Post by Dan Dostie 88-92 on Mar 17, 2007 11:00:20 GMT -5
Hi Smithies!
I came from Augusta Maine to check out KSU in Spring 1988 and the Smith Recruiter at the time, I believe it was Tom Li, offered that I stay at the house free for the weekend to save money. Brian Frank took me home to go sledding on his family's hog farm and introduced me to Kansas hospitality. The warmth and friendliness expressed that weekend by far and away was the most important factor for me in deciding to attend KSU.
I stayed at the house for 3 years, left for a study year abroad in France, and returned for my last semester in fall 1992. My memories of Smith and the friends I made there are some of the best and really miss a lot of you!
After graduation I went to the Central African Republic serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer to help substitence farmers learn ways to improve soil fertility without clearing clutting the forest. Then I returned to Maine to teach high school students participating in a semester long exchange program at the Chewonki Foundation about food, farming, and earth stewardship. There I met Mary, who was the assistant cook, fell in love and got married. I was soon offered a job with the federal government to serve as a Conservationist in New York's North Country and Mary and I have lived in upstate NY ever since.
Today Mary and I and our two girls, Helen, age 7, and Claire, age 5, live near Ithaca, NY where I continue to work for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service helping farmers and rural landowners sustain, restore, and protect the nation's soil, water, air and wildlife resources.
Thanks Jeremy for creating this website and to Mark and Chet and others for inspiring it! I look forward to re-connecting with many more friends and learning about many other Smith Alumni whom I may never have met but still share this common experience.
I came from Augusta Maine to check out KSU in Spring 1988 and the Smith Recruiter at the time, I believe it was Tom Li, offered that I stay at the house free for the weekend to save money. Brian Frank took me home to go sledding on his family's hog farm and introduced me to Kansas hospitality. The warmth and friendliness expressed that weekend by far and away was the most important factor for me in deciding to attend KSU.
I stayed at the house for 3 years, left for a study year abroad in France, and returned for my last semester in fall 1992. My memories of Smith and the friends I made there are some of the best and really miss a lot of you!
After graduation I went to the Central African Republic serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer to help substitence farmers learn ways to improve soil fertility without clearing clutting the forest. Then I returned to Maine to teach high school students participating in a semester long exchange program at the Chewonki Foundation about food, farming, and earth stewardship. There I met Mary, who was the assistant cook, fell in love and got married. I was soon offered a job with the federal government to serve as a Conservationist in New York's North Country and Mary and I have lived in upstate NY ever since.
Today Mary and I and our two girls, Helen, age 7, and Claire, age 5, live near Ithaca, NY where I continue to work for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service helping farmers and rural landowners sustain, restore, and protect the nation's soil, water, air and wildlife resources.
Thanks Jeremy for creating this website and to Mark and Chet and others for inspiring it! I look forward to re-connecting with many more friends and learning about many other Smith Alumni whom I may never have met but still share this common experience.
Dan