Personal Profiles

After 22 years of being a superintendent, and 16 years of teaching, Dr. Palmer has announced her retirement from Northwestern Regional 7. Attending Southern Connecticut State University, along with Central Connecticut, she had always dreamt of becoming a teacher. Even as a child, Dr. Palmer would play “teacher” with the other kids in the neighborhood. 

The main motive of wanting to be a teacher was that she always loved her teachers growing up. She had always “felt more connected” with them. Dr. Palmer even remembers her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hurlburt, whom she also felt very connected to and always just loved going to school. Dr. Palmer's passion for kids truly shows when every morning she greets the students at NWR7 with a warm smile, reminding us to have a good day. Prior to superintendent, she taught second and third grade at St. Anthony’s, Bachelor, and Hinsdale. One of her favorite memories is when she moved from second to third grade and got to teach her class for a second time! 

Another favorite memory of hers would be in 1998, a student made her a ceramic heart, which she has kept in her office ever since. Recently, students at NWR7 surprised her with the Surprise Squad and gifted her a mason jar full of messages from the students. It is clear that Dr. Palmer genuinely cherishes kids, which makes it hard for her to be a superintendent. She would almost rather be a teacher and working with the kids than being at the head and in her office. Dr. Palmer states, “With every job you get in administration, you're moved a little further away from kids. Being a superintendent in Oxford and Winsted was hard because I was in a building away from the school. Being at this school is the best because I get to have my office inside campus.” Being away from her students like that was one of the biggest challenges in her career, but she is grateful to work at NWR7, where she is able to connect more with the kids and work right on campus. 

During Dr. Palmer’s career, she has made some huge accomplishments that have changed the lives of students in the community.. “When I was superintendent in Oxford, we were able to pass a referendum and build the town’s first high school. Now the kids have their own high school.” Prior to this, the children at Oxford would have to split off into different high schools or attend a private school. Additionally, she is very proud of the Kindness in Motion program, which she founded. It began eight years ago, when she was inspired by a man who gave $50 to two strangers and told them to do something good with that money. With that seemingly little amount, they took it and fed a community of people in poverty. She decided that she would give out $100 to students for Kindness in Motion projects, and since then, students every year have been using the money to make positive changes in our world. Also, she was very proud of our school for winning The Blue Ribbon award since it involved everyone and was a team effort. 

Every day, Dr. Palmer wakes up and starts her coffee, an essential part of her day. Depending on the day, she wakes up at 5:30. If there is a concern about the weather and safety, she will wake up as early as 3:30 to watch the weather and make the decision if school is canceled or a delay. She then reads the paper and checks her emails. Every morning, she makes breakfast for her husband. Additionally, if the weather is nice, she will bring her dog for a walk. She arrives at school by 7:20, and says “Every morning for the past 13 years, I go up the driveway and am filled with gratitude and just felt like I belonged here.” 

Getting to reconnect with former students of her own or their kids is one of her favorite experiences she has in her career. Former student, Rebecca Welsh, is completely devastated to hear that Dr. Palmer is retiring. Welsh had her in the 1990s while attending the Mary P. Hinsdale Elementary School in Winsted, CT. Her favorite memory of Dr. Palmer was “when I was standing at her desk as a second grader, she was moving me up in math and I started crying and she hugged me and told me that it was going to be okay.” She has always shown so much compassion towards her students. Welsh states, “Her shoes are going to be impossible to fill. However, if the district is able to find someone that places a high value on family, protection of students, and sees the school as their own family, then they will come close to matching Dr. Palmer's amazing qualities.” 

Not only do the students love Dr. Palmer, but so do all of the staff at NWR7. Frank Rodenburg has been a long-time employee and was able to work with Dr. Palmer for some time. He says in response to her retirement, “I am sad to see her go, but feel blessed that I was able to work with her for so long.  She has been a wonderful and inspirational leader.” He emphasizes the positive impact she has made on this community. Additionally he says, “I have a lot of favorite memories, but they all have to do with her many kindnesses.  For example, I recently had a serious surgery and she checked in on me every day.  She cares about people with her whole heart.” She makes an effort to make sure that everyone is doing well, and she will definitely be irreplaceable. Mr. Rodenburg also talked about how it would be “unfair to ask someone to replace her caring nature and positivity.” 

It is clear that everyone in the community holds a special place in their heart for Dr. Palmer is sad to hear she is retiring. She even said herself that, “Retiring has been the hardest part of my job.” NWR7 can only hope that whoever may fill her shoes will be as kind, loving, and supportive as Dr. Palmer is.

Cianna Ferraro has big dreams. "I want to be an Aviation Survival Technician, which is a rescue swimmer in the United States Coast Guard...stationed in Kodiak Alaska," the 15-year-old says.

A sophomore at NWR7 High School, Cianna is not your average teenager. She is extremely athletic and dedicated to all she does.  She is always on the move and involved in multiple activities that require a great amount of strength and bravery. Cianna is not only on the Northwestern Swim Team, but she is also a Fire Explorer, a Police Cadet, an EMT Explorer, and a member of the Student Council. She also participates in Band, Northwestern FFA, Forestry, Track, and Scouts.

A schedule filled with so many activities may sound intimidating to some, but not for Cianna.  "I tend to like being busy," Cianna says. She enjoys always having something to do to keep her occupied.  Cianna has always been very athletically inclined. She did gymnastics for most of her childhood, but that changed once she got to high school. 

Cianna has been on the Northwestern Swim Team since her freshman year. Unfortunately, she injured herself last year and couldn't swim for 50 days, taking up most of the season. Even though she was injured, she still went to every swim practice to sit and watch her teammates, even if she couldn't participate. During the last two weeks of the season, she was able to swim again, but this is her first full year of swimming. 

Cianna recently tried to qualify for states in diving. To qualify, you need an overall score of 160, and Cianna received a score of 159.6, she was only 0.4 away from qualifying. This is her first year of diving, so getting such a high score is impressive. She believes in herself to be able to try again and qualify for the next time she tries. 

Cianna's dedication to swimming ties into her ambitious goal. Her dream is to be a rescue swimmer in the United States Coast Guard. To help her work up to that goal, she is a member of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, a program in New Haven, CT. It is owned by the Navy and designed for teenagers that want to go into the service. "It's a program that teaches leadership, respect, and military bearing." Cianna explains. "Drill is the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m." During drill, there is class time where you learn about the military, PT (workout time), and Mildrill which involves marching, or learning about Military ceremonies. Cianna is currently a Seaman Apprentice and she is on the Color Guard Team.

There is an underlying reason why Cianna chose the Coast Guard over other military branches. She explained how the Coast Guards' focus is protecting people and saving lives rather than going and defending people.  "The idea of jumping out of a helicopter into a hurricane to save someone is perfect," Cianna says.

Cianna's mother, Angela Skornia, believes that Cianna has always loved the idea of helping others: "I think she always liked to help people, I think she has a really compassionate heart," Skornia explains. She explained how she was never a punctual person, and raising Cianna taught her how to be more on time for events and places. Cianna was also said to be a very happy child. "She always had a smile. She was easy to get to laugh," Skornia says. 

When asked what she sees Cianna doing in the future, Skornia believes Cianna will be successful and accomplished.  "So many things…everything. I can see her doing anything that she wants." She also wishes for Cianna to have a good and fulfilled life. "I want it to be full of love and compassion and humor, and definitely safety" 

Cianna's 11-year-old younger sister, Willow Baker, also has lots of love for Cianna. When asked what qualities Cianna has, Willow immediately had positive things to say: “[Cianna is] amazing, energetic, lovable and overall amazing…and the best sister in the world!" says Willow.

Cianna's best friend, Lena Doyle, a junior at NWR7, has nothing but good things to say. She and Cianna have a very close relationship. "She makes me feel energetic… she makes me feel safe and makes everything fun," Lena says. Lena does Scouts with Cianna and tells a story about one of Cianna's experiences. During Scout camp over the summer, Cianna was trying to get the hardest Merit Badge, the lifesaving badge. In the process she hurt her leg and had trouble walking, still, she persevered and pushed through the week. In the end, she did earn the Merit badge. Lena believes Cianna will be successful and knows she can do anything she puts her mind to. "Any goals she has she will definitely achieve," says Lena.

Cianna has always had such big ideas, a strong drive and is loved by so many people. Many look up to her and believe she will do great things someday.

For seniors in high school, springtime means having to make one of the most important decisions of their lives. In 2021, 18-year-old Thomas Busemeyer was no exception. Would he pursue creative writing at Emerson University? Or would he spend two years at community college in an attempt to better understand what he wants in life? 

Now, in 2023, the 20-year-old New Hartford resident is preparing to graduate from Northwestern Connecticut Community College and transfer to a four year college with a major in business marketing. 

Thomas spent his senior year of high school at Northwestern Regional 7 in a hybrid-learning program due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This played a huge role in his decision to attend community college, as he was sick of school and wasn’t sure what his future would hold anymore. 

“I couldn’t really consider my future existing with the constant imploding of the world,” he said. That, plus the stigma around community college and having been accepted into Emerson University, his top choice school, complicated Thomas’s decision further. 

“I knew we would face some expectation issues from people,” says mother Martha Penella. “It was hard from that perspective, although it seemed that Thomas had thought it through.” 

Sure enough, Thomas’s decision to stay in Connecticut for two more years paid off. 

Soon after his high school graduation, Thomas began playing guitar regularly in a group with two other Northwestern alumni, Dylan and Eddie. They had jammed together a few times when the COVID-19 pandemic started to settle down, but the last two years they’ve been able to start playing three times a week and have really grown their platform. Thomas began to record songs with the band, Ruby Left Step, and now they play shows around Northwest Connecticut and have listeners as far as Seattle. 

Although Ruby Left Step is a more recent addition to Thomas’s life, he is no stranger to music. He began guitar lessons at Downright Music and Arts at the ripe age of 7, and is now an employee. Since he was able to work, Thomas has been teaching guitar, bass, drums, and more to kids of all ages at Downright. 

Without his choice to do community college for two years, Thomas wouldn’t have had the opportunity to keep teaching music, nor play in such a successful, rapidly growing band. It’s also given him a more clear vision of what he wants in life. 

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Thomas says about where he was at the end of high school. 

Through Ruby Left Step, Thomas found what his next step in life would be. He would attend a four-year university for business marketing to work toward opening a recording studio for the band. 

Part of the inspiration for this idea can be credited to Andrew Decker. Decker is the owner of Downright, and has been one of the most influential people in Thomas’s life. Decker showed Thomas that it’s possible to run a small, yet successful business and still also have a good time. 

Aside from Decker, Thomas’s girlfriend, Mila Markovich, has also been a huge influence in his life. Thomas and Mila have been together since the fall of their junior year, and have been working through community college together.

“We’ve been able to take steps in our life that we wouldn’t have been able to,” Mila says regarding the growth their relationship has gone through because of their choice to attend community college. The pair is now living together in an apartment on Mila’s mother’s property. Mila is very proud of Thomas, and feels like he’s really starting to find what he wants to do. 

“Go for it if you want,” Thomas says to high schoolers considering community college. “If you don’t feel like you are enthusiastic about an idea you have for your future, it's definitely worth considering not committing yourself to a ridiculous amount of debt.” 

Had he gone to Emerson, Thomas never would have been able to play with the band, which is now at the center of his anticipated future. 

Of course, there is judgment that comes with the decision, but as Thomas’s mother says, “not everyone takes the same path to get from point A to point B.”

Growing up in a rural area of Winsted CT, Mrs. Waring fell in love with the community. After graduating college, she decided to move back to her former town. She became a teacher, her dream job. She enjoys art, books, and history. 

After Mrs. Waring left Litchfield County, CT, she went to Siena College in New York. Just like her hometown, it was a small school with lots of community. One of her classes only had 3 people. She has kept in contact with some of her professors to this day. 

At Siena college, she majored in history and education. Since the 7th grade, she knew she wanted to be a history teacher. She never changed her major.  This was partly because of her 7th grade teacher, Mrs. Lavolo. Mrs. Waring said, “I thought Mrs. Lavolo was the pinnacle of teaching.” Mrs. Waring understands the importance teachers have on their students. She tries to be like Mrs. Lavolo to her students, and get them to see the infinite world of the past. 

After Siena, she went to Central Connecticut State University and got an administrative degree. This gave her the opportunity to be head of the history department at Region 7. 

In fact, her greatest professional achievement is quite simple, “when students enjoy the class,” Mrs. Waring explained. She hopes her students describe her as fair, energetic, and obviously competent. She explains her frustration as well, “History is hard to sell because we have it at our fingertips. I feel I am competing with the modernization of our subject area.” 

Some of her former students expressed their admiration for Mrs. Waring. Yuki Trang, a sophomore, said, “Mrs. Waring was such a great teacher, she was so nice, and taught me so much about history!” 

Her coworkers share a similar opinion, Mr. Coulter said, “I love her. Mrs. Waring is great, we started teaching the same year. We have really gotten along. I love her.” It is quite evident how well liked Mrs. Waring is. 

Although, if she could not be a history teacher, Mrs. Waring would be a librarian. She has a love for literature. She is even certified as a librarian. “I'd love to see more kids walk around with books in their hands,” she says. She takes her own kids to the library every weekend, so she can show them how amazing reading can be. This also adds to her historical interest, since many books are about the past. She would love to not only teach kids about history, but how they can teach themselves using literature. 

Of course, she also adores history. Some of her favorite people from history are Boudica and Alexander the Great. Although she thinks her favorites are basic, they are extremely interesting nonetheless. She is intrigued by history because “History is the story of people and if you love literature and you love villains and heroes and drama and war,” she explains. History is where we all come from, and Mrs. Waring is simply fascinated by where humans originate, and how we have gotten to our current state. If she could haunt a historical figure, she would like to haunt Napoleon. Mrs. Waring told me, “He could be so good and so bad, so fascinating.” She would also like to haunt Hernán Cortés, because he is a historical figure she dislikes. She would find it very interesting to see what these two figures do when there are no records of them. As for films about history, she enjoys Gladiator from 2000. At the start of the century, the cinematography was fantastic. 

As for films outside of history, she enjoys Steel Magnolias. She likes it because Dolly Parton is in the movie, and she loves Dolly Parton. 

In her free time, she likes listening to Graceland by Paul Simon and looking at artwork. Although her art skills are not the best, she wishes she could paint and draw like some of the art greats. She also likes the history of art. This is why she chose history as a major, it gave her a chance to pursue all her passions. 

Mrs. Waring is not a fan of the war in Russia. She called it, “Concerning and intimidating.” Although despite the genocide, she saw optimism in NATO and hopes more nations can help brave Ukraine. She also thought the war shows Russian weakness, and an imperialist attitude coming from the country. 

“When students enjoy the class, it is the most rewarding,” Mrs. Waring said. 

Paint is splattered everywhere, pencils dull and used, students reaching for guidance. Some ask for art help, and others life advice. She does not know the effect she has truly had on her students within just a year as an art teacher at Region 7 High School.

This is another day for Miss Gordon, who started her journey as a student teacher in the 2021-22 school year. She shadowed Ms. Mitchell, who has been an art teacher at Northwestern for over three years. But where she really began her journey was attending Northwestern Connecticut Community College, receiving her associate’s degree, then transferring to Central Connecticut State University. This was “just the closest option,” she said, because of her residence in Torrington, CT.

Before Miss Gordon even graduated from CCSU, she entered as a shadow and student teacher to complete her edTPA teaching assessment. What’s even more impressive are the other major milestones Miss Gordon was going through at this time. One of the things that she is most proud of, she said, is “staying motivated while working through college, becoming a young mom, and going through an unfortunate start and end to an engagement. That was probably the hardest thing,” Miss Gordon said, “but it was all so worth it.”

No matter what challenges life may bring to Miss Gordon, she has fall back plans. “That’s the nice thing about teaching, if I wanted to pursue another interest, I could without giving up [art].” She mentions that art can have many pathways that many people look past. If she wasn't a teacher, she had other career ideas like cosmetology, tattoo art, and event planning, all of which she thought about pursuing when she was a senior at Torrington High School.

Why was it so worth it, though? Most people are unaware of the careers involved with art, but Miss Gordon brings her job to life for her students. “Honestly, I really love my job, [but] no matter how much you love your job, you still want to go home at the end of the day,” she admitted. What really makes it all worth it and enjoyable for her, though, are the students and the environment associated with becoming a teacher in general. She enjoys making friends with her co-workers and makes it a point to consciously greet faculty and students in the hallway. “I wouldn’t like it as much if I didn’t enjoy the people,” Miss Gordon replied. 

And the people love her too, especially her students. She makes it so that “you can go at your own pace,” Mollie Spencer, one of her freshmen ‘Introduction to Art’ students, recalled. “She’s relatable to students,” another student in Miss Gordon’s ‘Drawing I’ class, Rachel Viets, said. Due to her young age, but “more because of her personality,” she’s relatable in relationship to her students, Viets explained. 

Miss Gordon agrees with these students, that she can definitely put herself in their shoes because she is fresh out of college. However, she is also  in the period where she understands adults. She even explained that one piece of advice she would give to her students, and even herself at a younger age, is to listen to adults: “They have your best interest in mind,” even when parents can seem annoying or irrelevant. 

What’s next for the goal-oriented Miss Gordon? Well, she hopes to be in this same school years from now, still teaching art. Her aspirations include; getting a house, being married, and achieving her master’s degree in either art education or achieving an MFA, which is a PhD equivalent in art. She also wishes to travel more because her life has been so busy since she has been out of high school. One place she would love to visit with her partner is Nice, a city in France, an affordable European trip. 

Miss Gordon also gave appreciation to Mr. Bucci, a former art teacher who resigned from the high school in 2022. He wasn’t her official mentor when she came to Northwestern last year, but helped her tremendously career wise. Any time she had a problem or a professional question about her teaching style, she “[could] look up to him” because they have “similar takes on things,” Miss Gordon says. 

All of her students point out how Miss Gordon has influenced them in an outstanding way. Her work ethic is recognized by many. Although she started as a server in a small town restaurant with a spark of interest in art, she still finds use in milestones like this on the way that have shaped her career. 

Hunter Martocchio has always been an athlete and played baseball basically his whole life. Hunter is a junior at Northwestern Regional High School. He is a very sociable person and is always making people laugh. When  asked  what his social life was like he responded, “I love being with people all the time. I end up getting very bored if I'm just by myself doing nothing for too long.” 

Hunter always needs to be doing something with people or just talking to someone. Hunter has a pretty big family. He has four siblings, all sisters, and a dog. Hunter gets along with his family for the most part. “I get along with all of them but I'm only really close with one of them.” Hunter says his dad is his hero and someone that he looks up to. 

He has played baseball his whole life and his dad is his number one supporter. He's always there for him at the games and always giving him constructive criticism. He pays for all of his travel teams which can get very expensive and he tries to get Hunter noticed by college coaches as best as possible. Hunter started on varsity as a second baseman his sophomore season and is doing the same thing going into his junior season. Hunter is very proud of his successes and dedicates a lot of it to his dad. 

Hunter also goes to the gym about five times a week as a hobby. He says that this hobby started at the end of his tenth grade year going into the summer when he started going to the gym with all his friends. Since then Hunter has been going as consistently as possible with a workout plan he goes by every time.  When I asked him what his favorite thing about going to the gym he said, “I think being with my friends working out is the best part, and obviously being able to notice results.”

There are only about 11,000 middle and high schools in the United States that teach agriculture. 

Mia Haaland has been teaching agriculture at Northwestern Regional 7 High School and has been a part of their FFA Chapter for the past 26 years- as she states, “longer than anything I have done in half my life.” She teaches agricultural classes that go along the lines of Animal Endangerment and Vet Science - animals large and small and has taught Exploring Ag to freshmen before. This class shows freshman students an introduction to agriculture and what Northwestern has to offer. 

Ms. Haaland never thought she was going to be a teacher at all. She had always had an interest in agriculture and helping others. Some of her original goals when she was younger were to be a firefighter,  start an all women’s auto repair and body shop, or take over her fathers construction business. She then got an interest in veterinary science - especially equine. Her interest in horses had started to show more in her freshman year of high school while working at a local barn near where she lived - the second largest city in Southern Florida. Even though she did not go to Vet School she still had a devotion to agriculture. 

She had never thought that the word “teacher" would be in her career nor teaching anything about her passion for equine or any subject in general. Because she was the youngest sibling growing up, she didn't have that much experience with kids-except for becoming baby-sitter certified when she was younger. This had changed when a parent had mentioned to her while working at 4H that they can see her being a teacher that specifies in teaching agriculture. 

Ms.Haaland was suggested a job here at Northwestern Regional 7 by a friend while she was working for 4H. 4H is a common and well-known youth organization that runs on land grant universities. 4H educates people on everything from animals and robotics to sewing and even life skills. She had worked at 4H in New York State for some time before becoming a part of the family at Northwestern Regional 7 in 1997.

Even though there are cons, Ms. Haaland loves her job as an “ag” teacher. She notes how “it's a really cool job.” She then goes on to say, “I get to do cool stuff with animals with cool kids.” She explains how it is quite hard to pick just one type of class as her favorite. “It depends on the dynamic of students in the class.” In other words, depending on if students really want to put work into the class, the more fun it is. If everyone- or mostly everyone- has an interest in what is being taught, the class seems to be better and have more joy, unlike the classes that have more students that are just there because they have to be there or have run out of options. “Education is  one of those deals- you get out what you put in.”The only cons that she mentions is how she works 60 hours a week and how she has  a lot f to juggle from time to time. 

Ms. Haaland shares how she loves to teach students new skills and see how far they came from freshman year all the way to the day they graduate and walk across the Warner Theater stage with their caps and Northwestern pride. She quotes how she loves having “the opportunity to give opportunities to other students to grow or do something new - try a new skill.” Some examples of that can go from helping them overcome and get better at their public speaking skills, showing how to give shots to animals in the barn at school, to even showing them how baby goats are birthed - and how to help feed and raise them. 

All in all, Ms.Haaland loves her job. Even though it can be tough at times, especially with feeling as if she is juggling a lot at once. She is more than happy and forever grateful to be a part of the “ag family” at Northwestern Regional 7.

Rachel. Evans always wanted to be a P.E. teacher, “In middle school 7th or 8th grade. I wanted to become a P.E. teacher because my role models at the time were my coaches and P.E. teachers. I thought what they all did for me, I could do in my years of teaching P.E.'' Mrs Evans has been at Northwestern for about 13 years and she has been a mentor for many students. 

When asking her students what they describe her as, they said “Energetic, kind, and happy.” Nolan Risedorf, one of her students had this to say about her: “She has helped me throughout my whole high school career and has always found a way to put a smile on my face.” 

Another one of her students, Logan Kennedy, said something that was memorable to him about her and stated: “I remember ever since freshman year, she's had that pineapple quote thingy and she gave out bracelets that same year. I still haven’t taken mine off.” 

Mrs Evans has been at Northwestern for quite a while now, and when asked about what is something she likes about the school, she said “I love the energy and the overall vibe of the school, I really enjoy my colleagues and the goals that they have with the student body, and how my students have a lot of school pride.” When she said school pride, she also added how she loved how her students would always show up to athletic games and say hi and show their school pride by cheering the team on. 

She said, “I remember one game this year where the opposing team was shooting a free throw. The student section was yelling my name as a chant to throw off the shooter, and it worked. It made me chuckle a bit.” 

Mrs Evans has always had a motto or symbol she follows, and she interprets that into her daily life. Her motto is “Stand tall, wear a crown and be kind”- the pineapple motto. It's about being the best every day and knowing your value by being sweet like.” She can usually be seen with some kind of pineapple object or clothing on every day and she says “it helps me and my students from time to time.”

 When asked about what her social life is like, she responded with “It's a mix of being busy and relaxing. I like to do something and get out of the house every other day, but my life has changed with having kids and they need to come first.” She also added, “it's hard to get a sitter to watch them, as well.” 

When talking about if one of her students is struggling in class with the type of unit they’re on she said how “I would come up to them individually and try to give them some helpful tips to help them improve, sometimes a physical demonstration and also give them a lot of positive reinforcement for the little things they do so they can feel successful.”

There are only 940 state Troopers in the state of Connecticut and Kevin Albanese was one of them before retiring.

Before retiring in 2015 from Troup B in Cannon, Albanese was focused on online cyber investigations. He was the internet crimes against children task force commander. He supervised a task force of 42 towns and a unit of 10 investigators . His unit also investigated other cyber crimes.  Before being a cyber investigator his first 10 years he was k9 handler at troop B in cannon then 3 years evening shift supervisor at troop A in southbury then 4 years at headquarters in middle town. 

When kevin was younger he grew up in the town torrington where he enjoyed playing with his neighbors and riding bikes around the block . At a young age Kevin knew that his dream job was to be a police officer. Kevin went to torrington high school. From there he attended northwestern community college where he majored in criminal justice then transferred to western Connecticut state university. 

Kevin described being a police officer as exciting and sometimes dangerous. when kevin was becoming a police officer he had to face some challenges. One challenge he had to face was the career was a competitive field to get in and in high school he wasn't the best student, so he had to apply himself harder in college . His career as a police officer lasted 22 years.he retired because other career opportunities had been offered. While being a police officer for 22 years he had received many awards, two awards he received and was most proud of was Officer of the year this award was recognized by both the state Congress and US Senate. While being a police officer Kevin enjoyed helping people and saving people's lives. Some advice kevin would give to younger police officers would be “Stay focused and do the right thing” one of the things that was hard to deal with while being a police officer would be dealing with death of children.

Did you know that at most local high schools, only 2% of all the graduates decide to enlist in the military? Aiden Boyle is a part of that 2%. 

Aiden Boyle is a local senior who has chosen to take a different route after high school fromthan most other seniors. His plans after high school are to enroll into the Air Force where he will work as a mechanic on the planes, helicopters, tanks, and other vehicles and shared that his favorite pastime is working on his 1968 Ford highboy, and learning new mechanics. Aiden spends lots of time working with mechanics, not only does he work as a mechanic at New Boston Crane Service and Sleds in Sandisfield, Massachusetts every day after school, but also picks up side jobs for family and friends working on their cars and toys. He also stated that he spends about 5 hours or more a week working on his truck. 

Aiden’s passion is mechanics, when I asked how long he thinks he's been into mechanics and motors he said: “since [I was] a child, but I’ve been working with mechanics and fixing my own quads, tractors, and dirt bikes since i was eight years old.”  Then aAfter he got his first truck at 13, he switched to working on cars but still works on toys from time to time.  Aiden plans on using his knowledge and skill to better his future in the military, that is why he chose the Air Force instead of the army, because he felt he would be more helpful spreading his impressive knowledge. His biggest mentors have always been his father, Adam Boyle, his boss, Billy White, and a man who has helped him work on his truck before named Dale. Aiden also said that he spends most of his time learning new things with Dale and that “without my mentors I wouldn't be where I am today.”

As many people with a passion as time-consumingthat takes up as much time as Aiden’s know, there are always going to be challenges. OneSome of Aiden’s challenges include teaching himself new things. If there is no one around to help him, hHe goes to YouTube to learn, but usually finds it harder to learn something by himself, when his mentors are not around. He also said that mechanics in general can be a challenge, if he blanks while working on something, he could miss a tiny piece of the puzzle and would have to either start all over or retrace his steps. The last challenge he said he faces is trying to figure out what the problem could be if it is someone else's property, when given a vehicle, he isn't always sure what is wrong so he has to find the issue, and because there are so many parts and pieces to the vehicle sometimes he said it is hard to locate the issue. “Not many people understand the struggle of having to find a small issue in a big system.”  Not many people understand this challenge of being a mechanic.

Going into the military to further his education after school has always been Aidens plan., he shared with me that since he was eight that has been his plan, “Sschool just isn't for me,” he stated. in his interview, Hhe feels that he can be more helpful to society by going into the military instead of school., Hhe wants to make a difference and he is going to do that by not following everyone else's idea of a future. After the military, he plans to continue working as a mechanic, but isn't quite sure in what field. He said he was going to, “figure that out when we get there, and that it is something he plans on figuring out in the military.” - similar to what many students in college do. 

Aiden's friend, Tyler Kolbusz, stated that he knows Aiden is going to do great in the military., Hhe has known Aiden since they were kids, and has always said that Aiden is going to change the world. Tyler is also a home mechanic and learns a lot from Aiden, he's his best friend and although he is going to miss him in the military, he knows he is going to do great things and can't wait to watch him achieve his life goals. 

As one of Aiden’s longest mentors, father, and the man who started Aiden into mechanics, Adam Boyle stated that Aiden is “not a regular kid, he's always had a sparkle and talent for working on mechanics.” He stated that it's not an easy idea to pick up on and that he has never really met anyone who knows the level of knowledge Aiden knows at his age. “I often find myself going to Aiden for advice or answers, and he's not even half my age,” stated Adam. Adam shared with me that he has been in mechanics and working on his own cars since he was in college, so the level of knowledge that Aiden knows is impressive. Lastly, in the interview Adam stated He shared that he can't wait to watch Aiden achieve his goals in the military and become a part of the United States Air Force., Hhe couldn't be prouder of his son. 

As you can see, Aiden is not like other teenagers, not only does he hold more knowledge in mechanics than most adults, but he has a drive and a goal. Aiden doesn’t let the normal standards of going to college stop him. He isn't afraid to be different, and that is exactly why Aiden is worth being talked about and it's worth getting to know him. We need more Aiden Boyles in the world who aren't afraid to go against societal norms.  Aiden Boyle is someone who is going to make a difference in the world.