onteorastrong.

A funny thing happens as you get older.

Time is a great equalizer. You begin the appreciate the things you took for granted when you were younger.

I am a 1987 graduate of Onteora Central School in Boiceville New York. Both of my parents were music teachers in the district, and those years at OCS had a profound impact on my life….this is something I’ve come to appreciate over these past couple of years.

Not many people think of their high school experiences as the best part of their lives. Mine were not fantastic, but hindsight has a way of reframing some of these moments into powerful life lessons.

Where isolation and unpopularity were things we worried in high school, I’m now thankful for the sense of self-respect and independence I learned during these formative teenage years.

Here’s the thing I’ve learned to appreciate the most about my time not just at Onteora, but from growing up in my little town of Shokan in the Catskills – NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM. And I genuinely appreciate this life lesson now more than ever.

I’ve embraced following the updates of my alma mater. One of my classmates (who I’ve known since 3rd grade) recently coached Onteora’s Varsity Boys Basketball Team to their first Section 9 Class B title in 25 years! And Onteora’s Marching Band just marched in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade! It’s inspiring to see the younger generations of students with bright young minds putting their best foot forward.

In two weeks, I’m heading up to Shokan, and I look forward to hopefully walking the halls of OCS, and I hope to see a lot of familiar faces. I’m happy to feel reconnected to my high school, and I look forward to reconnecting with more high school friends and classmates in the future.

A footnote – back in the day, we were the Onteora Indians, and now we’re the Onteora Eagles….as a New York Giants fan, the words “Fly Eagles Fly” are not a part of my everyday vocabulary, but for OCS, I’ll make an exception!

Who says you can’t go home again?