Mark Holmes

After graduating from McKinley on June 8th, 1976, I first celebrated my birthday and then got ready to fly to Tulsa, Oklahoma to start aircraft mechanics school. After graduating, I enrolled into Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study Aviation Management. All the Aviation training led to a life on aircraft carriers in the Navy where I later met fellow 76 Techite Michael Hamlett. What a surprise as we were both in Japan! How cool! I really enjoyed all the travel and working with military aircraft. I completed my obligation with the Navy in 1990 and was hired as a defense contractor with General Dynamics. I again got the chance to work with F-16 fighters as well as travel and live in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece.

And from there led to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. I came back to live and work in D.C. in 1993 and attended the University of the District of Columbia to earn a degree in Electronics Engineering Technology. I did some programming for the U.S. Postal Service for a few years in Capitol Heights before being recruited to work for Intel Corp in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I moved tehre in 1996 and got married to my wife, Migdalia in that same year. We both love and enjoy the Southwest and were fortunate to find a nice church home and faith community as well.

Our kids are all grown up now and we get to take lots of trips together. My favorite being Puerto Rico where Migdalia is from. If you've never been there, I highly recommend a week there at least!

I always remember taking biology and lab tech classes at McKinley, but all I really wanted to do was to learn about airplanes. So I would sit in my classes and just draw pictures of airplanes most of the time. And although I did eventually become an expert in aviation technology, New Mexico offered greater opportunities in the Health Care Field. So now I work for the School of Medicine and am having to re-learn all the biology that I blew off at McKinley! I still think it's funny and just what deserve for not paying attention in class!