Reunion 1999: Class Notes from Carolyn Abbott (May 1999)

I have worked as a training consultant for Compaq (formerly Digital Equipment Corp.) since 1971, designing and developing sales training courses on Digital's products for employees and business partners (resellers). I’ve been both an individual contributor and a manager during this time, and
definitely prefer the former. Lately I’ve started doing web-based course development, as the web becomes the delivery vehicle of choice for information and distance learning. Currently I’m involved in the Messaging and Collaboration space, which encompasses e-mail and other mail-based applications that allow people to work together on-line. I left Digital as an employee in ’93, and returned as a contractor/freelance consultant in ’94. Contracting has turned out to be more stable than ‘permanent’ status, since there’s no such thing as permanent employment anymore! In ’96 I did some globe-trotting as part of my job and was able to travel to Europe and South America (Chile, Brazil). Also got to Dallas during that time and was able to attend Beverly Voss’s 50th birthday celebration. Haven’t been back to Stillwater since ’89, unfortunately. I believe my success in this industry it due almost totally to my writing skills.... Honed and sharpened in my formative years by Miss Edith Greenwood (6th grade English exchange teacher at Jefferson Elementary School) and Mrs. Webster, who had the best high-school English lit class ever. Shining as a writer is actually pretty easy in an engineering-driven company...

I received my black belt in American Kenpo Karate on April ’98, having started my training in ’94. I was also on the studio teaching staff for 3 years, until my work schedule intruded. My 13-year-old son, Nick Seibert, also received his black belt last October (’98), after training for 6 years. The kids’ curriculum used to be spread out and take longer than the adults... now they’re the same, but that’s why I was able to get mine first. I should receive my 2nd degree black belt ranking next April (there are 9 degrees possible...). Martial arts training is very challenging physically and mentally, and very rewarding on many levels. Since Nick has recently passed me in height (not saying a lot, I know!), I’m glad I got mine first! Here’s the URL for our studio’s web site:

http://www.familymartialartscenter.com/

If you look in the Black Belt section [for 1998 and 2003], you’ll see our pictures. Nick is also in the Storm Team section (Special Team of Role Models) (the photo is about 3 years old).

My husband and son are just completing their first year of home schooling together. Nick has maintained a 4.0 GPA, as he did last year when he attended a private Christian school (6th grade). I have participated also, working with Nick on the Literature and Writing sections of the curriculum (big surprise). I love it because it makes me revisit books I read as an adolescent... having spent the last 10 years reading mostly mysteries and espionage fiction, I’m enjoying the return to the classics (and classical writing).

In addition to teaching Nick, Bruce is also a commercial pilot who does aerial, aviation and automotive photography. The two of them will be flying in a race from Denver to Oshkosh this summer (Bruce’s 3rd race, Nick’s 2nd) and then they’ll spend a week at Oshkosh as volunteer workers at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s big fly-in convention. I will stay in MA to work to support their vacation (and have a little time to myself)!

Last year we began attending a near-by church and I accepted an invitation to accompany the choir for the Christmas cantata. This was my first venture into public performing since Jr. High... in fact, although I’ve had a piano since ’84, I hadn’t played very much over the years. Doing the cantata was like getting my black belt in piano, only in 6 weeks! It was very challenging, 9 different pieces, probably the most difficult music I’ve played in my life. But it was very successful and now I accompany the choir and the organist each Sunday. I stopped taking lessons when I was 15 - having other more important things to do in my life then, I thought - and when I resumed playing last year, I realized there had been a big hole in my life that was now being filled. Playing the hymns I learned as a child has been really wonderful. I learned last year that my piano teacher, Carolin Berkley, had died... I wish I’d been able to tell her that I, too, am playing for the Baptist Church, as she did. She would have been delighted.

My husband’s parents live in New Hampshire (near Wolfeboro and Lake Winnepesauke) and have a camp on a near-by lake. We will probably move to NH after Nick leaves home and are hoping to buy his parents house, an antique farm (circa 1760). We live in north central Massachusetts, about 20 minutes from the NH border. We are open to receiving guests, especially during the fall foliage season.

. . . Please convey my regrets at not being able to attend[the reunion] and catch up with everyone. . . .