Sally Marks

I married right after high school and traveled with my Navy husband who was training to become a submarine nuclear reactor operator. He was stationed to Idaho (a school as there is no ocean there) then to California and eventually Hawaii. Hawaii was the most fun. After John was discharged I worked as a waitress while attending college at Scottsdale Community College and later ASU. It took me 14 years to earn my Bachelor's degree in journalism at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Part of the delay was I gave birth to two beautiful daughters and wanted to balance work and home life. After I graduated I worked for Mesa Parks, Recreation and Cultural Division for eight years. During that time I ran into a few of my fellow classmates and even worked with Jennifer (Bunker) Hall and Carmen (Jones) Scott. Things took a turn for the worse around 2000. My mom died and I got divorced. I had a couple of short-term jobs, but lacked real stability. I eventually started my own business. I joke that I did that because I knew I would never lay myself off, no matter how much I screwed up. When times became lean and contract PR work became sparse I found a full time position at Royal Neighbors of America and later the Apache Junction Unified School District. I never remarried officially, but I have been in a committed relationship for more than 20 years. Through the years I've continued to write and published a self-help book, "Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within" in 2010. It's on Amazon and you can join the 15 people who have purchased it over the years. LOL. Along the way I have written hundreds of articles and blogs. Many are not much different than the stories I wrote for the War Chant at WHS. Ironically, things have ignited for me recently in the career department. My school district asked me to come back part time. I landed a couple of Hollywood writing assignments and I have been commissioned to write movie scripts, TV pilots, standup routines and consult with authors. I guess you are never really too old to make your dreams come true. It's been an interesting life but I wouldn't trade it in for anything. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.

I don't want to embarrass anyone without their permission, but did any of the folks who were in newspaper and yearbook ever learn to sit in chairs? It seems we always perched on the table. What was up with that? And I know our journalism teacher, John Donovan, passed away years ago, but if anyone wants me to forge them a hall pass, I think I can still pull it off.