This must be taken in context. I am the guy that wrote eleven consecutive weekly “F” themes in my first freshman English class at Kent State University. Reading this does not entitle you to criticize grammar or spelling.
After Pompano my parents moved to Ohio. I enrolled at KSU in the Bachelor of Architecture program. I brought my PBHS study habits to Kent and as a result of their unwavering application, a year and a half later I was in the Army. You probably got a hint from the opening paragraph. For three years in the Army, two in Germany, I pretended to be a crypto operator in a Redstone missile unit.
I returned to KSU in 1961 with new motivation. (The Army does that to people.) I completed my degree in 65 and became licensed to practice Architecture in Ohio. Now if you are doing the math on getting to 65, give me a break, the program is five years for those with good study habits, and longer if you have to make up previously failed courses.
While at Kent I met my wife Nina, an art education major. We have two offspring. (In English composition they can’t be called children because they are grown, so I’m told.) My daughter is a veterinarian in Vienna, Virginia and my son is a regional jet captain at Continental Express based in Cleveland.
Since 65, I practiced Architecture in Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Florida. The last twenty five years with The Rasmussen Design Group Inc. My only active Registration now is Ohio and I currently work part time. By the way, did you know that a person with poor composition skills can be a damn good spec writer?
My other current activities are building airplanes and traveling. I just completed my first plane after four years of work. And it flies! Thanks to the generous travel benefits provided to my son, by Continental, we have exhausted most of the destinations in Central America and are now focusing on South America. Our primary interests when traveling are jungles and snorkeling. The objective here is to see the sites before the impact of development. We saw Cancun when only two hotels were on the beach.
What does all this mean relative to PBHS and my memories of it? Did PBHS prepare me for the life ahead? Don’t think so! In all fairness, I only spent the last two years at PBHS. I have searched through the web site and while the names and faces are familiar, fifty years has made them very remote. But, it is a past to be valued.
Thank you Spencer for finding me. And thanks to my favorite guidance councilor Papa Carlisle for recommending I work with my hands. Most of all, thank you spellchecker!