Valerie Brauer:  

Life After 20+ years it’s difficult to find a place to start this biography. Like everyone else on the planet, my life has taken twists and turns and has had its ups and downs. Thru the years, I’ve grown up a wee, tiny bit, become more comfortable in my own skin and realized my passions. A brief portion of my bio must include my immediate family. My mom was a nurse and my dad owned his own construction business. My mom and dad got divorced when I was 18. Both of my parents are now semi-retired. Today my father lives in Panama and my mother lives in Minnesota. I have one sibling; a younger (smarter) brother, David Fisher, who graduated high school in 1986. My brother joined the Marines right out of high school and experienced the front lines during the first Gulf War. After his military service, he pursued (and earned) his Master’s Degree in International Business while working full time and married one of the nicest people I ever met, Sonja (Antolik) Fisher. Shortly after 911, my brother’s sense of duty beckoned again and he joined the Navy. He’s now stationed in Bagdad, Iraq. I lived in Broadview Park while I attended SPHS. I spent most of my time with the local teenage population. My neighborhood pals included Danny Town, Maria Carrico, Jill Feaster, Kurt Hanford, Jimmy Noe and Beth Kilpatrick. My best friend in high school was Marzia Rodriguez though she didn’t live in Broadview Park. Since high school, I’ve managed to contact some of my old friends, but wish I could connect with more of them. After high school, I married Rick Brauer and had a son, Nicholas. Nicholas will be 21 in May 2006. Rick and I got divorced when Nick was 5 years old but Rick and I remain good friends. Rick now lives in TX with his wife, Annette, and Nicholas lives in MN near me. My mother says that though I’ve always been stubborn, my son, Nich...Expand for more