Barbara White:
CLASS OF 1984
Crescent Valley High SchoolClass of 1984
Corvallis, OR
Newport High SchoolClass of 1984
Newport, OR
Wilson Elementary SchoolClass of 1977
Corvallis, OR
Burgess Elementary SchoolClass of 1976
Toledo, OR
Mary Harrison Elementary SchoolClass of 1975
Toledo, OR
Barbara's Story
Life
Life now?? Wow... it's changed drastically in the past year!
A very quick recap of my time since graduating from the hallowed halls of Crescent Valley: I went to OSU and received a BS in Phys Ed (I had become quite the little body-builder) I then trained-down, hated the career path I was on, and went to nursing school at LBCC. I was married for 9 years to the WRONG guy, and bypassing the truly ugly story, divorced in 1992.
I was very happily single for five years, and created my life just as I wanted it. I travelled with friends (Peru was the creme de la creme!), became active in my church and went on mission trips (Honduras with adults, Guatemala and San Francisco with the youth-group kids), had my own home with my only child-- my dog. My career was blossoming (I made my way into nurse-management)... I was set. I only went on Match.com looking for a little fun, some dating, you know. Well, I met Sean, and I was done for!
We married in March '07. Finding the RIGHT partner is amazing! Now, I'm ecstatically married with two step-children (13 and 16). Also, I'm working only on-call, and have become strangely domestic. Who knew? I love work even more now that it's on my terms, a condition I never imagined I'd be able to enjoy. I love my new kids... they're just so amazing and smart. Ironically, they attend my old schools, Cheldelin and CV. My new husband went to school in San Diego, and is a civil engineer designing bridges at ODOT. We all went on our first family vacation to Belize this summer, and it was more enjoyable than I ever could have imagined!
And, so, the adventure continues....
School
I was surprised at how many different schools I've been to! Well, CV is my dearest in my heart, since I went there longest, and graduated there with a lot of people I actually knew. Graduating from OSU was kinds weird, because I actually only knew a few people in my class! Graduating from LBCC nursing school was wonderful, too, since we were a tight-knit group, and nursing school can be TOUGH.
I'm not talking about my crushes, here! If you knew me well at all, you knew who they were. Some of my favorite memories include: the locker I shared with Laurie Bemenderfer (Havel) that required us to do the combo, then kick the door to open it. Or, lunch hour spent in the choir room. Or, Mr. Goslow's always-entertaining history classes. Or, springtime in the Quad. I do have many very fond memories, but I don't think I'll be bringing them up here!
College
College life--excellent. I learned more at OSU when I was not in class than I did from books! I lived at Reed Lodge, a cooperative house, with 50+ girls. Never having had sisters, it was a blast! I learned a lot my freshman year, like: never go to a frat party alone; or, never go to a guy's room alone at a party; or, they don't take roll-call in lecture halls; or, you can learn an entire semester of biology during Dead Week. And, of course, I found that "Room-a-Rama's" (house parties with different drinks in every room) are a guaranteed hang-over. I remember OSU as the period in my life when I "blossomed" and became a hottie. I lived in denim miniskirts and Swatches. I spent a fortune on haircare, make-up and shoes. I wa...Expand for more
s the Oregon equivalent of Sex in the City's Carrie! And, my co-horts were amazing young women like: Vania, Staci, Beth and Cheryl.
Then, came nursing school at LBCC. I was married by then, and had moved past my party-instincts. Nursing school was more serious. They OWNED you. But, it was a small class, and we grew close. Ah, the joy of giving your first deep IM injection; or, hanging your first bag of IV chemo... now, that's hot. Giving your first enema, or cleaning up your first projectile-vomit patient... not so hot. But, still, there's something about being a newbie in the great world of medicine and healthcare that just sets your juices flowing! I still love it. My most memorable accomplice was Shawn, with whom I received a number of sidelong looks when we laughed too much during lectures.
Workplace
OK, sure, I did time in fast food. I admit it. McDonald's my senior year at CV (Patty Botts was there, I remember!), Taco Time off OSU campus, and a brief sentence at Hasty Freez in Albany. What I remember most, though, was my time as a certified Nursing Assistant at The Corvallis Manor nursing home. Not a great place, I agree, but my first experience in what became my passion: geriatric nursing. If you've never worked as a CNA, then you have no idea what such a job is like. The pay is often borderline minimum-wage. It's exhausting, both physically and emotionally. The hours are ackward, the shifts seem so long, and the work is never, ever done. There were days I staggered home and declared I was never going back. And, I always did. That's typical of those people truly called to this line of work. The work itself is a bipolar affair, with incredible highs and unbelievable lows. But, I loved it so much that I persued a career in it.
While in nursing school, I couldn't work the required eight-hour shifts in nursing care, so I worked at Mervyn's in Albany. For a year, I was in security, making shoplifting arrests. But, in all honesty, I wasn't very good at it. I learned later that it was partly becaue I was severly myopic, but didn't realize it! Regardless, I moved to working in the fine jewelry department, which was actually pretty fun. Until I let it slip to the (married) jewelry manager's (secret) boyfriend (my previous security buddy) that she was seeing other guys... then she transferred me out of her department into men's-wear. You haven't been bored until you've been in men's-wear. Thank God I graduated from nursing school.
Now, I'm an RN at the Mennonite Home in Albany, which is an amazing place. I started there as soon as I had my RN, and have been there ever since. It's a faith-based facility, and truly person and family oriented. Nursing homes are not what they used to be. Now, the focus is on the resident as an individual, with needs and rights and intelligence. It's truly amazing to see the changes in the industry, and what it has meant to the quality of life for those people who need 24-hour care in such a facility.
I've been at The Mennonite Home for over 12 years, now. I spent time on evening shift rehab (sub-clinical), day shift rehab, and then as a care manager for three years. Now, I'm on-call to better fascilitate some sort of order and bliss at home!
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Register for Free to view all yearbooks!
Reunions
Photos
