CLASS NOTES now we are all healthy and hoping to stay that way. There are a few classmates that I keep in touch with in person and via Facebook: Ryan Kiley ‘97 (thanks to me getting him the puck all the time - he played at Merrimack College after Winchendon.) It’s also nice to get an occasional text message or email from Rachel Goldman ‘98, who owns her own catering business. I have also had the pleasure of speaking to former teachers like Coach Michael Byrnes and Coach Dan Driscoll. Below is the photo I took with coach Driscoll at a Bruins game I was working and bumped into him. Yes, the young guy with zero gray hair is older than I am, the gray haired guy in uniform.”
Garvin McHale ‘97 and his Winch Hockey coach Dan Driscoll.
After graduating from EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University, Jennings Stambaugh ‘98 started working with Lockheed Martin (now Leidos). Today he works in flight management for Leidos in VA. Patricia Squitiero ‘98 shared with us that she “struggled with math and science in public school.” After attending Winchendon, and under the guidance of her teachers/ mentors: Elliot Harvey, Dan Shattuck, and Bill and
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Bonnie LaBelle, she excelled in her academics and went on to college. Patricia has co-authored in a scientific research journal, Bone Journal, and was mentioned in the Baltimore Sun for contributing to a research project for contaminated water. She is currently working as a regulatory subject matter expert and implementation specialist for iMedRIS Data Corporation using a cloud-based software that optimizes research administration and facilitates documentation of research studies including Coronavirus/ COVID-19. Patricia earned a BS in Biology at the University of MassachusettsAmherst, has conducted Master’s Studies at Bay Path University, one in applied science and lab operations and one in forensic science and technology. She lives in Silicon Valley, CA.
Winchendon I packed my bags and went on to tour with “Lord of The Dance” for a couple of years. I then obtained a BA in Communications from Boston College. After moving to CA for a year and then Ireland for a year, I came back to Boston and got married to my husband Mark in 2008. At that time, I also opened my own competitive Irish dance school for seven years. With a heavy heart I closed my dance school when my son was a year and a half. Now I am at home with my two children, Luke (5) and River (2). I manage our rental properties and also adjudicate Irish Dance Competitions but most of my time is spent with my family. I keep in touch with Kate Watson Martin ‘00. When she is back in MA from CO, we try and arrange to meet and our children enjoy playing together too!”
Rachel Goldman ‘98 is the Owner and Executive Chef of D’Lish Intimate Catering (https://www. dlishintimatecatering.com/) and shares her passion for why she started the business: “I am infatuated with fresh whole food, have fallen in love with cooking, and I feel pure joy when I watch family, friends, clients and their friends enjoy the meals I prepare. My love for food grows with each meal and each experience I take on. I truly enjoy meeting local farmers and visiting local family-owned shops. It is this curiosity that has led me to discover the finest butchers, cheese shops and produce purveyors.”
Sharif Kellogg ’99 shared with us: After I graduated from The Winch I moved down to MD ending up in Baltimore where I got married and started a family. I also found my calling as police officer serving in the Baltimore Police Department. I have a passion for playing music. In fact, since 2000 I have made time playing keyboards and bass with the same band. Playing music and spending time with my family helps keep me sane. With all the time I spend in the city, I find that the experiences I miss the most from The Winch are tied to the land: the expansive forests and trails to explore, the sky so clear you could see the Milky Way at night, the vibrant fiery colors of the leaves as they turned in the fall, and the serenity of fresh snow on the golf course overlooking Whitney Pond. However, some of the fondest
Attracta Quinn ‘99 shared with us: “A lot has happened since graduating “The Winch” 21 years ago! Right after leaving
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memories I have came from when Mr. Harvey introduced me to Blitz Chess. With all of the friends and teachers who played, I’ve never been able to immerse myself into the game like I did at The Winch. I think that while I was there, I didn’t fully appreciate what I had. Now, I’m glad I have those experiences to look back on.” TK Kim ‘99 shared from Korea: I went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an engineering college upstate NY and majored in computer science. For the last 10 years I have been working in IT as an engineer. I started working as a network engineer at FM Global in RI, but then I became homesick, since most of my close friends went back to Korea and I became tired of living in the USA just with a visa. At that time, I already had two kids, and decided to go back to Korea. I currently work as a system engineer for Cisco. I do pre-sales as an engineer, selling Cisco products and solutions. My family’s well-being is my first priority; my passion is to continuously grow my career and to support and take care of my kids and wife. I am in touch with many friends from Winchendon; I regularly meet Jongsun “Danny” Woo ‘99 and we have fun. Mari Osani ‘97 visited Korea and when I was on business trips to Japan a few times, she always welcomed me. American boarding school life is very unique for Korean students. Stressful competition to get into a fine college makes high school life in Korea miserable, so they are pretty much stuck with only academics. I was fortunate to have had a varied experience with trips, varsity sports, and sharing many international cultures and friends.
We had so much fun at “Friend’s Garden” and I miss the weekly Searstown Mall trip, Chopsticks Restaurant and Boston Trips, hanging around in the gym, spring afternoons on the weekend when I finished all of my homework and had to do nothing but lie on my bed listening to music. When I was younger, when someone asked me, “What did you like most in studying overseas?” I used to answer—good English language, international perspective, and so on. But now if someone asks, I say “global friends”; whenever I travel for vacation or business, I have someone to contact and meet, and this is an amazing thing.” Alan DeBenedittis ’00 studied golf course management and marketing at New Mexico State. He wrote:“In 2009 I lived in Beijing for two years and Kunming for one, during which I taught golf. For the last eight years I’ve been living in Thailand playing golf semi-professionally but mostly caddying all around the world. My passion is being beside world class professional golfers helping them make the right decision in every single shot they hit. I keep in touch with Kate Watson Martin ‘00 from time to time. I miss the Saturday’s and Sunday’s when Vinny Rushioni and I would play 36 holes on Saturday and try for another 36 on Sunday!” Ludmil Hadjisotirov ‘00 “Udo” wrote in: “I am currently living in Bulgaria. After college I played 6 years of professional basketball in Bulgaria, Greece and Switzerland, as well as for the Bulgarian Senior Men’s National Team. In 2010 I had to stop for medical reasons. Since then I have been a head
coach: Long-time champions Lukoil (where we had several NBA players including Bruno Sundov ‘99 for two years); and now at one of the best pro clubs in Bulagria - Rilski Sportist. I was head coach of the U16, U18 and U20 Bulgarian National Teams as we played European championships. Now I live in Sofia with my wife. Winchendon was a useful and good experience for me and I miss some things: great friendships; it was like a brotherhood. Playing basketball there was great with the coaching staff and all the talent. The education was also good as it prepared me well for University and made my adaptation to the US life and systems easier and smoother.” Mark Ferisin ‘00 recently wrote in: “So what I miss about the Winch… so much. From snowboarding on Mount Wachusett with Kate, playing tennis until it got too dark to see the ball with Kate, Vito and Ginga, to enjoying all the time I had to read Ayn Rand and discuss with my study hall dorm parent (Mr. Harvey!). I keep in touch with Kate and getting our families together on the Cape is highlight of every summer. I have a new baby - Olivia is six months old and very smiley. My older daughter, Samantha, is a first year at University of Delaware. I am a VP of my Toastmasters club, competing speech contests. I’ve come to enjoy public speaking as well as the leadership of running a club and developing new speakers. At home, my wife Carolyn and I love to go for walks along the Old Croton Aqueduct with our dog Reggae who is a brown colored Potcake dog from the Cayman Islands. We live in Tarrytown, NY in a Cape house that we have
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