Alan Parr:
CLASS OF 1979
Crosby High SchoolClass of 1979
Waterbury, CT
Boston CollegeClass of 1983
Newton, MA
Alan's Story
High School was rough; wouldn't do that again for all the money in the world. I have three going through it now, and I don't envy them. It took me a while to "find myself". Went to BC for a year or so, then dropped out for a year. Worked a few odd jobs. Went back for a few weeks then dropped out again. Worked at a Golf Club as kitchen steward and joined a church (cult?).
Decided that I liked electronics. Went to Tech school at night, got a certificate and my first career job fixing sonar gear. Met my wife-to-be at the golf club in 1985 - she was the accountant. Joined EMC and soon moved up the ladder.
Married in 1998. Went to BU and then BC at night, got my undergraduate in Business/Computer Science. Left EMC and went to Alliant Computer (niche manufacturer of SuperComputers, now defunct, but best job I ever had). Moved on to Rizzo Associates as Network Manager, joining my wife who already worked there. Stayed for seven years, long enough to raise three kids in a playpen in the server room....Expand for more
Moved on to consulting, first with MTS (bought by Vista), then Alpine (bought by Aimnet Solutions and then Cognizant), and now I am at NWN in Waltham, MA. I specialize in Network Performance, Cisco routing and switching, and Cisco Unified Communications (voice). I have LOTS of certifications! I picked up a MBA at Bentley, also going at nights.
My kids are getting older; my oldest daughter is 19, the two boys are 17 and 15. We had a fourth, but he died in childbirth. Still married, but I think my next child will be a grandchild - much easier.
Oddly, I chose a school in Boston, because I loved the city, but I rarely go there. Other than a brief experiment in Florida, I have been moving steadily westward into the suburbs ever since I arrived in 1979. So far, I have made it as far west as Millis, which is pretty far out there.
I joined classmates because, after the passage of <lots of> time, I felt curiosity about all the people I have known through the years, and how their lives turned out.
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Register for Free to view all yearbooks!
Reunions
Photos