Julie Gacsko

Update: September 9th, 2014.....

I'm not going to make the reunion because I'll be visiting Mandy in England. She just had her 3rd baby, a boy this time!
Everything is going great, happy, healthy (except for a few too many pounds), and loving life. Mathew and I just moved to a wonderful home in Greenwood just off of Smith Valley and 31. So if anyone lives in the area....give me a hollar.
Hope everyone is well!





I was surprised to hear from Liz about the reunion.

After high school, Liz and I headed to Indiana University in Bloomington were we continued to be wild and carefree. My sophomore year I took an art education course and knew.... from that day on... my time in college would be well spent.

Before graduating, I spent 5 months on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico where I did my student teaching. It was such an intense experience and probably one of the most culturally exciting times of my life. Liz even came out and was able to stay and visit for awhile. I could have and should have stayed, but my mom begged me to come home.

I spent the next few years finding ways to get back out west. I lived in Albuquerque, NM for a year with my boyfriend and worked as a server in Old Town.

My second teaching position was just outside of Phoenix, Arizona. They had just built a multi-million dollar fine art's facility and I was teaching ceramics (my favorite medium) and some intro to art classes. It was simply the best art job in the world. Unfortunately, I found that I just couldn't live away from my sister (Mandy), mom, and dad, and grandparents. I was really lonely, so I moved back to Greencastle and took a job teaching elementary school in Bainbridge and Roachdale, IN. I enjoyed teaching K-5, but I had over 700 students and ultimately I felt the higher grades were more my niche.

I then started teaching in Edinburgh, IN...(yes, home of the outlet mall ) I absolutely love everything about teaching...Praise to Mr. Berry...rest his soul. I am getting ready to start my 14th year teaching and I couldn't be happier.
I meet my students in 6th grade, teach them all through middle school, and then sometimes all 4 years in high school. It is fantastic to inspire and share my love of art while watching them grow into young adults. They are so talented!

I'm currently dating Travis....I fell in love at first sight almost 20 years ago. We were just friends then and now...well...we will just have to see what happens:)

I have a cute little Maltese dog named Teddy who loves to play on the beach, tube down the river, and bite small children.

I love traveling and planing the next vacation. My sister married a fine English man a couple of years ago so now we find every reason to travel in Europe. Last summer we explored Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Paris. I planned the entire trip...focusing on all the great art museums, the Roman Forum, and the Vatican. It was the trip of a lifetime!
I am staying with Mandy for three weeks this July in Oakham, England. We are planning on driving to the south of France for a week. I'm REALLY excited!

We need to all talk Liz into flying back for the reunion!

My school story started out productive. I loved playing my little silver trumpet in band and even came early to practice with the Jazz band. I endured Ms. Arthur's volleyball practices freshman year....man was she tuff. Liz somehow talked me into joining the swim team our sophomore year and then I went on to manage the boys swim team. I was creating incredible amounts of art- I loved being in the art room. We had such a great time at school..... and then it just got very boring. Many of our friends graduated and I was ready to move on to college. By the time it was our senior year I felt rather detached from school life, but I will always remember our class and the many good times we had like parties at the beach and the Stewarts, our senior trip to DC, and all the games and dances.
My biggest regret was not handing in our senior questionnaire for the yearbook, so the yearbook people just put my name next to my picture and nothing else. I thought it was kind of mean, but maybe that is what I deserved for not participating in the process:)

I'm in Greencastle visiting my parents tonight. I just finished eating some BBQ Pizza King pizza and reading through back issues of the Banner Graphic newspaper. I have really enjoyed reading everyone's story on their profile. I encourage everyone to publish more photo's and share your life with us...after all...we are the class of 1989.

I hope more people will make the decision to come back home for the reunion. I know it's tuff to make the time and money, but I think it will be worth it:)

Love you all, Julie