
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