OWL UPDATE ■
Origin Stories By Allison Stoutland, M.S. ’88, 6th Yr. ’91
A
FEW MONTHS AGO, my
husband was asked to speak at Southern Connecticut State University, and since we are both graduates, I was more than happy to tag along. He spent eight years of his life there as a student, football player, teacher, and football coach. I spent six years in night and summer classes earning a master’s degree in reading and a sixth year in administration to bolster my professional goals. In addition, I called the neighboring town of Hamden my home for more than 20 years, so this trip was bound to be filled with nostalgia. As we eagerly merged onto the racetrack known as the Merritt Left: Jeff and Allison Stoutland take the field while visiting Southern in spring 2025. Right: In February, the Stoutland family celebrates at the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LIX Parade.
28 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Parkway, our memories came fast and furiously too. Thirty-three years have passed, and things have certainly changed — or was it just our perspective? The former West Rock Tunnel seemed shorter. The dreaded steep hill on my paper route seemed surprisingly unimpressive, as was our favorite pizza. I was shocked to realize my daily walk to high school was legitimately two miles from my childhood home, and yes, I sometimes walked in snow past my knees! I was saddened I hadn’t noticed how beautiful my high school was until now. But even she pales in comparison to what was around the corner. I could see my childhood home, but my focus was on my front yard. And there she was, always there: our magnolia tree. She’d grown so much taller since my last visit, but still exuded her peaceful, calming presence.
I remember climbing her lowest branch and lying on my back, looking into her complicated, intertwined limbs. If she could be so magnificent amongst that confusion surely I could, too. So, I shared my life dreams with her: to become a teacher, write a book, and one day open a school. I would marry a great guy and have children. I would live, teach, and be near my family and friends for the rest of my life. We would all go out together on weekends, and our children would be best friends. I wonder, did she know what was in store for me but still let me dream? Those initial 20 years set me up with lifelong friends, a safe place to grow up, and a solid public education. I earned a college degree in education and landed a kindergarten teaching job in the New Haven Public School District. I poured my heart and soul into those students. They were my everything