It seems like a lifetime ago that we were racing to class, clanking locker doors and experiencing the collective awkwardness we call high school.
I have to say, I honestly don’t miss those days. Don’t get me wrong--I do cherish the life-long friends I have made and still, amazingly, keep in touch with. And, of course, the fond memories of Sal Casola strutting around campus in his Bermuda shorts and Lacoste shirts still put a smile on my face. But the relentless pressure to “fit in”, coping with the rumor mills, bending my brain to understand trigonometry, and experiencing hormonally charged mood swings, are days I do not care to relive.
Now that those days are long behind us, I very much look forward to reconnecting with all of you and catching up on our life journeys.
I’m still very much a dork with a capital “D”. Some things simply don’t change. I graduated from Loyola Marymount University and embarked in a career as a marketing communications professional, which has taken me all over, everywhere from Austin, TX to London, England. For now, I call Seattle my home and have been here for the past five years. I love it up here! It’s cosmopolitan living cradled in breathtaking beauty.
Taking a break from corporate communications, I’m applying my expertise at Village Theatre, a professional musical theatre company based here in the Pacific Northwest. I also enjoy taking on the occasional freelance writing job. I actually worked with Linda Fletcher at Tattoo Savage when she was editor back in the day and have been a contributing writer ever since, profiling emerging artists and penning a tongue-in-cheek column titled “Savage World”.
When I’m not working, I’m mother to my delightfully spirited, spunky little monkey, Zoë, who just turned four. While her father and I are no longer together, we are still good friends and beam with pride over Zoë. You’ll get a chance to meet her at the family picnic. I challenge any of you to out run her (and in some cases, out wit her)!
And when I REALLY have some spare time, I snuggle up with a good book, take in a movie or hike around the city. Oh yes, I seem to also have developed a magazine addiction along the way. But let’s not talk about that. Traveling has become a favorite past time, as well as learning how to cook. Yes, I’m 36 and a complete moron in the kitchen. But I do make a remarkable omelet.
Twenty years is a bit too much to cover here…but that is what conversation is for, right?
Looking forward to catching up and seeing everyone!
Kindest regards,
Jacque Rardin
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4 comments:
Hey Jacque,
Thanks for writing in! My husband actually grew up in the small town of Enumclaw, Wa. We make it up to Seattle once or twice a year to visit his family. I mentioned Village Theater to him and he knew it immediately (he was a theater person in high school/college like me). That sounds like fun work. And I look forward to meeting Zoë at the picnic!
Amy
Hello! Suprising to see so many folks in Seattle. I'm here too running an African-American organization called the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas (www.cdforum.org). And I've met the ED at the Village Theater once or twice. Small world. Looking forward to reconnecting with everyone.
Stephanie Ellis-Smith
Hey Jacque,
Good to read your post. I remember you - the name for sure but the face is a bit fuzzy and well my annuals were lost in a military move some time ago. Keep in touch! Erin
Speech Class of '84 (EEEK)
I almost fell out of my chair when I read Steve Orr's comments about the speech class. I had just graduated from a tiny school in Northridge (a graduating class of 12) and walked into that class. Dante's hell had little on that experience! Thankfully, I survived that class, and loved my
high-school life, and am so happy to count the people I met at Chaminade as my close friends. It has also been a great reason to crack open the yearbooks and have a great big laugh. The hair styles are my favorite. My husband Michael has a field-day with them, but he grew up in Phoenix...he just
doesn't know!
The 20 years... I sampled a few schools, and finally graduated from
UC Davis. Loved the whole Northern Cal lifestyle, but had really missed my family, and I moved back to L.A.
My first fun job out of college was at the Hollywood hotel, Chateau Marmont, where everyday was an experience in the bizarre. To this day, I credit my short time there with my skills at working with difficult people, and with
meeting my hilarious husband.
There's a joke in there at his expense, but we'll skip it.
I then worked at CAA- where I realized that I didn't want to be an agent, and I then found my way into photography.
I started working in the Warner Bros. photo dept in '94- the first season for Friends and e.r.- had a great time. Went to FOX in '98- having met my boss at a photo shoot for a show with Scott Baio- I knew the job would be, at the least, crazy. I worked on amazing shows
with amazing photographers, and had a great time traveling. I also worked on the first 3 season of American Idol. By that time, Michael and I were getting married, and working on our giant Armenian/American wedding was
nothing compared to working on the finale of American Idol. We were married in August of 2002, and welcomed our little girl Sabrina the next August...no time to waste!
She is now 4, and makes us laugh everyday. Three years later we welcomed our funny little monkey James...he's almost a year old and just as spunky as his sister, but with a few more pounds to throw around.
I was in the FOX TV publicity dept. for 7.5 yrs, and rejoined the flock at Warner Bros. two years ago. I now run the Worldwide Marketing Photo dept, and really enjoy it!
(watch Pushing Daisies ;))
So thrilled to see everyone this weekend, and Tom, not sure if anyone mentioned them, but I love/d Echo and the Bunnymen, Aztec Camera and LLoyd Cole and the Commotions!
BTW- recently saw Amy, and don't let her fool you- she looks amazing!
Caroline Ashasian Hick
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