Page 51 - Newsletter_Spring_2022

chaperoned the winner to the Maine Potato Blossom Pageant. the alum variety show on a big VHS home video camera.
She also became a certified judge for many pageants in the Research also uncovered that Karen became a board member
state and Canada. in 2003. She represented the association by promoting
She volunteered at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural
Museum in Littleton beginning in its early days. She later Karen spoke of how “AMAZING”
spent time living in Arizona, Honolulu and Portland, Oregon, our alum and friends of HHS are
all the while continuing to participate in museum meetings with their generosity.
twice a month by telephone wherever she was. She also wrote
a quarterly newsletter for members. HHSAA at various class gatherings or by photographing

In 2008 she took a winter job working for the National the presentation of the class jacket announced at each
Assessment Education Progress (NAEP), a company that 50th reunion. Karen received her own jacket in 2019. The
provides national assessments for schools in reading and math association provides one jacket for a class member as a special
for grades 4, 8 and 12. She also joined the Pioneer Times as gift for their dedication to the class. It is voted on by the
a staff writer for a year full-time. She enjoyed the writing and members.
the photography, which helped HHSAA, as well.

In 2009, Karen returned to RSU #29 part-time working as
the Wellington School Librarian and an ed. tech and now as a
full-time educational tech III at Houlton Elementary School
working in the areas of reading and math intervention.

So much for that second career, I think Karen always had that
“teaching bug” and just needed a break.

Free time? Karen admits there isn’t much of that for her.
During school vacations, she is usually in New Hampshire
visiting her two grandchildren, James, 16 and Lila, 14. At
home she is busy with her mother, a resident at Madigan
Assisted Living, who will be 99, May 29, 2022.

Past President, Lauren Fitzpatrick ’86, Presents Coveted
50th Anniversary Alum Jacket to Karen Eleiott ’69
Karen encourages you and

says, “you can make it work”. Asked about her favorite HHSAA event, she continued to
talk about the weeklong multi-year reunion which ends with
Along with her busy life, she has also been instrumental in the Gala. Karen pulled out a photo album of decorated floats,
planning many of her high school class reunions and in 2017 groups of former sports stars and queens’ photos, people
organized a Ricker Classical Institute and Ricker College on the sidewalk looking at class window displays, groups
Reunion with another one in the works for 2023. at the hospitality center who haven’t seen each other since
graduation, and groups at the gala socializing and dancing.
When asked about when she got involved with HHSAA, This book included photos from 2000 and 2005 multi-
Karen recalls “it was just before the first Gala.” year reunions, and she has photos from 2010 and 2015 to
complete the project.
Now the first Gala was in 2000 and with a little bit of
research, it was found that Karen first became involved as Karen spoke about organizing the Hospitality Center as “a
the 1969 class rep in 1998. She has represented her class meeting place” and being able to talk with so many alum
well, with lots of news, or at least some small piece, for each across the years. She relived those memories of tissue flower
newsletter. parties to decorate circus floats, while possibly decorating a
single car for the current July 4th parade.
As Karen says, “I just fell into” the alumni association. She
recalls helping with the first multi-year reunion by decorating From talking with Karen, she appeared to enjoy hearing the
the parade float, working the hospitality center, and filming memories of other alum, as well as sharing her own. Karen
www.houltonalumni.com PAGE 51