Mary Helen Discenza Scala
Oceanside, NY
Photo - 1969
Information - 1999
High School Activities - Girls' Athletic Association, Intramurals, Girls' Glee Club, Dramatics Club, French Club, Distributive Education Club (Vice President)
In the fall of 69 I left Maple Heights when my family decided to go east and move to Long Island, New York. I did not attend college immediately due to the fact that I was in culture shock ... the move took some adjusting and this place was the furthest thing from the "Wonder Years". Looking back I guess I harbored some resentment that I was being uprooted at a very crucial time in a teenager's life, but in retrospect, I had some wonderful opportunites that may have never been realized.
My first job took me to Manhattan where I was employed by a large advertising firm, BBD&O. I worked in the art department as an administrative assistant to several art directors. We worked on accounts such as Pepsi Cola, Pillsbury, and Campbell Soup. I worked in both print and video. It was there that I met my second employer, Matthew Brady (no relation to the Civil War photographer). He was one of our vendors. Matthew had a photo studio and shot the majority of our print campaigns ... he was looking for a studio manager and for someone to train as a stylist. I jumped at the chance and took the job. I handled all his ad agencies' budgets and hired the models and the model makers. I would find the appropriate sites for the outside location shots, select accessories and design the sets. I learned all the tricks of the trade, from using marbles in the soup to lift up the vegetables and the meat, to spritzing Pepsi bottles with molasses to give bottles that dewey, drippy look that is impossible to achieve under hot lights. I think it was there I found my passion for design.
In 1973, I decided that I needed a change and wanted desperately to travel. That year I was hired as a flight attendant for Pan Am. My career with this company was very short lived. The economy was bad and the gas crunch affected the travel industry ... since I was so junior, everyone from my class was pink-slipped. Later, the following year, I was hired by a charter company. Although the pay was less, it indeed fulfilled my travel expectations. I went to places that I would not have normally seen had I stayed with a scheduled carrier. We went on the Hadj and took European and African Muslims to Mecca. We were involved in the Angola Baby Lift and the the transporting of "The Boat People". We also brought our soldiers home at the end of the Vitnam War via Germany and the Philippines.
In 1974, I met my husband-to-be, Greg, and we were married. I continued to fly for several years so that we both could take advantage of the benefits and travel. In 1978, I left the airlines to return to design and hopefully start a family. It was during those grounded years that I learned we had difficulties and with much dismay we were divorced. I worked as a residential designer for several years and took courses to earn my degree at Parson's School of Design.
Four years ago, I decided to get involved on a commerical level and presently am with Winthrop University Hospital. I run the Design Department which is part of Engineering. I design and manage all new construction and refurbishing projects under capital budgets. Some of my projects are on campus and others are off-site. Currently I am working on the "New Life Center", which is a new building to house labor and delivery. The job is very exciting and I am constantly meeting new people because you interact with all the different departments. It is also a teaching hospital which requires some unusual needs. The new trend in healthcare is to make the facility more user friendly and create a nice ambiance ... so I still get to bring the residential touch and the creativity.
All in all, things have been pretty good. I have a beautiful six year old nephew, Alex, who I am crazy about, who I see as often as I can and fills my need to nurture. I am very close with my family and as the years go by they are a big part of my life. At the moment there is some sadness because my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer .... it is very difficult to watch someone you love go through this and it feels like deja vu because I lost my father in 93 to the same awful disease. Mom is currently doing chemo and is the reason that I probably won't make this reunion ... however, I would enjoy hearing from all of you, anytime ... I think it's a great thing Steve has set up here ... beats folding paper into little squares and passing notes. Well, as they say here in New York ... "that's all that's fit to print".
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