LaVonna_Fahey

=LaVonna (Wilson) Fahey= by highlighting the words, then click on File to find a picture on your computer ||
 * 1971 || 2011 ||
 * [[image:LaVonna_senior_picture.jpg width="152" height="140"]] || put a favorite recent picture here

Directions: Click behind the colon and/or the bulleted list and add your answers. Erase these directions when you are done

Address in Phillips: 6 2nd Street
==Post High School Education and/or Professional Certification: B.S. in Early Childhood Education at Texas Woman's University (Denton); M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction, Teachers College, Columbia University==

Family:
if you would like || add photos here if you would like || add photos here if you would like ||
 * Married and in love with Dennis Fahey
 * Step-daughters Erin (29) and Megan (27)
 * Grandchildren: none yet (impatiently waiting)
 * Dad is still alive, Mom died of cancer in 1990, Wesley died of a stroke 2010, younger brother Terry is in San Antonio
 * add photos here

Where have you lived since high school?

Since I really liked Becky's newsy bio style, thought I would use it myself.

I reluctantly left Phillips at the end of my sophomore year, escaping the shadow of my brother Wesley for the first time. It was really a release--not being compared to Wesley (yeah I know he was a lot of fun, but for me a royal pain in the a...) I enjoyed my last two years of h.s., but only made a couple of friends that I have kept in touch with. After high school I was anxious to get into the 'real world', so I worked as a secretary at TCU. As I was allowed free tuition (part-time) I took courses for fun until I gradually realized that I could write better than many of the professors I was working for, so left to become a full-time student at TWU (typing book manuscripts to finance my way through school, and this was before word processors!)

When I graduated TWU (in 3 years instead of 4), I left Texas for the Peace Corps, living and working in **Rabat, MOROCCO** for 2 years. I worked with abandoned infants at an orphanage named after one of the princesses (I met the Crowned Prince). Of all my jobs, this had to be the most fulfilling and satisfying. When my time was finished there, a friend and I went backpacking through Europe for 3 months. I met a man on the ferry from Dieppe,France who gave us a ride to London. We met up with him a few times and he let us use his house as a base for our travels. We biked through Ireland for 3 weeks, flew off to Italy and Switzerland, each time returning to England to stay at his house. At the end of 3 months he proposed, I accepted (finding out later the advice to make no major decisions following peace corps because they were generally unhinged). I lived in **High Wickham, ENGLAND** for 3 more years before I left to take care of Mom. After Mom died, I couldn't face going back to England, so instead I went to get my masters in **New York**. Stupidly I finished in 1 year, at a huge personal cost, instead of taking 2 years and working at the local schools without any extra expense--sometimes, I just don't know what I was thinking! That summer another PC friend and I biked through New England in 2 weeks (500 miles total). I left New York to get a teaching job in Denver, working at a tough impoverished school for 2 years. After turning 40 and buying a house, I felt a huge yoke around my shoulders. I then decided to go to an international job faire, rent out my house, and I left for **Istanbul, TURKEY.** I was warned by so many people ("Didn't you see //Midnight Express?")// I loved Istanbul! Such an ancient town! I lived on a hill overlooking the Bosphurus (a view I haven't surpassed since). The Turks are wonderful, joyful people. I still remember going to a restaurant, and upon hearing a lively tune, the Turks at the next table spontaneously got up and started dancing, and people all over were being pulled up to dance as well, myself included. I stayed in Istanbul 5 years, traveling at every opportunity we had. There are more ancient Greek ruins in Turkey than there are in Greece.

I was told that to stay overseas, a teacher needed to move schools regularly, so I sadly left Istanbul to go to **Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS**. It was a beautiful place, high in the mountains. Unfortunately though it was also the year of Hurricaine Mitch, which devastated much of Honduras. Even though we were inland, the hurricaine racked over Teguz (twice). Landslides toppled many of houses and buildings into the river, and actually diverted the river from its course. For 3 weeks school was closed, and we volunteered at food banks, packing up beans, rice and other necessities for those who had been hit the hardest. It was a very tough year so when I had the opportunity to leave for Indonesia, I grabbed it with both hands. I worked at a school that served the children of the foreign miners (Newmont Mining). I had an extremely small class. First I was living at Senggigi Beach, and commuting to Mataram, Lombok. The drive was past people working their water buffaloes in rice paddies, families riding on one moped. I got my meat from a freezer container in a back yard of this store. Very different than anything I was used to. Then our school was moved over to the mining compound on **Sumbawa**. It had a feel that reminded me of Phillips in a way, kids were always racing their bikes to each others' houses, and everyone knew everyone. The foreign people were mostly Americans and Australians, with a few Japanese and Thai. It also had the feel of a military compound, like the one I visited in Weissbaden, Germany as there was a mess hall, an infirmary, and guards at the gates. At one time we were evacuated due to riots in Lombok (the island next to Sumbawa), but because it was our outlet (that's where we flew in and out of the country) they shipped us over to Bali (7 hour ferry trip (small) which by the time we got there most of the people had thrown up, and my friends and I took sanctuary at the top level in the open air.) Luckily the rioting was over in a couple of days, with mostly fire damage. We were short time refuges (at the Hyatt, in Bali). Indonesia was an interesting place, but I fear for its future. Malaysia as well. Both have become influenced by militant islamic forces, and are less friendly places to Americans.I was under contract for 2 years, but in my second year, I was struck with malaria. Normally this wouldn't have been much of a problem, but since I was in route to Paris for Christmas, I was misdiagnosed for 9 days and was in pretty bad shape before I was treated. I spent New Years in a hospital. That put a damper on my stay in Indonesia--I became paranoiac whenever there were mosquitos about (still am for that matter). I then came "home" to Denver, met the love of my life, and have been with him for the past 9 and 1/2 years. We decided to build a new house and got married, in 2010. I am now teaching 2nd grade at an IB school, so I am keeping my international credentials and interests alive. Now, if you are still awake, at least you won't have to listen to this story at the reunion!!!

Best career move?
 * Peace Corps

Most embarrassing moment in high school? Anything that involved my brother Wesley and myself.

Most embarrassing moment since high school?

Walking through a traditional village in Morocco, soaking wet from playing in the beach spray, with 3 of my male PC friends, with people coming out of their houses to look at us (we didn't realize that it was scandalous to walk about in wet clothes).

Best memory of living in Phillips and Phillips High School?

Wandering around the canyons as kids, unconcerned that there were rattlesnakes or other dangerous stuff out there, finding old wagon wheels, cow skulls. Seeing how long you could hold your breath doing handstands in the pool. Noticing how pretty the canyons looked after a snowfall. Remember when it snowed almost 3 feet. Disregarding my cousins complaints of the smell whenever they visited. Getting worked up over football games. Having real popcorn balls for treats at Halloween. Knowing that you were in a safe place.