Linda Shinn:
CLASS OF 1980
Apollo High SchoolClass of 1980
Glendale, AZ
Grand Canyon UniversityClass of 1988
Phoenix, AZ
Northern Arizona University - MusicClass of 1984
Flagstaff, AZ
Cactus Wren Elementary SchoolClass of 1976
Phoenix, AZ
Meyer Elementary SchoolClass of 1974
Tempe, AZ
Linda's Story
What've I been up to since graduating h.s. in 1980? Nothing much.... Well, ok...
*Went to NAU for 3 years; took some time off, then eventually graduated from Grand Canyon University
*Married in 1986 to Patrick Shinn, whom I met at NAU. However, I have been single - and HAPPILY so - since 1995.
*DID MY STUDENT TEACHING AT APOLLO! (anyone hearing the theme song from "Welcome Back, Kotter"?)
*Started teaching Music in 1988. Still at it! Love to write original songs and/or lyrics for my kids' performances, and hope to get them published sometime. Also taught Art & PE for a few years! Now I teach reading in addition to Music
*In 1992 my son was born. He is a senior at a nearby Christian high school. He has a heart for the Lord, and a great sense of humor... I love hanging out with him!
Other things I have done:
*played piano for a murder mystery dinner theatre every weekend for years. Big laughs & good $$
*also moonlighted briefly as a clown ("Hopscotch"); still clown around on occasion on a volunteer basis...
*been involved with music at church in various ways over the years: worship leader, choir director, children's music leader, VBS music director, keyboard player for praise team, pianist for choir & for services. (Was a member of the former Northwest Christian Church for 25 years. Currently a member at Paseo Verde Christian Church)
*played keyboards for the "Cosmic Pedagogs" for 3 years. A cover band whose members were all educators, we played songs of the 60's, 70's 80's & 90's... from "Peggy Sue" to "I'll Stop the World and Melt with You"... from Elton John & Billy Joel to Green Day & Smash Mouth to Garth Brooks! What a blast!! Mike, Dave, Chris, Mark -- I miss you guys!! (see pics in photo album)
Currently I'm keeping very busy with teaching school (elementary & middle school music & reading), raising my son, church involvement, socializing with family & friends (including the "SLIC" chicks -- Single Ladies in Christ), and keeping my puppy from chewing up my shoes and the rest of my furniture! (Sadly, we lost 2 cushioned chairs in the first 6 months... Have you seen the movie "Marley & Me"? Yeah, well, we're living it!)
Bought my home about 12 years ago, approx. a mile and a half from Apollo, where we live with our 2 cats and now our beloved, energetic, somewhat destructive but ever-lovable puppy, Riley. Close to the golf course (my son loves to golf). Also close to my Mom (my father passed away in 2001, just before the D-backs took the World Series. We know Dad had the best view of the game from heaven!) Mom is 85, but is still going strong. She & my sister & I enjoy & look forward to annual "girls only" trips every summer to Laughlin. I also love visiting my oldest brother in Christopher Creek, and going with friends to Rocky Point. Miss the road trips we used to take to Colorado... I'd sure live there if I could!
It seems so unreal to me: here I am thinking about & working towards retirement in the next half dozen years (and sometimes counting the DAYS, depending on my day at school!) Yet, when I look back, I certainly don't feel like that much time has passed since my h.s. and college days...
My fondest memories of high school are:
#1 Being in the band!!! Patsy, Lorraine, Kathy, Clark (Gronk!), Robin, ALAN (aka "Barbie") and so many others! Remember ...Expand for more
how the trumpet section KILLED on the theme from "Rocky"?! Absolutely LOVED being rowdy with you band geeks at the football games & performing those half-time shows! (I still have my clarinet, somewhere...)
#2 Choir. Tom Dvorak (to whom I was briefly engaged(!) a year or so after my divorce), Mike Scarborough, the other Mike, Kevin Diaz, Carole, Kevin Gallagher, Kelly McDonald... lots of laughs... usually at Mr. Frey's expense, but, hey, we had fun!
#3 Trips to Calif w/band and choir
#4 Trip to NYC, Boston, Philly & DC (junior year)
#5 Laughing in the photography darkroom (Robrt!)
#6 T.P.ing and being T.P.ed!!!
#7 Cruisin' Central
Also really enjoyed being a part of "Lifesong", a group from Northwest Christian Church who performed contemporary Christian music at the "Backroom" of the pizza place on Bethany Home Rd & 22nd Ave. every Sunday night for several years... (that pizza place is now a parking lot...)
H.S. memories I will never forget:
*The time we were running late en route to a football game on a Friday night, before 47th Avenue was completely paved between Olive & Butler. We were speeding through the dirt, hit a huge bump & went flying through the air in Clark Kreuger's yellow Pinto, praying it wouldn't explode on impact (a common problem with Pintos at the time!)
*On DC trip - Linda Rogers, Sandy Beck & I getting left behind at Washington Monument late at night & the cabbies wouldn't stop to pick us up! (LONG before cell phones!)
* Arriving at my surprise 16th birthday party at Cortez Park and looking out to see a sea of crazed teenagers running towards me!
* "Mr. A"... "Atom Ant" & "Wheaties" (it's a band thing) And of course winning our award at the NAU Band Festival my senior year...
Overall high school was a blast! If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't change much. Haven't kept in touch with a single soul, but do have a lot of memories that still bring a smile to my face...
NAU was pretty special, too... For the most part, I lived in the Women's Honor Hall, Campbell, up on the beautiful and serene North Campus. (If anyone reading this lived there 1981-1983, drop a line! I started a discussion for Campbell on the NAU message boards!) I especially remember the "BEACH PARTY" we had with our brother dorm, Hanley Hall, circa 1983. Have a picture from that night, and boy, there were some FINE-LOOKING people at that party. It was totally gnarly! (sorry - a throwback to the 80's there!) Was briefly engaged to one of those Hanley men - John Loranger - following a long term relationship with Kevin Parrish (Glendale High class of '76. Kevin is now married to a colleague of mine - I hooked them up!) Anyway, at NAU I really enjoyed being a part of the Shrine of Ages Choir (why was it called that?) and the vocal jazz ensemble -- what a privilege to work under the direction of Mel Kinney!!! Also, LOVED going dancing with friends at Granny's Closet and oh, what was the name of that huge place in East Flag? Anyway, had a lot of fun and fond memories of NAU as well. Would love to hear from Linda Povinelli or any Campbell women or choir members or anyone else who crossed paths with me then!
Well, if you've read this far, you're probably nearly comatose, so I'll stop reminiscing about the past and get back to my current reality... because apparently the puppy needs to go on a walk - NOW!
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