James Seaman Moves to New Orleans!

one of my students from the Bronx and I, clowning around at a school dance a couple years ago

last day of school: this was me and a couple fellow teachers on the last day of school in new york. we were pretty happy for summer.

brushing my teeth: i never forgot the lessons about oral hygiene that i learned at granger.

attacked at the jukebox: this is the crazy thing about new york--you can just be sitting there minding your business and weirdos will attack you.

After graduating from Granger, I attended the University of Utah. I had a strange mix of jobs during college, from waiting tables at the Cracker Barrel, to gutting salmon in a fish cannery in Alaska, to serving as the Field Director on Jim Matheson's first congressional campaign. I graduated from the U in 2001 with degrees in History and Political Science. I spent the year after my college graduation as the director of a non-profit organization in Salt Lake City called the Pro Bono Initiative. My job was to recruit attorneys and law students who would take on cases pro bono (free of charge) for people who could not afford legal help. That was fun but I had to spend too much time with lawyers. After a year at the Pro Bono Initiative I moved to New York City. I worked for the city's Department of Consumer Affairs for a year, mostly helping elderly people find strategies to afford their perscription drugs. Then I changed jobs and became a public school teacher in the Bronx. I did this for two years, teaching 8th grade social studies. The students were a mix of African Americans and Latinos and I was fortunate enough to foster really great relationships with some of my students. The kids could also be really tough to handle! I loved New York--the people, the excitement, the architecture, and especially the baseball games in Yankee Stadium. Even so, three years was enough and in August 2005 I moved back to Utah. I got my masters degree in history at the University of Utah while working at Heartland Elementary School in West Jordan. I also ran Sim Gill's campaign for District Attorney which, unfortunately, ended in disappointment. I finished my graduate degree in May 2007, then moved to New Orleans where I am currently teaching 6th grade writing at a public charter school. The student population is low-income and African American and the kids are incredibly motivated and eager to learn. The climate is oppresively hot and humid, but it's amazing to work down here as the city continues rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina. If any Lancers find themselves in New Orleans for Mardi Gras or any other reason, please drop me a line because I'd love to show you around. Granger pride, always!

James Seaman
seaman.james@gmail.com

Julie (Hair) Robertson Life Update!

After high school graduation, I attended and then graduated from Snow College. A few months later I left on an LDS mission to Brussels, Belgium where I served in France and Belgium. I came home in April 2001 and a few months later I married Jeff Robertson in the LDS Salt Lake City Temple. In 2003 we welcomed our daughter, Clara, into our lives. Life was great until 2005 when we welcomed our second daughter, Anna, into our family. Then life got even better! All during this time I was attending the University of Utah to finish up my bachelor's degree. It was difficult to go to school with two little girls under 3, but we made it somehow and are none the worse for wear. I graduated May 2007 with an Earth Science Composite Secondary Education degree--with honors!! Now I am taking advantage of staying home and raising my two daughters and having fun with them. My husband, Jeff, is working full-time while he works on his Master's of Urban Planning degree from the U of U. We are loving life as we raise our girls and are preparing to welcome our next child into the family!!

Julie Robertson
jjcrobertson@msn.com

Katie (Potts) Cameron Becomes a Doula!

After graduation I went to the College of Eastern Utah for one year. Now those that new me well in high school knew that I had a special guy who was out on a mission. Joshua came home from the Phillipines after my one year of college. I was totally smitten and we dated for about a year and married in the Salt Lake temple on August 10th, 1999. Five months later we learned we were expecting our first baby. In August of 2000, Joshua and I relocated to a new job in Canoga Park, CA., a suburb of Los Angeles.

Our son Jacob was born September 28th, 2000. His birth started my journey into the world of childbirth and midwifery. Jacob’s birth, while completely safe according to hospital standards, left something to be desired. Six months later I was expecting again (can you say Fertile Myrtle?) and I was determined that this birth would be different. I researched different birthing methods and learned about using hypnosis during birth. Not only that, but I learned I had rights and options as a patient and that my baby’s birth experience could be positive. Alisha was born December 12th, 2001. Her birth was great, only my husband and I were met by yelling nurses because we chose to exercise our rights.

In 2003 I got a huge hunger to go back to school. I enrolled at Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills, CA. It was fun, but hard to balance with kiddies.

In September of 2004 we learned we were expecting again. I was all ready for a hospital birth again. But we felt strongly that we needed to come back to Utah. So we made the move in October and settled in Sandy. I began researching my birthing options again and learned about homebirth. I was referred to a wonderful Licensed Direct-entry Midwife. Mirianna was born at home, in our tub, on May 30th, 2005. My midwife worked some of her doula magic on me and I was sold. I wanted to be a birthing doula. Miri’s birth was exactly how I imagined it. So when I became pregnant again nine months later there was no question where this baby would be birthed.

In September 2006, I did my birthing doula training. Autumn was born at home, another waterbirth, October 13th, 2006. Her birth was beautiful, peaceful and easy. I just recently completed my DONA (Doulas of North America) training and certification, as well as my hypnodoula training for women who use hypnosis in childbirth. I was also elected President of the Utah Friends of Midwives Association. We promote midwifery, homebirth, birthing options, and a woman's right to choose her care provider, since these items have come under attack by our Utah Legislature. I'll be really busy up on Capital Hill in the next coming months. My goals for next year are to get my Hypnosis Childbirth Instructor certification and enroll at the Utah College of Midwifery. My ultimate goal is to become a Licensed Direct-entry Midwife. There are a lot more women in the state of Utah who are choosing homebirths and not enough LDEM's to serve them. So, anyone looking for a doula? ;)

Katie Cameron
kameo1010@yahoo.com

Erin (Hinckley) Miller Adopts a Baby!

Right after graduation I headed up to Ricks College for two years and majored in Interior Design. After Ricks I decided to take a break from school to serve an LDS Mission. I was called to Cleveland, Ohio and loved my experiences there. Cleveland also just happens to be the place I first met my amazing husband Mike. He was an elder in my mission and after we both got home we began dating and were married on May 14, 2002. We immediately moved into a condo in Orem (which we just sold) and both dove into the grind of finishing school, Mike at UVSC and I at BYU. I switched my major to Dietetics and finally earned my bachelors degree in April 2006.

While attending school, and for a year after I graduated, I worked at the MTC as a teacher, but recently quit to be a stay-at-home mother to our new adopted son, Bryson, who was born on March 24, 2007. Mike is majoring in technical sales and is taking online classes through Weber State while he works as a business broker. We will be moving in August to a home being built in Provo and look forward to the new adventures awaiting us there.

Our son Bryson is the best thing that has ever happened to us and has brought so much joy into our lives. We look forward to being sealed to him for eternity on October 16th. We have a wonderful relationship with his birth mother and have set up a blog for her so she has a place to go to see how Bryson is doing. You can check it out by clicking here.

Mike and I love to travel! Since we've been married, we have taken several humanitarian trips to Honduras, been on a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands, spent time on resorts in Cancun and Mazatlan, Mexico, and traveled to many states around the country--most recently back to our mission in Ohio to adopt our son. We love life and are living it up!

Erin Miller
erin.h.miller@gmail.com

Welcome Lancers!

Welcome to the Granger High School Reunion Blog for the Class of 1997! This blog has been set up in hopes of bringing our class together, to get those attending the reunion excited for it, and to give those who can't attend the reunion a chance to see what everyone has been up to.

If you have stumbled upon this blog and you graduated from GHS in '97 then bookmark this site and send your email address to Aja at ajakayser@hotmail.com so she can get you on the official reunion email list! Also, please pass along class members email addresses and phone numbers so there can be a great turnout!

This blog is intended for all '97 Granger graduates to post what they've done since graduation so we can all catch up on each others lives. Please get your life stories, pictures, etc. sent to granger97@gmail.com so we can get them posted before the reunion...and be sure to check this site often for updates!