Northside High, Class of '85
The idea of this page is to let us share info about ourselves and [hopefully] get in contact with others and have them join us here. I'll create a section for each of us to enter our info, but there's no limit to what you can add. Feel free to try things out. If you need help with editing, visit the 'wiki-isms' section to the left. If you see the need for other sections on this page, please add it.
Things each person should do:
- Click on the "subscribe changes" link (below left). You'll get an email each time something is changed.
- Update your info on this page. Anything you want to say...say it here. You can even upload a photo if you like.
- Click on the "update profile" link (below left) and change your name and password to something you will remember.
Please let me know if you have trouble or questions. My email is chris@thefreyers.net.
Where were we 30 years ago??
Fun Stuff
- Pictures Page - See pictures from Alibaba's here. Upload others if you have them.
Personal Stuff
To edit your info, hit the edit button below your name.
Lee Barber
Hi, All. In spite of the fact it has taken me so long to take advantage of this great site that Chris has provided, it was really great to see all of you last month. I would like to stay in touch, even if only by phone or email.
Continuing where we left off twenty some-odd years ago – After high school I attended Georgia Southern College over in Statesboro where I was accepted into a program that offered a good alternative to the mind-numbing core courses everyone is required to take in college. I made more good friends at Southern, and graduated in ’89 with a bachelors degree in Biology and minors in Chemistry and International Studies.
After almost accepting a job at a Burger King in Key West (ask me later), I instead decided to attend graduate school at University of Miami to study marine biology. Though I had a great time living in Miami, I decided that it had been a bad move to pursue a career based on something I though was cool in the fifth grade. Though graduate school was not what I had hoped, it did bring me together with my bee-yoo-tee-ful future wife, Carla. After many long nights studying together, we decided it was true geek love. We were married at Stone Mountain GA in May of ’92, I finished my Master’s in July of ’92, and we moved out of Miami in August of ’92, only about four days ahead of Hurricane Andrew.
Thinking that the secret to true happiness was to be hot, sweaty, bug bitten and brain-dead, I started a Ph.D. in Environmental Science at Duke University, where I did research on wetlands (ie. Swamps and Bogs). I loved environmental science, especially my research on mercury pollution in the Everglades, but wasn’t real fond of being a cog in the vast wheel of academia. So I did a lot of stuff to distract me, including volunteering for Red Cross Disaster Relief Services for several years. I also worked for a small nonprofit promoting Sustainable Agriculture, where I ran the organic farm certification program for North and South Carolina. Later, I worked in a feed and seed store while doing environmental education and farm consulting on the side. And getting back to the hot, sweaty and bug-bitten theme, I worked with a friend to establish a farm on her family land near the bed and breakfast she was building. I loved gardening and working with the animals, so Carla and I got a few pets of our own, including chickens, geese, sheep, and a couple of donkeys we inherited.
But I was too stubborn to quit graduate school outright, so I left the farming thing and got back to work on my dissertation, working as a lab manager for one of the Duke faculty while I finished my dissertation. Since getting my degree in 2003, things have definitely been looking up. Being REAL done with academia, I accepted a job in the Washington DC area overseeing a national land management program for the headquarters of the Army National Guard. They seem to like my work, not realizing how much of a liberal tree hugger I really am. Carla is continuing her career in medical research at Johns Hopkins University, and continues to love bossing the MDs around. And if the frequent travel my job requires gets me down, I just remember grad school, and am content.
So for the time being you can find us in Laurel MD, halfway between DC and Baltimore. But we might not be here long, because I think I can only handle the BS of city life for another couple of years. After that, we’re heading for the boonies and buying a farm. In the meantime, give me a call at 919-724-0054, or drop me an email. I’d really love to hear from you (especially if you’ll let me talk about my garden!)
Paul Barkley
Hey everyone … glad to have found you again … a chance encounter seeing Steve in the halls at MCCG put me on the path to reconnecting to everyone. Looking over everyone’s entry, I figure I’ll contribute my own. Don’t send this to Ms. Hinnant … she’d fail me …. Certainly too lengthy, rambling and chock full of grammatical errors.
I spent two years in the 13th and 14th grade (as I call it) at Macon Junior College while working full time at night, raising some cash to set out on my own, and knocking down the core work to transfer out. I enlisted in the Georgia Air National Guard in the summer of ’87 with the intentions of finishing college and trying to get into flight school either in a civilian or military capacity down the road. At the time I figured some sort of prior military service would help that along. I scored well on the AFOQT, with scores solid enough to fly and/or navigate, but had to put pilot plans on hold until I finished school. I initially trained in cryptography (2E2X1), but by the time I got back to Georgia the Air Force was moving that job duty out of Reserve/Guard status so that only active duty troops were in crypto full-time. So, a few months later, I spent another stretch back in Texas cross-training in (361X0), otherwise known as outside wire. Basically I spent nine months learning how to build communication networks from the ground up, without the final satisfaction of plugging in the hardware. Fun work, but definitely work. I spent most of my time constructing permanent towers, LANS and satellite uplinks across the U.S., as well as lots of overseas locations … Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Martin, Germany, Italy, Greece, Honduras, Guam, to name a few.
Finally made it back to college in the winter of 1988, enrolling at Georgia Southern. Graduated from Southern in the summer of 1990. Was in a fraternity (Pi Kappa Phi), in the National Guard, and worked as a resident assistant in university housing for the entire duration of my time there. Left with a B.S. in Biology … No remarkable stories to tell, I pretty much stayed busy w/ school and the jobs/activities. Armed with my degree, I looked into flying slots with the Marines and Air Force, but the ramp up to Desert Storm had glutted the civilian and military flight schools with pilots. Without a service academy background, about the only way I was going to get a ride was with the Army flying copters, and I didn’t want to fly that bad.
So, I took a different road to figure out what exactly I wanted to do. I applied to the Medical College of Georgia for their program in Medical Technology, they had a 1 year condensed program where you could earn a B.S. in Medical Technology if you had a 4 yr degree in Chemistry, Biology or Microbiology. I was one of four enrolled that year. It was 14 hours a day (8 hours class, 6 hours clinical) for 48 weeks, study at night. I worked at MCG (Augusta) in their lab on the weekends I didn’t have National Guard drills, so I was quite busy that year. Graduated in mid-August 1991.
Started work at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in September of 1991, and have been there ever since. Started out as a supervisor on the night shift, overseeing general lab operations. I’m now the Clinical Operations Manager for the lab, we have over 250 employees in the lab and are second in size in the state, only to Grady in Atlanta. A large part of our business is with outlying physician offices and off-site collection facilities, though we do a lot of work internally w/ the 605 beds at the hospital.
Met my wife (Monica) at MCCG in 1991, we were married in October 1993. I worked seven nights in a row, and then would have seven off. During my “off” week, I spent parts of the next five years doing volunteer trips with the National Guard, doing maintenance work on air-to-ground communication sites. Got my flying fix in by flying to lots of places for a day or two then would hop back home to the ‘real’ job. That came to an end in 1996, when I got out of the Guard. A three month winter assignment to Italy, leaving a pregnant wife at home, pretty much took the luster off of the ‘fun’. I had finally outgrown the constant travel and seeing places I had never seen, at least on Uncle Sam’s dime.
Monica and I were blessed with a son, Will, born in May of 1997. We had been told we wouldn’t/couldn’t have kids, and after Monica having to endure a few surgeries it didn’t seem like we probably would. That said, Will came to us after we didn’t think we’d have children of our own. He’s not your typical 10 year old. He’s 5’2” tall and weighs 150lbs. I kid him that he’ll be as big as I was when I graduated high school … next year ….when he is in the sixth grade. Wow. Yeah, this former shrimp finally hit a growth spurt at the age of 19 and grew four inches and added 50 pounds in six months, after I got to Texas and basic training. Well, I cracked the six foot barrier and weigh 225 now and have lots of gray in my goatee so I probably look just a tad different to most of you !
Will plays football and baseball with the local rec leagues, and has allowed me to coach him at both sports the past six years. When we're not playing, we attend a lot of sporting events. Over the past 10 years I've run a sports website on the side as a hobby, both independently www.gsufans.com and as a publisher on a network. Ms. Hinnant would certainly croak if she heard that !
From 1997 to 1999, I ran a few sites on the Rivals.com network. Dabbled with photography over the years, shooting Division I football and baseball.
Our lives tend to revolve around family, work, sports and church and the occasional travel, not necessarily in that order. It’s a pretty ‘routine’ routine, but we enjoy it. We had bought an old house in Forsyth in 1993 (it turns 100yrs old this year), renovated it, and sold it in late 2006. Built a new house on Monica’s family’s old farmstead. They used to grow cotton on it 60 years ago, but it is nothing but woods now. We’ve got 20 acres on the southside of Lake Juliette, carved out 1 acre to build our house, and we’re just getting settled in having finished the house this past April. If you are ever in the vicinity, drop by. We’re just 4 miles off of I-75 …ya’ll are always welcome …..
Brian Barnett
Jay Benningfield
I had aspirations of being an architect since 9th grade and went to GA Tech for architecture after graduating. Upon arriving reality set in, and I learned that the architecture program was very art focused verses technical. Artistic creativity was not my forte, and after a year I moved to Auburn where I received a B.S. in Bus Admin/Marketing in '89. After graduating I promptly went into retail management and never used the marketing degree.
I met my wife Amy at Auburn and after graduation moved to Lakeland, FL which is approx 30 miles east of Tampa. We have 3 children -- Bailey 14, Morgan 12, and Davis 8 -- and still reside in Lakeland. Again I am far away from my degree and am currently a contractor managing a computer tech support team in a large call center for Verizon (which is a dirty word). Amy is completing her Master's in Counseling this semester at University of South FL.
We are in the same child focused adventure that many of us are living with piano, flute, basketball, dance, etc.... As an added bonus, Morgan and Davis share my life long enthusiasm for (mountain) biking.
Chris Freyer
I live in Jacksonville, FL with my wife Anita and three children: Danielle (13), Nick (10), and Nathan (7). I went to Auburn from '85 to '89 and got a Marketing degree. Didn't like the jobs I was being offered with that degree so I started taking computer classes at night to increase my technical skills. By 1996, I decided to go for a second degree and transferred to UNF. I finished my Masters in Computer Science in 2000. Now I work at Convergys Employee Care as the Sr Manager of Research & Development. You can see my resume here.
I'm pretty busy these days: scouting, church, football, carpools, etc... I like mountain biking, camping, fitness walking, playing guitar and even a little bit of golf. I figure I'll rest when the kids move out. :-)
Amy Hetzner
It was so great to see all of you! No one would have ever guessed we are all at least 40! Many of you know my "early years:" always wanted to be a teacher and I still am! I went from HS to Tift College, which then closed after I was there two years. I finished at Mercer in Macon, during which time I married Steve in 1987, a young bride, I call myself! My first job was in Jackson Ga, and I gave birth to Anna Elizabeth in 1991 during my 2nd year of teaching. During my 4th year in 1993 came Don Alexander, Alex, who is named after my dad. I tried my hand, and budget, at staying home for two years after Alex was born, but with 2 little ones and 2 step-sons, ages 13 and 12 at the time, it just did not work!
Hence, my career in Henry County began (south of Atlanta, McDonough area.) I have been in the county since the fall of 1995 and have taught everything K-5, either as a classroom teacher or a reading teacher. Last year, I embarked on a new journey by moving up to middle school. This is my second year at Patrick Henry in Stockbridge, the county's alternative school. If the kids get expelled from their regular schools, I get them. I LOVE IT!!! It is the best professional move I ever made.
During all this teaching I earned my Master's in Educational Leadership and Administration and aspired to become a school administrator. I guess that is still a goal, but I enjoy my thugs at the moment. I will finish my Specialist's in Leadership this summer (David McDermott is in my cohort at GA College!)
Back to personal stuff: Steve and I divorced in 2001 and he is happily remarried, yes, to wife number 3. We have joint custody of the kids, but now that Anna and Alex are in high school and Anna drives, YIKES, they spend more time at his house due to its location.
Must have been something in the water at NHS, because I entered a long-term relationship with a woman after divorcing. We were even married in Vermont. Aside from sharing a tumultuous almost 6 years together, I knew I had finally figured out the "missing piece."
I am now residing in Conyers GA, east of Atlanta, with my love, Lynn, whom some of you met. She has a daughter, almost 10, Tatum, and we are very happy together being a real family with our 3 kids. Oh, and lest I not forget, we enjoy the animal shelter here too (all but one were mine:) Dot, a big dog born on my porch 5 years ago, Nora, a special needs beagle adopted last year who really has issues, Lily, a chihuahua-beagle who is a living terror, Bella, Lynn's one year old tiny chihuahua, Margaret, the cat from the shelter, Prissie, a big old black cat that I wound up with from my former relationship, and Penelope, a bunny rabbit.
Needless to say, I am busy but have surrounded myself with love, children, and animals. I am very technology-inclined, but need to know wiki format in order to post some pictures! ....working on it. I will try not to post all animal pictures, too, hahaha. Hope to see you all again soon!!!
Steven House
I went to Furman University for undergrad in Greenville, SC 85 - 89. I spent a couple of years working and then took a last required physics course that I had been lacking for medical school entry. It just so happens that my lab partner in that single class I was lacking (Spring '91) became my wife May '92 after we both started medical school at Mercer. Alice had three kids, and I adopted them (that's how I can be 40 and Lee is 27 before ya'll go and start thinking ill of me at NJHS). Lee is 27 and married and has Kayleigh who is now 18 months. I guess I'm the only grandpa in our crowd. Jeremy is 25, married, and has Matthew (age 7) and another on the way. Betsy is 20 and working on an art degree.
Alice and I completed med school in '95 and went into a family medicine residency until '98 and then went into practice together in Byron for 4.5 years. 12/02 we received a call from the department chair at Mercer offering us jobs - Alice went to the medical school and I went to train residents in the residency program. I'm currently the Assoc. Director for the Center for Palliative Care that we built from the ground up, and it is the first such center in the state. So, I have several hats - I primarily train medical students, family medicine residents, and geriatric fellows, but under my Palliative Medicine hat I train family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, and pediatric residents. (I know Carla can attest that the surgeons are often suprised that anyone else knows anything). Taking care of a lot of old folks got me into being the medical director at Carlyle Place on Zebulon Rd., a swanky continuing care retirement community (not my kind of place - too stuck up).
Life has been pretty hectic, so it was really cool when Lee Barber called about getting together. It was good to see all of you.
Carla Lee (Tucker)
HI everyone! I attended school for as long as I could (keeping life on hold). I went to Wesleyan in Macon from 1985-6, then UGA from 1986-9. I was miraculously accepted into a PhD program at Harvard. Small-town girl just had to go and check out life in Boston from 1989-1994. Then I moved to San Diego (1994-1996), following my lab to UCSD. My boyfriend at the time (John Lee) popped out a ring and said he would come if I would marry him. Both of us fell in love with San Diego, but John's job (at that time pursuing the Holy Grail of academics) took us to Nashville (Vanderbilt), TN. By that time, I'd had enough of academics and retired my armchair. Then I went to medical school (1996-2001) and had a daughter (Nora Lee) in the middle of the second year. About the time I was 4 months pregnant, John announced that he would be retiring his armchair and pipe. He started a new job about the time Nora was born (high school chemistry teacher). He's been very happy and satisfied with that career choice. Now back to ME. I completed a residency in dermatology, then a fellowship in pediatric dermatology (back to San Diego for one year). I had intentions of staying there, but three reasons prevented it: 1) we could no longer afford even a door knob on a house there; 2) Nora hated San Diego; 3) my parents were aging and needing my help. So we move back in Aug of 2006, and it looks like we are here to stay.
Lisa Miller (Erwin)
Hi everyone!! It was so good to see all of you. Hopefully we can do it again before 20 more years have gone by. I went to Tift College with Amy and Charity after graduating. When it closed after two years, I transferred to GA Southern and graduated in 89 with a BS in biology. I moved to Augusta and worked at MCG as a research assistant in the department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. After two long, long years of playing with rats and guinea pigs I decided to go back to school. I graduated from MCG in 2003 with a BS in ultrasound. I worked at Aiken OB/GYN for three years. In 1996 I married Steve Miller (like the band --but not that Steve Miller). I moved to Marietta and have worked for Atlanta Perinatal Consultants ever since. I love it!! I feel so blessed to be able to get paid to do something that I enjoy so much. We have a 7 year old daughter named Lauren so --like many of you--we are very busy with girl scouts, soccer, dance, church choir, etc. If any of you are passing through this way I would love to visit with you and meet your families.
Mike Morgan
Well, I can honestly say that I had never heard of a "Wiki" until I got in touch with Chris. I am still not sure what it is, but I will try to read up on it. It was good to hear that some of you got together recently, especially since we did not have the luxury of a 20 year reunion (what was the deal there??).
As some of you know, I attended GA Tech from 1985-1990, and received a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering. Immediately after graduating, I went to work at the Savannah River Site in Aiken SC. One month later, I married Sonya Trussell (NHS class of 1986), whom I had been dating for several years. Sonya graduated from GA State University with a degree in Finance, and while we were in the Augusta area, she went back to school and got a second degree in accounting.
We lived in Evans,GA for 4 years, and it was during this time that we had our first child, Brandon, who is now 14 and a freshman in high school. After working at SRS for 4 years, I decided that I did not want to stay in the nuclear field. Both Sonya and I wanted to return to the Atlanta area, so in 1994 I took a position as a manufacturing engineer at Ricoh Electronics (Japanese maker of office automation equipment).
In 1996, our daughter, Reagan, was born, and she is now 11. Currently, I am the Director of Engineering at Ricoh's Lawrenceville manufacturing facility. We make toner for copiers, and also produce a thermally sensitive label stock used in thermal printing devices. Sonya also works at Ricoh as the Manager of the Accounting dept.
Both Sonya and I love playing tennis, and we are actively involved in several leagues in our area. This is where we were reunited with Maile, who is also involved in our leagues and is a very good tennis player. Our children keep us very busy, and are also heavily involved in sports. Brandon will be trying out for the 9th grade team at Collins Hill High School (a small school with approx. 3400 students), and Reagan is playing on a travel softball team. They are both also involved in our church sponsored basketball league.
It was good reading up on how everyone is doing. Hopefully we can get together, maybe a 25 year reunion in a couple of years (bring your walkers and canes). I did get to see a lot of our fellow NHS graduates a year or so ago, as Sonya's class had their 20 year reunion down in WR. We both still have family down there as well, so we make it back to the area several times per year.
Maile Steimer (Kagiyama)
Hi! After high school I went on to Emory and graduated with a useless degree in Anthopology and Psychology. I decided to go into Special Education after working at a church camp for intellectually disabled folks, so I went on to Georgia State to get a masters in Special Ed. I have been teaching ever since - Special Education, Reading Remediation, and currently 7th grade Language Arts at Jones Middle in Gwinnett. I'm working on a Specialist degree in Instructional Technology through UGA and will be finished this spring, thank goodness! I live in Dacula, GA with my husband, Tim, and three children, Madison (10), Patrick (10), and Hamilton (10). That's right, triplets! Tim is a high school teacher at Mill Creek High School. My biggest pasttime is tennis, which I took up after I got married. The kids keep us busy with scouts and soccer, and hopefully they will be starting band next year in middle school. I look forward to reading everyone's update!
Danny Zigrino
Hi everyone, This is me and my boyfriend of 20 years (Richard Hill) on a recent cruise to Alaska. He's a pharmacist and I do web programming from home.
Here is my contact info beyond email:
Danny Zigrino 3893 Rose of Sharon Dr. Orlando, FL 32808 407-822-8142