Valerie Kennedy Hesketh:
CLASS OF 1979
Cranston High School EastClass of 1979
Cranston, RI
Franklin Pierce CollegeClass of 1991
Portsmouth, NH
Minot State UniversityClass of 1984
Minot, ND
Park View Middle SchoolClass of 1975
Cranston, RI
Nathanael Greene Middle SchoolClass of 1974
Providence, RI
Valerie's Story
Life
I'm currently Customer Services/Distribution Manager at MTL Inc. in Hampton, NH and have been since 1996. I've lived in NH since 1985. I married Tom P (of Cranston East) in 1979, moved to ND for 3 years, then back to RI for 1 year before we split up. We divorced in 1985. I remarried in 1988 to Ken D. of Portsmouth, NH, and have one son from that marriage, Hunter. He's 17 now (2007) His father and I divorced in 1994. I really would have liked to have 3-4 children but it just wasn't in the cards for me.
I am still very close to my sisters Georgette and Joanne in RI and visit RI April & October,and they visit NH in January & July. I usually also go down for the holidays and at least once in the summer to visit Galilee and join a family BBQ. I'm also still very close to my oldest brother Bob, who's in RI. My sister Tonya moved up to NH years ago and is doing well. Kurt is still on the road (long distance truck driver) based out of TX and Rick remarried about 5 years ago to a woman from PA with two small children, I don't get to see him as much as I would like.
When I was young, I chose marriage over college. I now have my MBA but it took me nearly 20 years to get it! I went to Minot State College (now a University) for one year, full time. I didn't realize what a luxury that was at the time but it sure was! Once I got back to RI from ND (Tom was in the AF and stationed in Minot), I re-started my undergraduate degree in earnest, all through night school. I went to Bryant College for 1 year then when I moved to NH, I went to Franklin Pierce College. Unfortunately, do to the multiple moves, I lost a lot of credit so still had a lot of classes required. It took me another 3 years to get my BS, during which time I married, had a child (trying to sit at those chair/desks when you are 8 months pregnant is absolutely impossible!) and finally got my degree just before my son turned 1 yr old (graduated cum laude too.) I started my graduate degree many years later, having taken time off to deal with the divorce and learning to be a single, work...Expand for more
ing mom. Then, having started that degree program, I got sick(er) and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. That took the wind out of my sails for awhile but I got back up on my feet and started back again. After another 3 years, I finally got my MBA in Leadership with a very nice GPA :)
I'm currently in a committed relationship and have been since July 2004. He lives in ME and has 2 boys; one 14 and the other 20. He enjoys RI as much as I do and always insists on at least 1 summer trip that includes NY System weiners and New Enland frozen lemonade. He's not too big on seafood at all (not even RI clam chowder and clam cakes) but I am!
At this point in my life, I'm looking forward to getting my son off to college and then relocating to somewhere warm, like AZ - not the desert, but up north where they do actually have 4 seasons, a huge pine forest and 5 lakes. I've been checking out a small town called Prescott that is a lot like NE in it's architecture and is made up of a lot of 'transplants' so I would fit right in. Though moving that far away means it'll be harder to see my sisters, I have had enough of this cold NE weather! I'm hoping that I can remain with the same company (I've been with them for 12 years now) but could work in a different capacity, perhaps sysem implementation and report writing which could be done remotely.
Years later, having looked back, I wish I had finished high school rather than dropping out in 10th grade. What most people don't know is that I dropped out due to medical issues which we now believe was the first signs of Fibromyalgia. But not going through high school limited my friendships and activities. I think there is so much to be gained by sharing in extra curricular activities with friends and continually tell my son this (he really hates his high school - though says he still wants to go to college). Anyway, to those friends that I've made over the years through school or college, if I've lost touch with you, my apologies for being lax in retaining the communication. I hope life has treated you all well!
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