School Story:
Things have kept busy since 1991, 2001, 2011, etc. . . .
When I got out of college (University of Iowa, 1995 B.A.) I jumped into the journalism field. I've worked full-time for the River Cities Reader in Davenport and the Clinton Herald in Clinton, Iowa. I've also freelanced for the Muscatine Journal, Quad City Times, and Moline Dispatch, among others. Since 2005, though, I decided it was time for a second career, so I joined a Masters of Arts in Teaching program at Ashford University in Clinton (used to be Mount St. Clare College.) I got my masters degree and teaching certificate in 2007 and began working as a language arts teacher at Columbus Junior High in Columbus Junction, Iowa.
After about four years there, I left Columbus and began working as a substitute teacher in the Muscatine district. Returning to MHS (among other schools) after a 20-year absence was a real trip. During that time, I developed an interest in teaching special education and began taking classes toward earning that certification. I fell away from teaching at MCC, but am continuing teaching on the college level at Upper Iowa University's Bettendorf campus.
I took an interesting side trip in November of 2013 when, after a few attempts at working full-time for the Quad City Times or Muscatine Journal, I finally received an offer to work as a reporter for the Journal full-time. With that, I came out of journalism retirement to work for my hometown newspaper. I would eventually spend 20 months there covering Muscatine and its stories, and I was glad to have a chance to do that.
Eventually, however, I knew I wanted to return to teaching full-time. I received an offer in July 2015 to teach special education at WACO High School in Wayland, Iowa. I continue to live in Muscatine and commute to Wayland. It has been an excellent experience and a great learning environment for me.
On the personal front, I've been married to the former Laura Anderson (Class of 1993) since 1997. (Yes, we started dating my senior year). She graduated from Marycrest University in 1997 (right before it closed) and we first made our home up in Clinton, where she began working as the education coordinator for the Clinton County Area Solid Waste Agency while I wrote for the Herald. She was hired to head the agency in 2001, where she helped handle landfill and solid waste issues for the county and its cities. In 2007, Laura was hired to be the manager of Muscatine's solid waste division, and we moved back here to Muscatine that year. She recently returned to college at Ashford and has completed her masters in public administration. Laura's a real alpha female and I never doubt she can do whatever she sets her mind to. I can't have asked for a better partner and I am still head over heels in love with her as we have passed the 25-year mark on our relationship.
We've got two kids, Jacob, born in 2000, and Maddie, born in 2002. They're really great and we're blessed to have both of them. They attended Grant School since we've moved back to Muscatine, just like I did growing up, and I will have both of them at MHS this fall (Jacob started there last year). It has been a surreal but somewhat comforting experience moving back into almost the same neighborhood (maybe a half-dozen blocks away) from where I grew up. It's been great to be closer to our families and to have them get a closer relationship with our children.
When I'm not working, commuting, etc., I've been keeping busy with different hobbies, including writing some fiction, chess, computer gaming, and keeping up on the world through the Internet. Recently I got onto Facebook and have reconnected with some of the class of 91 (among others) on there. My attitude is that even with everything that's happened in my life so far, the most interesting stuff is still ahead.
[30th Anniversary Update:
So, what's changed in five years?
I am now living in Chariton, Iowa, the hometown of Hy-Vee. Laura now works there as the city manager of our town, and I am currently looking around for my next professional opportunity either inside or outside teaching, after hopping around a few districts (WACO, Mediapolis, and Clarke out around the Chariton area.
Jake and Maddie graduated from MHS (Classes of 2019 and 2020, respectively). After graduating from Midwest Technical Institute in Moline, Ill., he moved out here with us in Chariton, where he is working in his field (heating and air conditioning). Maddie is enrolled at University of Iowa in the chemical engineering program. After spending a semester or two at home due to COVID-related issues, she'll be back on campus soon.
I've recently gotten my first book published, and I have been busy working on fiction projects and my writing blog (liegoismedia.wordpress.com). I'm looking forward to continuing that work as well.]
