Janis Jarrell:  

GHHS Bio for 50th Class Reunion 7/14... Thinking back over 50 years is rather daunting. So much has transpired and so much has faded from the "must remember" file. It has been my observation (at least in my life) that we have a propensity to forget the bad and only remember the good. Imagine that is a Big Plus in our lives. I would hate to never be able to forget the negative. We look forward only! My beliefs & priorities were pretty much the same in High School and College. I was straight arrow and didn't drink, etc. in high school. During my years at G.H. my main social group was at my church... we had students from Helix, El Cajon, and Grossmont. I had moved to El Cajon the summer I was an incoming freshman and so started “brand new”. This was awful for me, as I knew no one at all! I was shy and overwhelmed but somehow managed to have a great time at Granite Hills those four years. That surprises me to this day! Our class was unique...extremely friendly and inclusive. My first friends were Jonna Dahl (loved teaching her new words), Andy Greaves, and neighbors Vicki Krukow, Terry Gravett, Shelley Fidler... Good times. Right after high school I entered San Diego State, pledged a sorority and headed out with a lot of enthusiasm! I had been interested in Architecture in high school and remember having a most intense discussion with Mr. Fielder. I wanted to take drafting but he explained to me that girls didn't take that course. He wouldn't budge! Remember, it was only the early ‘60s. =) Not only did I consider Architecture, I also was thinking of Astronomy. The math was intense and I confess that I didn't really care to study if it caused me to lose sleep. Of course, I spent many late nights at “keggers”, and--whatever we called sorority fraternity get-togethers. College was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it! Also, I worked at the SDSU Library and so it took me more than four years to graduate. The goal I eventually sought and reached was good to me. Well, my dad was a teacher as were many, many in my family. Somehow, that was the path I chose and I must say that teaching was fun, jobs always popped up when I needed one, and I was good at it. Of my four districts, Burlingame was my dream district. Yes, I became a teacher and got my PHT (Putting Hubby Through [Medical School]). While doing that I taught school in four districts (Santee, Davis, Burlingame, and Vista) from 1970-1985, as my husband studied, did internships and residency work, and opened a practice in Escondido. In 1985 we moved from Escondido to San Jose, CA and he began with Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. It was a great move professionally; he got to do much more surgery, which he loved. I had quit teaching in '85 because of our move up to San Jose, plus we had a daughter born in '83 and we pla...Expand for more