Cari-Lynn (Copetas) Mackie

I can't believe it's already the big 20th reunion! The time has really flown by...it's a bit freaky. Well, I will start by telling you all that after high school, I didn't get any taller. I know...it really stinks, but it was good for figure skating. I am still 4'10"!!

Anyway, I went to Framingham State College after Nashoba and graduated in 1992 with a BA in Psychology. I worked at Shaw's almost full-time and went to school full-time...so I didn't have the "college experience" of big parties and dorm roomates. I did well there and met a guy from Framingham whom I married in 1993. We got married, went to Israel for the Honeymoon and a year later, we were divorced. We were too young and silly to be married.

From 1994 to 1996, I worked at Grove Bank (now Citizens) as a Human Resources Assistant and Teller in Chestnut Hill and Newton, then, because the money was better, I changed jobs and worked at NEC Technologies. I lived in Boston, right near Boston College during this time, and all I can remember is getting up at 5:00 am to go on my 6 miles runs around the reservoir at Boston College, going to work in Boxborough, then going out at night with my brother to see a band play until 2:00am. Then I would get up and do it all again the next day!! That was really a great time!!

I met my husband, David, at NEC Tech. We were both Customer Service Call Center Reps and hated our jobs. He left and went to Fidelity Investments, but we still kept in touch, just friends. Then he asked me to teach him how to skate one day, and that is when we knew we were going to be a couple. Cute, eh? We got married at in a cozy little place called the Sterling Inn. We had 20 people at the wedding!! It was the best.

We lived a little while in Clinton, MA (when I had our first child, Cameron in 1998) then we bought my mom and dad's house in Lancaster (when I had my second child, Olivia, in 2000) and lived there for 3 years. When I had my children, I stopped working and became a full-time mom (which is work but rewarding!) I decided during this time to start my own cake decorating business called Cari's Cakes.

After 3 wonderful years in Lancaster on South Meadow Road, David got transferred to Merrimack, NH with Fidelity and we decided to move to New Hampshire. We live in Brookline which is on the Townsend, MA border. Our family loves it here! The schools are fantastic and the people are so friendly. You think I was overseas or something, but there is a different mentality up here in NH.

I started coaching Figure Skating 4 years ago in Manchester, Fitchburg and now in Nashua. I have a wonderful time teaching the group lessons, but I mostly love to teach my up and coming stars! We travel around the New England area for competitons and it is very exciting. I skate with an Adult Sychronized Team in Nashua (new this year...we don't even have a name for our team yet). We will be competing all over the country and at Nationals in Providence, RI.

The coolest job I have right now, besides coaching, is being a Para-Educator in Hollis, NH Upper Elementary School in the 6th grade. I really love what I do!! Everyday I go to work with a smile and feel so lucky to love something I do. I love it so much that I will be getting my graduate degree in Elementary Education (I hope soon!).

My kids keep me very busy as well. They are very active kids. Cameron loves soccer, baseball and XBOX (which I don't like). Olivia is the family's drama queen. She loves to act on stage and perform in front of people. She, too, loves soccer and figure skating.

Well, I have droned on and on. I hope to see you at the reunion and catch up a little more!! Robin has done such a great job with organizing this big event, so thank you Robin!! I will see you all soon!!