Creating His Own World: Robert Barkow

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Robert Barkow, Class of 2016, Brooklyn, New York

What are you up to? I'm a video game developer and the creator of the massive multiplayer adventure Ruinic which is set to release on Steam soon! I currently live in Brooklyn, New York and anything computer related is what I'm up to, whether it be programming, graphic design, or web design!

How'd you get here? After graduating from Watertown High School, I decided to take a gamble and not join the military or go to college so that I could focus on my goals. I continued to work on my computer development projects, which date back to when I was 10 years old. Between then and now, I have taught myself a vast array of computer skills. I was also given the opportunity to work on various projects by other developers, which in return gave me recognition in various communities. In 2018, I was given the opportunity to sign an agreement with VALVE Corporation (which is the developer of the software distribution platform Steam) for my video game Ruinic In November of 2018, 5 days before my 21st birthday, I signed. Soon enough, I realized that investing time into your goals and never caving under pressure will always lead to success.

What are your goals? It has been my goal for as long as I can remember to make a video game that people can enjoy, so I would say I am currently living my goals. However, my main goal right now is to keep developing Ruinic and make sure it's stable for release. I can see myself developing other video games after I finish Ruinic, traveling, or finding a new passion to chase. I’m developing most likely as you're reading this, so great things are being worked on beyond this page!

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? You can never fail, you can succeed and if you don't succeed, then you will learn.

CANCELED: You're Invited: WHS Sophomore Career Fair

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Sophomore WHS Career Fair

On the morning of Wednesday, March 25th, WHS will be hosting a Career Fair for our sophomore students. WHS is looking for volunteers to come back to the high school and speak about their career paths to current students.

The event will be organized similar to a trade show or college fair, where participants will be stationed at tables and students can visit tables and chat with participants. This way students can learn about the necessary training/schooling needs, what it is like to work in that field, and have the opportunity to ask questions in a more personal and focused manner. In the past, students found this event meaningful and helpful for their post-secondary planning.

Sign up for the WHS Career Fair today:

 

Can’t make the event? Share your story!

Conquering Goals: Chris Terzigni

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Chris Terzigni, Class of 2008, Holliston, MA

What are you up to? I’m currently the principal of Founders Academy, a small charter middle school in Woonsocket, RI. I live in Holliston, MA with my beautiful fiancé, Laura. We relocated back to New England in October after spending the last 10 years in North Carolina, where we both attended school at High Point University.

How'd you get here? After graduating from WHS, I attended High Point University in High Point, NC where I earned a bachelor's and master's degree in Elementary Education. After I graduated, I found a job as a 4th grade teacher. Between then and now, I have taught 4th grade, 6th grade and K-5 STEM. I was also given the opportunity to work outside the classroom as a Personalized Learning Coordinator, where I oversaw the implementation of a one-to-one tablet program for two different middle schools. In 2017, I was given the opportunity to return to school at High Point University on a full-ride scholarship to earn my master's degree in Educational Leadership. I earned my Educational Leadership master's degree in May of 2018. Soon enough, I served as an Assistant Principal at an elementary school in Greensboro, NC before relocating to Massachusetts and accepting my current position as principal.

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What are your goals? It has been my goal for as long as I can remember to teach and then to become an administrator, so I would say I am currently living my goals and at a point where I need to start building new goals. I can see myself going back to school to earn my doctorate within the education field and after I have gained some valuable experience, look into leadership roles at a district level. I’m getting married in October of 2020, so starting a family and settling down is definitely on the horizon for me as well.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? Take more classes that would earn you college credit... college is expensive, the less classes you have to take, the less money it will cost you. :-)

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!)

How Art Connects with Medicine: Lindsey Parenteau

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Lindsey Parenteau-Oshel, Class of 2011, Jacksonville, Florida Updated Story

What are you up to since the last time you shared your story? Since I last shared my story, I graduated with my Masters in Occupational Therapy and moved to North Florida to live with my husband as he pursues his career. A job offer came up for an OT in the school system, and I could not resist. I currently work as a school based OT specifically with kids in elementary schools. A typical day for me in the school generally goes with seeing students with ALL types of disabilities either for individual time or in a small group to work on different goals that help them to be successful and as functional as possible in class and throughout the school day. Typical goals we usually address focus on helping with handwriting skills, cutting skills, transitions between classrooms, attention during seated classwork, and self care tasks like dressing or opening containers during lunch. Often times, my job involves providing teachers various adaptations to skills such as writing with different pencils or grips, using adapted paper with lines and colors, providing assistive technology like ipads or eye gaze devices to assist with reading/writing or providing resources on sensory strategies to allow students to have movement breaks and increase attention. All in all, I love every aspect of my job especially getting to use fun crafts and games to allow my students to be as successful as possible.

How'd you get here since the last time you shared? Last time I shared, I was just getting started in the OT field while in graduate school. I truly did not even know what it meant to be a therapist because my only experience was through book learning and teacher lectures. Since then, I've become a licensed "OT" in Florida and have gained so much experience out in the field learning more than ever being hands on. Initially, I started work at a Skilled Nursing Facility helping various patients that have had injuries/illnesses such as strokes, dementia, knee replacements, etc. gain independence back to their daily lives. The work was fast paced and typically you would only work with a patient for a few weeks and they would go home. This job was not the route I had envisioned for my career and sought out to find my true passion, working with kids.

What are your goals now? Have they changed? My goals and to try to get through this first school year as successful as possible and hope that I did a good enough job to be picked up for more school years to come. My goals have definitely changed as I see the realistic side of actual work and adulthood living on my own with my husband far away from Nashville. I still think some day it would be amazing to have my own clinic for kids to come and receive therapy, and maybe 30-40 years from now, become a professor to teach the next generation of therapist. But for right now, I'm keeping my goals to being the best I can be right now for the students I current have everyday.

 
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Lindsey Parenteau, 2011, Nashville, TN September 20 2016

What are you up to? I am currently enrolled in the Masters of Occupational Therapy program at Tennessee State University. I was 1 out of 30 students chosen from a pool of 500 applicants for the program, so I am still in shock and very thankful. What is occupational therapy, you ask? Well, it can help you get back into your work or job, but it can also be much more than that. Occupational therapy is the therapeutic use of everyday activities or occupations that are meaningful to the patient to promote independence in function. The profession works with all age groups and many different types of disabilities, both physical and mental.

How'd you get here? I have always loved art and music but I also knew I wanted to use my time helping others and making an impact in their lives, specifically children. As I was choosing my future profession, I tried my best to pick something that incorporated both of those aspects I enjoyed. Luckily, OT focuses on using crafts and participation as a type of therapy, so I knew it was the perfect route to go for me. I graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation Science. OT is a very competitive field so I had to work hard to keep up a high GPA so that I could be accepted into a graduate program.

What are your goals? My number one goal is to get through the program so I can get started with my career. Once I get my Masters of Occupational Therapy, my dream is to become a traveling OT and pick up contracts around the around the globe. I couldn't pass up such an amazing career opportunity that allows me to travel and get paid at the same time.

Advice for WHS Students? If you have a dream or goal that seems unreachable or unrealistic, don't give up on it. Make it achievable.  I went a direction that allowed me to incorporate art and creativity in a purposeful way. I still get to do what I love everyday, but I choose a path that allowed me to grow and have a stable career that I truly enjoy.

If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where would you go? I would go to London, England in a heartbeat!

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Pharma Life: Jennifer Donato

Jennifer Donato, Class of 2011, Nottingham, MD

What are you up to? At this moment, I will be starting my career as a clinical pharmacist at Frederick Memorial Hospital in Frederick, MD and will be taking an exam to transfer my Connecticut Pharmacist License to Maryland so I can practice in the state of Maryland.

How'd you get here? I graduated from the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy in May 2018. A short month and a half later, I started my post graduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency at St. Vincent's Medical Center (SVMC) in Bridgeport, CT. During residency I gained a ton of experience in different areas of clinical pharmacy within the hospital. After 3 months had gone by, I had to decide what I wanted to do when this residency program was over. In November/December 2018 I had decided to apply to various hospitals across the country for a post graduate year 2 (PGY2) pharmacy residency program in critical care. While applying to the various hospitals, I could tell my heart was not in it although I loved my critical care and emergency medicine rotations at SVMC. I did not receive any interviews from the programs I had applied to and not only did I notice but my mentor at SVMC had noticed I was not heart broken over the rejections. With the help from my mentor, I had decided to finish residency with a positive attitude and see where life would take me. And that's when I decided to move to Maryland when residency was over to start my career and my life too, since my boyfriend was already residing there.

What are your goals? My future goals are to become a board certified pharmacist in pharmacotherapy and to continue to grow as a clinical pharmacist.

 
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Jennifer Donato, 2011, Oakville, CT - January 17, 2018

What are you up to? Currently, I am in my last year of pharmacy school at the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy in Downtown Hartford. This program is unlike a traditional pharmacy school where you do 2 years of pre-pharmacy and 4 years of pharmacy; instead at USJ SOP, you must received a bachelors degree prior to being accepted and then do 3 full calendar years of pharmacy. I am also in the process of applying to pharmacy residency programs.

How'd you get here? After graduating from WHS, I attended at the University of Bridgeport and received my bachelors of science in health sciences. Unlike a lot of people who I knew in high school, I knew that I wanted to do something in the healthcare profession, specifically pharmacy. So during my time at UB, I took prerequisites for pharmacy school, along with your general education courses, and courses in health sciences. It was super stressful applying to pharmacy school because I had to maintain a pretty high GPA in order to be competitive, my personal statement needed to be unique, and if the school was interested in me, I had to go through an interview process. And as a young adult at the time, I had never had to go through a professional interview. While going to school, I also had a part time job at ShopRite Pharmacy in Southbury. This job really solidified the fact that I wanted to go to pharmacy school and become a pharmacist. By March 2015, I knew I was accepted into USJ SOP and was excited to continue on the journey towards a rewarding career.

What are your goals? My goals for the future is to become a clinical pharmacist in a hospital. I would love to be board certified in critical care, where I can work in an ICU. This would require me to do two years of residency.

What has been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge was during my junior year of college. At UB they have a contract with UCONN where I could apply to their pharmacy school and I'd be looked at as a UCONN student rather than an outsider applying to their program. At the time, I did apply, but unfortunately did not get an interview. Although this may not seem like a challenge to most, I was devastated and had to decide whether or not I wanted to try again the following year and earn a bachelors degree as well. If this didn't happen to me, I wouldn't be where I am today.

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What has been your happiest moment? My happiest moment was this past September/October. I was in Arizona/New Mexico for school, working at Gallup Indian Medical Center. This hospital is for Navajo Native Americans who live on the reservation. They are underserved and struggle everyday. At this hospital, there are pharmacy run clinics where the pharmacists see the patients and change medication therapy depending on what clinic the pharmacist is working in. The clinics ranges from diabetes to asthma clinic, as well as anticoagulation (blood thinner) clinic to HIV clinic. I also had the opportunity to live on the reservation. It was definitely a culture shock. There is nothing for miles around and some people are still live without running water or electricity. It was a meaningful experience to understand how the Navajo people live. On a positive note, I did get to do some traveling and see parts of the United States that I didn't think I would ever be able to see.

Advice for WHS Students? If you know what you want to do right out of high school, go for it! It might not be easy and you may not succeed right away, but in the end it will be worth it. Work hard and don't let others bring you down for wanting to do something different. This is your life and you only get one of them.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? Confidence is something that you gain over time.

Always Smiling: Jeffrey Desena

Jeffrey Desena, Class of 1996, Watertown, CT

What are you up to? I am currently the District Resource Officer for all of the public schools in the Town of Watertown. I spend the majority of my day at Watertown High School but I also teach D.A.R.E. at Swift Middle School. The program is geared towards helping kids make smart decisions and really go over their options prior to high school. In my spare time I coach youth soccer in town for WAYS.

How'd you get here? It was a long road, to be honest. I graduated from WHS in 1996 and had no clue what career path I wanted to follow. I attended Naugatuck Valley Community College initially for Business Management. I felt like something was missing and took a few Sociology and Criminal Justice courses which really deepened my interest in Law Enforcement. I began taking police tests and was hired by the Town of Watertown. Over my 18 years here, I’ve worked night and day shift patrol, did a temporary Detective Bureau stint, and have been Union Vice President and Treasurer. The School Resource Officer position was posted in 2016 and it is something I always wanted to do. I felt like I would be a good fit because even though I had a great family growing up, I often found myself in trouble due to bad decision making and poor friend choices. I can relate to the kids and give them constructive criticism based on my experiences. I have been amazed at their trust in me and there is not a day that goes by where I do not go to work with a smile. It can feel like a burden when a lot of kids count on you, but I love it and would not have it any other way. I feel like I found my true niche in my profession.

What are your goals? My future goals are to continue working with kids, and trying to be a positive influence. When I retire I would ultimately like to move down south. The hotter the better.

What has been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge has been trying to find myself within my career. Although I love policing, I always felt like something was missing being on patrol. A lot of your interactions with people happen in negative situations. Once in a while, you feel like you make a difference, but a lot of the time you have to uphold the law and be stern. As District Resource Officer, it me an opportunity to do the community policing I absolutely love to do.

What has been your happiest moment?: When kids tell me they appreciate what I do for them.

Advice for WHS Students? Just be yourself. High School is about finding yourself. I feel when you are being yourself - that is true happiness.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? Listen to Mom and Dad! They were right.

One Small Step for a Man, One Giant Leap for Watertown: Clive Arlington

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Clive Arlington, Class of 1955, Fairhope, Alabama

What are you up to? I'm 80 years old, retired and enjoying the good life on the Eastern shore of Mobile Bay.

How'd you get here? After graduating from WHS, I joined the United States Air Force and received training as an electronic technician. I worked as a technician for 2 years in my 4 year stint. I started as a freshman at the University of Florida in 1961, graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1965. Hired by Boeing to work on the Apollo program at Kennedy Space Center - eventually selected to the launch team for Apollo, SkyLab and Shuttle programs. You likely saw me at the console during those televised launch activities. 

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During the Shuttle days I worked for Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) and was sent to work on projects in Texas, California, Denver, Colorado and New Orleans, Louisiana - eventually promoted to executive management before taking an early retirement in 1993. I worked for the next 17 years in the IT business with two small companies. Retired (for the fourth) time in 2010.


I'm married. The youngest of my two sons passed away in 1994. Brian lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. His 3 children (my grandchildren) live in Phoenix and Tennessee.

My classmates at WHS will likely recall me as the shortest, most mischievous young man in our class. Having emigrated from England in 1950, I still had a British accent that I used to my advantage.

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What are your goals? I knew in my Junior year at WHS that I wanted to be an engineer. When my employers began grooming me for management, I recognized my lack of training in that area and attended graduate school at night finally receiving a Masters in Management Science from TCU in 1971. At the age of 40 or so, reaching a healthy and comfortable retirement was my goal. I am there, although it took longer than I had hoped.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? Find the proper combination of humility and self-confidence as you progress in your career. Treat others as you would want to be treated and don't forget where you came from.

This photo was taken after the successful launch of the first Shuttle on April 12, 1981. Immediately behind the guy numbered 25, you can see a man in a dark shirt leaning over behind the console. Directly behind him is Clive. Clive is wearing a whit…

This photo was taken after the successful launch of the first Shuttle on April 12, 1981. Immediately behind the guy numbered 25, you can see a man in a dark shirt leaning over behind the console. Directly behind him is Clive. Clive is wearing a white shirt and tie and there is a guy to his right in a white jacket with his right arm held high.

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