Messages from Alumni

Flag of the Netherlands Flag of the US Flag of the UK Flag of Germany Flag of Canada

Comments Page 2008

1995-97 | 1998-98 | 1999-October 2003 | October 2003-June 2004 | July-December 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007

Add a Comment

Name: Ruth Kneale
Years at AIHS: 1983-86, Class of '86
What I've been up to: Good heavens, this is Year 13 for this site! Keep your comments and information coming; I love getting emails from folks who've found old friends through this site!

Name: Jerry Schleining
Years at AIHS: 78-80
What I've been up to: AFCENT seems like another life time away...Graduated in El Paso, joined the Army. Retired in 2005 after a lovely tour in Iraq. Living the dream in Oregon now. 3 great kids and an fantastic wife. This site sure has brought back some memories. 4th of July on the Slag heap, Thursday night dances, and when Up with People came for a show..ha ha! among the best. Good times at AFCENT!

Name: Paul K. Smith
Years at AIHS: 1967-69
What I've been up to: Hi Folks: I attended AFCENT School from 1967-69. I was a Canadian student at the school, was a member of the wrestling team and also played for the soccer team. Jim Crang was the principal for the Canadian section at the time. In 1968-69 I was the president of the student council and was also awarded the Graf von Kielmansegg Trophy for the best contribution to international relations. I was also a member of the 1st, AFCENT International Scout Troop (UK). I returned to Canada, went to King's College, joined the Halifax police, earned a Masters in Sociology, worked for the NS Dpt. of Justice and am curently semi-retired. Would love to hear from anybody from that period.

Name: Helen (Hall) Ramaglia
Years at AIHS: 1976 - 1979
What I've been up to: These days I spend my days as a Relationship Banker with BB&T. I am a mother of two terrific children, Tanya 26 and Christopher 21. Although I was a single mother for 17 years and am now married these days to a fabulous and sweet man. Life is great - God has blessed me many times over. Hope to see everyone in 2010.

Name: Sean O'Brien
Years at AIHS: 1991 - 1994
What I've been up to: Roaming the Earth... I have been able to visit lots of interesting places courtesy the US Army. Since those days I am now a Computer Forensic Examiner and spend most of my time working or continuing my education. I know not the same picture you thought you would have of me 14 years later... If anyone wants to catch up and share some memories from AFCENT send me an e-mail.

Name: Dave Thompson
Years at AIHS: 1969 - 1972
What I've been up to: Here's a BIG scoop for all of you late 1960's AFCENT High School'ers, especially the American students. Do you folks remember Sam Sharpe, the former 1968/1969 AFCENT School president who was stripped of his presidency due to a rather unfortunate "incident" on a School ski trip? He was sent home from the trip and ultimately stripped of his President status, causing another election to be held that year. Well here's a 40 year old story that I've just learned over the past two days from Robert "Bob" Zwaagstra, a former Canadian Grade nine student at AFCENT. So please, read the story with interest as it was told to me by Robert "Bob" Zwaagstra a couple days ago in an email. Bob says: The first elected school president for that year was an American by the name of Sam Sharpe. Yup, I ain't kidding, his name was Sam Sharpe and he indeed thought he was SHARP. Ok, so I get banned from all chool trips for that year on account of a little episode in a pub in Aachen, Germany during another school trip, so no upcoming Ski Trip for me.... but Sam Sharpe goes. Now I'm not sure of all the sordid little details, but the story goes that Sam got caught in the buff with a female student. He was sent home in disgrace and stripped of his School Presidency on account of him not being a good example to the rest of us. So new elections were to be held. As with the previous high school elections, the Americans were expected to win because they made up 75% of the school population and always voted for their own. Soooo.. on the big election day, a fellow Canadian Gr. 9 student by the name of Ed Gordon and myself, quite by accident come into possession of a huge number of blank ballots. We smiled at our good fortune. While in the school cafeteria and during the speeches and otherwise loud election process we stuffed the ballot box to the point of over flowing with Paul K. Smith for President ballots! You won't gess what happened next. Ok you will, Paul won the election! The Americans were stunned, the Cheerleaders didn't know how to react. Lots of navel gazing on all their part. Traitors in their midst perhaps? Trust me Dave, there was much confusion. Had anyone bothered to cross reference the total voters to the total ballots, someone would've realised there were way too many ballots vs students, but they didn't... and thus Afcent history was made! I still recall Paul standing on the stage that day waving in victory as we Canadians cheered him on! Much silence and confusion though from the American ranks! Ed and I never spoke a word. Dave, that little tweaking of the democratic process still makes me smile. It's one of those feel good memories I have of Afcent. Paul by the way, became an excellent president. We remained proud of him for the duration of his reign. To the end the Americans never figured anything out. The Germans and the Brits I think were just pleased someone other than an American got elected. So his is the story of how Paul Smith, a Canadian became president of AFCENT school for one year. * Note from Paul Smith * Paul says: There is an interesting little addendum to the election story. At the time that guy Sharpe was dismissed the plan had been to simply appoint me as president as I was on the council and was the V.P. However, in my naive way and being a firm believer in democracy I said no and thus the election was called. So in my own way I inadvertently set the ball rolling for this election being called. I always wondered why / how I was elected. I just assumed that there were a bunch of PO'd Americans who either didn't vote or decided to vote for me. I'm pretty sure the Germans and English voted enmasse for me and the Canadians were a foregone conclusion. So how's that for some intriguing 1968/1969 AFCENT folklore? So this little Reagan-esque / Florida ballot counting incident should go down in AFCENT history as monumental. It's definitely laughable and undoubtedly intriguing and interesting.Bob Zwaagstra now lives in Manitoba, Canada and Paul Smith lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. I, Dave Thompson live in Ontario Canada and am very happy, thrilled even... to tell this story to you all. C ya!

Name: Joe Dicus
Years at AIHS: 1967-1968
What I've been up to: After leaving Brunssum (we were the Brunssum Bruins, not the Afcent Lions) I went to Karlsruhe American High School in Germany. Then on to more high schools in Indiana and Georgia. Attended the University of Missouri in Columbia and still reside there. Have been playing drums and guitar in bands for some years now. I'm looking for old school chums Charlie Fredericks, Bill (Dolly) Doyle, the Haines brothers, Melanie Herndon and Debbie Miscowiecz. That school was some of the most amazing times in my life.

Name: Allison Smith
Years at AIHS: 96-99 c/o 2000
What I've been up to: Hello if anyone reads this. I am currently in St. Petersburg Florida, producing for the Home Shopping Network. Just got to see my good choir buddy Jodie Setnor the other day. Everything is going great in the sunshine state. I can't wait to go to the reunion in '10. Im on myspace. There are only 2 Allison Smith's in St. Petersburg. Love to reconnect with some old friends.

Name: Karen Renner
Years at AIHS: 1987 - 1991
What I've been up to: I'm in the middle of a mission to find as many old friends as I can. A bunch of us have reunited on facebook and are sharing memories and old photos--come find us there! I'd love to hear from everybody! As for me, I'm finishing up my PhD in American literature at the University of Connecticut and hope to get a tenure-track position in a university soon. Not married, no kids, but do have a wonderful boyfriend and two very lovely cats.

Name: Sarah Christensen (Reimnitz)
Years at AIHS: 1992-1994
What I've been up to: I am currently living in Omaha, Nebraska with my husband Bill Christensen (married two years) and his daughter Alexis. They are the reason I finally decided to get ambitious and go back to school and set a good example for the wee one. I am currently working as a lead agent at my call center job and assisting with the training classes. Things are going pretty good for me right now and I hope that everyone else is doing well too.

Name: Linda (Avery) Wood
Years at AIHS: 86-87, class of 87
What I've been up to: Hi everyone. It's been a while since I've been on this site and thought I might take a moment to send an update. After arranging the reunion in 2002 in Atlanta for the classes of 86/87/88, I have been extraordinarily busy. My husband, Brent, and I were blessed with the adoption of our son, Parker, in April before the reunion in August of 2002. His journey into this world, and into our lives, is nothing short of a miracle and we haven't been the same since. His life has been carefully documented and if you would like to see what I mean, you can visit his web-site at www.parkersstory.com and take a look. I was living my dream as an interior designer when it became obvious that taking care of him would be a full time job, so I have been a stay at home mom for the last 5 years. Other than my marriage, nothing has brought me more joy than being a mother of a special needs child, it has truly changed my life. We are fortunate to live close to my parents (they live in our subdivision)and all 3 of my siblings. For those of you that remember, my mother was a teacher at AFCENT (Barbara Avery) and my brother, John Avery, graduated a year before me in 86. We all live within an hour of each other in various small towns in Georgia....all on the NE side of Atlanta. We have been here for 12 years and can't imagine being anywhere else. We love to travel and do it every chance we get. My husband and I will take our first trip to Europe next summer to celebrate my 40th (is that even possible??) birthday and his 50th. I can't wait to go back. Unfortunately, AFCENT is not on the itenerary. Anyway, I would love to hear from anyone and everyone, so if you would like to drop me a note, my current email address is: linnie825@windstream.net. Hope this finds everyone happy and healthy and I look forward to hearing frm you soon. XOXO, Linda

Name: Chris Morales
Years at AIHS: 74-76 C/O 1976
What I've been up to: I just wanted to thank Dave Thompson for sharing that great story about the student elections of 68/69! That is a classic for all ALUMNI to enjoy! Especially us Americans! Kudos to the Canuks who pulled this off! DORMIES RULE! GO LIONS! ROARRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Name: David Morris
Years at AIHS: 1982- 1985
What I've been up to: Wow... has it really been 23 years? Where does the time go? I am now living in a suburb of Milwaukee, WI (if anyone else is here - let me know). I work as an Administrative Assistant for a convent and am a single father of the greatest little boy you have ever laid eyes on. I am planning on getting married next year in India (yes, INDIA - not Indiana). She is the greatest, loves kids, teacher and is already thinking of my son as her own. I am truly blessed to have found her after my wife passed away. Any former AFCENTers in the Greater Milwaukee (from Chicago to Green Bay to Madison) hit me up. Would love to chat sometime.

Name: Cheryl Crites (Neundorf)
Years at AIHS: 1967-1968
What I've been up to: I was in the very first graduating class of 18 Seniors at Brunssum International High School. The original mascott was the Vikings. There were at lot of kids that had gone to Dreux HS in France when DeGaul kicked NATO and AFCENT out of Fountainbleau. So when we voted on a mascot The Vikings won the vote. Looking for any seniors from that class--it has been 40 years!!!!!!!!! I'm living in Dixon, CA.

Name: Carla Brundvig
Years at AIHS: 1968-72
What I've been up to: I just had a great time browsing through the AFCENT alum site and seeing Stan Blackwell, Darwin Holder, and Sheryl Rice McLandsborough (who found me in NM before I moved back to California in 2000, which was wonderful). I continue to have vivid dreams about my time in Holland, and savor the best educational years of my life that I enjoyed at AFCENT. Would love to re-connect.

Name: Lori Maggio-Hall
Years at AIHS: 89'-91'
What I've been up to: It's been twelve years since I posted a message here, so I thought it might be time for an update. I got my PhD in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin, did some postdoctoral research there and then finally got a real job about three and a half years ago. I have my own research lab at DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware, working on a biofuel project. I'm married (10 years) with a daughter (8) and son (3).

Name: Mike DeVries
Years at AFCENT: 82-85 (grades 7-9)
What I've been up to:yesterday i found your alumni site and i have to tell you that it was one of the best moments for me in 2008. the flood of memories was a bit distracting and i had a very good time tonight looking at the names and looking the faces up in my old yearbooks. i tried to register my name and email and look forward to seeing it on the site after the next update. i posted a couple of questions and replied to a few others from people i remember. as i approach the half way point of my life i find that i spend much more time reflecting than i used to and the AFCENT years are never far from my thoughts. that school will always hold a special place in my heart and i am so greatful that you have taken the time, energy, and effort to make it happen. while i was there i had no clue how special and unique of an experience it was and how it would shape my life. i was so fortunate to have been there and will cherish the memories for the rest of my life. Thank you for the good work and providing an opportunity for all of us to connect again.

Go Lions!