Roger Grissette
When it comes to memories of high school, there is a lot more I've forgotten than what I have remembered. Probably because I was clueless and largely goal-less but thanks to a patient staff I managed to muddle through and even get a degree from OSU. Miss Newkirk who taught Spanish certainly comes to mind often. I recall her surprising our class by pouncing on an invading wasp and pounding it to a flattened pulp, explaining "I didn't want it to suffer.".

While at Stillwater, I fell in love and married Lin Lewis of Pawhuska. After graduation, we moved to Chicago where we quickly had kids and I began a career in Information Technology with Sears. We have 2 grown daughters and 5 grand-daughters ranging from 15 to 22. Later I worked as a consultant and project manager making the world safe for Y2K. It was all an exciting and rewarding work life. I also served as local school board member and president for 9 years.

Somewhere along the line, I got involved with the Sierra Club to help save the planet. The Club is the world's largest, and more effective environmental organization and I volunteered to take groups of people out backpacking and camping to motivate and educate them on the need for greater legal protection of our wild lands. When I retired 10 years ago, I got much more involved and now chair our national outings program. I've led over 75 week-long trips and organized and lead 4 or more trips each year. Working with dedicated and skilled volunteers from across the country has been meaningful and inspiring.
“It's astonishing that our environment is facing even greater threats today than when I joined the Club way back in the James Watt era! Until a co-worker invited me on an outing, I was an armchair member. My first outing was to the Wind River Range of Wyoming, and it still has a special place in my heart. I've returned there many times over the twenty-five years I've been leading.”

.Before leaving Col-Hi I tried to learn guitar and later clawhammer banjo. I've continued this interest in traditional music and found a wonderful adult school in Chicago to improve my playing. With Chicago friends, we had a weekly jam and often playing for barn dances and other events. After we returned to Tulsa 2 years ago, I found a few people here who play the "ragged but right" style that speaks to me. A year ago I decided it would be a good thing to try to teach myself the fiddle and I'm making progress; not as painful as it was starting out. Life gives us challenges but life is good.