Teacher and Brewer: Kari McCarthy

Kari McCarthy, Class of 2006, Waterbury, CT

What are you up to? I’m currently living in Waterbury, married, and I just had my first child. I have been a science teacher for 8 years. I’m currently teaching 7th grade science in Woodbury.

How'd you get here? Life came full circle. I wrote in my Senior year book that my ambition was to be a science teacher and that’s exactly what I did. I went to CCSU and got my Bachelors in Earth Science (Geology) and my Masters+ credits in education at the University of Bridgeport. I was able to move to my current teaching job in Woodbury because of my internship. A lot of my career path moved forward because of one person that I met, who led me to my job in Fairfield and then to my job in Woodbury.

What are your goals? My husband and I are in the works of owning and operating our own brewery. We are avid home brewers and we are now looking to open our own place. I love the science behind brewing! I loved teaching (emphasis on the past tense). I had made up my mind in high school that I wanted to be a teacher. I did it. Loved it. But now I want more for my life. Now that I’m “adulting” and seeing life as it really is, teaching is not so much for me. I’m looking to do something that will make a greater impact in my life. My husband and I feel that we can impact the community through our business and that’s what really excites me today!

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? You don’t need to decide what the rest of your life looks like right now. If you know, then pursue it and pursue it to your greatest capacities. If you don’t, that’s okay too, explore and experiment, you have your whole life ahead of you. Don’t settle! (Both personally and professionally!)

It's the Simple Things: Lauren Vail Parenteau

Lauren Parenteau, Class of 2011, Watertown, NY

What are you up to? I am currently living in upstate New York with my husband. He is in the military and stationed here at Ford Drum. While I am living my life as a military spouse, I continue my path of elementary education and substitute at the local and surrounding school districts. The plans are to move back to CT in the next year or so. Although this has been an exciting adventure, we are looking forward to moving back and being with family and friends.

How'd you get here? I got where I am today with the help and guidance of some amazing friends and family. I have always had to drive to educate and work with children. From the age of 6, I played school with my dolls and had all the excitement of the first day of school. I like to think that my passion of education stems from my anxiety growing up. I struggled with anxiety at the beginning of 5th grade and looking back I can see how school staff and certain teachers were supportive of me and provided me with the tools to move forward. Going to college at CCSU, I focused on becoming the best teacher for my students, whatever that was to them. For some students, I’m a mom, a friend, or even someone to talk to. Quickly after graduation, I moved up to NY to be with my husband to support him during his contract with the military, just as he supported me through college.

What are your goals? My goals are to move back to CT, buy a home, build my career, and start a family. The typical family sitcom.

Lauren Vail, Class of 2011, Watertown, CT July 19, 2016

What are you up to? What am I up to? Oh boy. I am still in school. I am studying Elementary Education at Central, so I guess you can say I'll be in school for the rest of my life. While going to school, I work at the local Staples as a copy center associate, making copies for a living. So if you ever need a good copy, just ask for me! I have an amazing boyfriend who helps me get through the stress of work and school. He's my rock, as corny as that may be to say.

How'd you get here? It's crazy to say that going to school is what made me want to become a teacher. I suffered from severe anxiety growing up and I got bullied for that. I never really had a teacher that made me feel comfortable about my disorder, so I decided to become that teacher. Many kids are suffering from severe anxiety and many adults don't understand how to cope. I'd like to be the teacher that students feel comfortable talking to.

What are your goals? My goals are typical: Get a great job, marry the love of my life, and live a happy life. I'm not looking to move to the city or become America's Next Top Model. I want the simple things in life.

Advice for WHS Students? Cherish the moments. I can say there's a lot of things I wish I did back in high school, and I do have regrets. So here are some tips...

1. Don't get hung up on one boy. 
2. One true friend is better than 10 "friends".
3. Become friends with the teachers....they are the one grading your papers! 
4. Join an art class!
5. Don't be stressed about college! Apply to the ones you really want to go to. 
6. And lastly, don't hesitate to reach for what you want! Go for it!

What are the ingredients for a perfect day? The ingredients for a perfect day are: happiness, loved ones, fun adventures, and laughter.

Food for Thought: Chelsea Kyle

Chelsea Kyle, 2009, Manhattan, NY

What are you up to? I work as Senior Visual Editor, Photographer for Condé Nast, specifically working with sister brands Epicurious and Bon Appetit. I direct, shoot, and produce all the photography for www.epicurious.com. Basically, a food story or recipe idea gets pitched to me from our Food Editors and I help facilitate how that gets represented visually. When we are working on big projects that require a larger team, I’m helping organize a team of freelance artists including additional Photographers, Food Stylists and Prop stylists. My time is split between being in the studio shooting and desk work editing, retouching, coordinating, etc. I occasionally shoot professional freelance gigs on my time off photographing restaurants, architecture, interiors design, and fashion.

I’m constantly surrounded by a lot of very passionate people who love food. Naturally, I have developed a deep love for the food world and I’ve picked up cooking myself. I live with one of my childhood friends (and fellow WHS alumni) who is also a photographer. My third roommate is a food stylist and a chef. My boyfriend is a pastry chef and food stylist. We love what we do so much that most of the time you’ll catch us on weekends in the kitchen with cameras.

How'd you get here? I was raised by my very old fashioned grandmother and my very forward thinking, modern mother. Both passionate as hell, especially when it came to me. I’d like to think I had a nice balance of both their ideals but the reality of it made it very difficult to choose between a traditional path pursuing a “reliable” career in science or break the norm and go to a trade school for photography.

After getting accepted to my dream school, Savannah College of Art and Design, I declined and chose to attend University of New Hampshire to study Nutrition. It didn’t take long for the little voice in my head to start screaming, “You’re in the wrong place.” So I went home to Connecticut and attended classes at Central Connecticut State University until I figured out my next step. I was accepted to University of Hartford for photography but the summer before my first fall semester, I was sitting in my mom’s kitchen expressing how I didn’t want to spend 2 of 4 years taking general art classes before I could focus solely on photography. I wanted a trade school that got me hands on experience with photo equipment and shooting right away. She encouraged me to follow my heart and we started looking at trade schools.

I finally found a home at New England School of Photography (NESOP) in Boston where I graduated with a focus in Advertising and Commercial photography and minored in Creative Imaging. During my studies at NESOP, I was interning at Boston Magazine and tutoring students in classes below me. Soon I started getting freelance photography gigs. By the time I graduated, I was shooting freelance full-time. I had clients all over Boston, small businesses, publications, etc. Three years later, through connections and recommendations, I got a call from Condé Nast and a month later I dropped everything to move to New York to start my current job.

What are your goals? I want to inspire people to follow their dreams like I have. I want to continue to bring people joy through the world of art, showing people a different side of life, and filling people up with beautiful representations of other people’s thoughts and ideas. I want to encourage people to fight for themselves and what they love.

My grandmother grew up in a time when she wasn’t allowed to pursue her dreams. She was a woman held back by society and an abusive father. She didn't stop; even when her mother killed herself, her sister died from a poorly treated infection and her marriage failed leaving her with 4 kids. She set out on her own and successfully raised four children and then three grandchildren (me!). She was a Girl Scout Leader growing up and countlessly told us girls that we could be whoever we wanted to be. She and my mother gave me a childhood of wonderful experiences and taught me to always say yes to opportunity. 

Sadly, my mother battled with a vicious eating disorder, depression, and addiction and died as a result little over three years ago. She was an incredible person; she tried so hard to be her best and it took a toll on her mentally. My mom studied many religions seeking solace. She could recite scripture, religious readings, and spiritual anecdotes that she had memorized but through her many pursuits she couldn’t find faith in herself. It was difficult to comprehend how someone so smart, beautiful, and strong could be so saddened by their own mind. I wanted desperately to give her courage and support the way she did for me. 

Both of these wonderful women in my life gave me the strength and confidence to achieve whatever I set my mind to when they couldn’t do it themselves. I hope to encourage others to do the same.

Advice for WHS Students? Success means more than just employment and executing your job well. Understand and appreciate the jobs of those who work around you and be inspiring and present. Small acts of consideration and kindness go a long way to making your work and personal life better for you, as well as for those around you. Your work ethic is important, but the attitude you bring to work and the way you treat others is just as important, if not more.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? You'll change your mind a lot. That's okay. Nobody except you can tell you what makes you happy.

Software Engineer and Underwater Investigator: Joseph Adamski

Joseph Adamski, Class of 2009, Newington, CT

What are you up to? I am currently working as a software engineer at HYPACK in Middletown, which was a small start up company that was bought out by a Fortune 500. The software we develop deals with the field of hydrography, such as using echo sounders in order to generate maps of the ocean bottom. Most of my time is spent working on magnetometers, which assist various organizations in finding all sorts of objects on the seafloor such as unexploded ordinance or ship wrecks. I've also recently been doing some work on measuring water quality using environmental sensors in order to ensure drinking water is safe. 

I'm currently finishing up my MBA at Central Connecticut State University in business analytics. So hopefully when I'm burned out on being a code monkey I can move onto new things.

How'd you get here? Probably the biggest help in getting to where I am today was financial assistance. Mr. Lozaw and Mr. Brown wrote me a letter of recommendation for a National Science Foundation scholarship, which ended up covering the majority of my tuition at CCSU while getting my Bachelors in Computer Science. AP Java was also a big help in getting me started in the field, so kudos to the now retired Miss Smith. Other than that, I just really like programming and so I made it my job.

What are your goals? In my undergrad, I double majored in sociology and computer science. I have always wanted to get my PhD in a topic such as computational social science which combines the two fields.

Advice for WHS Students? Find a career path you really like. Don't rush into anything and take your time. You're bound to have a few flounders and failures but it is how you learn and recover from them that really matters.

If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where would you go? Bletchley Park