Lauren Pate:  

Life Well, I graduated Penn State in 2002 with a degree in Recreational Therapy. My parents relocated to NC in 2000, so after I graduated I moved there to be with them. For 3 1/2 years, I worked at a skilled nursing facility as Assistant Director of Activities; I also worked weekends at a behavioral health center and on an as-needed basis at the local hospital as a counselor for HIV/AIDS patients. I now have ONE JOB (yay) - I work full-time at the hospital as a case manager for HIV clients as well as for adult and child clients with disabilities. I met my husband Luke at church a few months after I moved to NC and we married in April 2005. (A match made in heaven!) We live out in the boonies, and yes - my Southern accent has come back. We are expecting our first child in September. Luke is going back to school part-time right now. He's hoping to establish a career in Forestry & Environmental Resource Mgmt. (He spent most of his childhood in the woods - hunting, of course.) We have two cats, Mitzi and Maizie, and two dogs, Roxie and a no-name puppy we call Block Head! He'll have a name soon. We're currently searching for a new home church, as we have recently left ours. I miss singing in the choir, so hopefully we'll find one soon! School School...I went to Cleveland High School in Cleveland, MS in 9th & 10th grades. My best friends were Magge, Cindy, Kandi and Jamie. We had so much fun - we were crazy! Who could forget the English corner? We were a bunch of loudmouths! My favorite teacher was Mrs. King (English) - she recognized my talent for writing and made me co-editor of the school newspaper in 10th grade. She was such a sweet and encouraging teacher. On the weekends a whole bunch of us would get together and ride up and down the "strip," from Burger King to the Sunflower parking lot. We'd go through "The Barn" to get Jafreezas - only later did we find out that it was frozen wine coolers. HA! We were SO wasted!! I still talk to Cindy and Kandi - they were both in my wedding - and have kept in pretty good touch with Magge through them, but only God knows what happened to Jamie... My junior and senior years were spent at Avon Grove High School in West Grove, PA. I had culture shock, so I really didn't know where I fit in, but I made friends regardless. I had lots of friends, but I'd have to say that my best fr...Expand for more