
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Andy Oney - "Where are they now?"

Sunday, June 26, 2011
Jeff Schenker - "Where are they now?"

I have been on vacation living a life of leisure for the last seven years. How is that possible? Before I started traveling, I asked myself the same thing.
It’s actually hard to believe as I sit down to write this that I have been out of college for eighteen years. When I think about what can happen in eighteen years, I recall that’s how old I was when I first walked into the “Skin House”. The rest was fate. A lot has happened since then and I have to say the last eighteen have been much more exciting than the first eighteen. Mathematically, I have spent 40% of my post university life on vacation, quasi-employed, or just plain screwing around. That’s just over seven years! So how does one live a life of leisure without being old and retired? It started like this.
I moved to Harrisburg in 1993 after being in the 5th graduating class in the relatively new Plastics Engineering Technology program at Behrend. Plastics are the future! The job thingy I had, however, was the most boring, unrewarding, unsatisfying, meaningless way to spend 8 to 12 hours a day… 5 days a week. But hey, it paid better than the furniture delivery job I had back in Erie and that’s all that mattered. Or did it? I lived for 5:00 PM and the weekends! Going out for lunch was my favorite part of the job… and I was good at it too!
Living in Harrisburg was fun. In the early years (those being the ‘90s), I regularly attended the Penn State games, SKN reunions, and countless weddings. I saw just about everyone who was coming around. The opportunities to go mountain biking and camping in the summer and skiing in the winter were endless. I bought two jetskis and spent one summer racing one of them in Maryland. I had a lot of cool stuff. But something was missing.
Then one day in the spring of 2001, I jumped on an amazing new opportunity at work. I got myself laid off from my crap engineering job! It was brilliant. With my severance check in hand, I threw my mountain bike in the back of my truck and spent the next two months driving around the USA. 11,000 miles later, I knew what had to be done. I would go back to Harrisburg, find another high paying miserable job and save my money with the discipline of a Buddhist monk.

I needed money. Thanks to some good luck and some help from Jim Schaffer, I scored a summer job at a fishing lodge in Alaska. This paid well and it only required four months of my time during the June to October fishing season. This job worked perfectly with my lifestyle; 4 months of work and 8 months off. I spent my off time between South East Asia and South America. Most recently, I just finished an 18 month contract working as a tour leader in Central America for Gap Adventures, an adventure tour company. I actually had a job that paid me to be on vacation. Job duties included sailing, snorkeling, repelling waterfalls, kayaking, white water rafting, laying on the beach, climbing volcanoes, exploring Mayan ruins, … and of course, going to lunch, a skill I honed well back in my engineering days.
So just where am I now? As I write this, I am freshly unemployed and sitting in a coffee shop in Nicaragua’s premier surfing village, San Juan del Sur. But I won’t be here for long. I am planning to visit family in California and Pennsylvania in July before my nomadic lifestyle continues. At the end of August, I will be sailing in the Greek Islands followed by a trip to India and Nepal. I have a travel blog I’ve maintained since 2004 and will keep updating it during the next set of adventures. Stay tuned. www.travelpod.com/members/jeffsadventures
Jeff Schenker
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Jim Blawas - "Where are they now?"
Hi Frank!
Here is what I have been up to for the past 20 years. As most of you probably know, I didn't finish college at PSU. I had a great time at
I started work after dropping out of PSU in State College and within a year, I had landed another job as an insurance claims adjuster in
After 3 years, I thought it would be cool to start my own business, as an independent claims adjuster. But I wanted to be back in
Within the first 3 months at my new job, my wife came through my door. Funny thing about it -- I had just made an oddly concious decision to stay single. I knew before she stepped out of the car. We dated for one year before I proposed and were married on May 9, 1998.
After 3 years we had our Kate who is now 9 years old. Eighteen months later, we had Hannah. Michael was born in 2005 and Matthew in 2008. I love my wife and kids with all my heart. If we're blessed with any new additions I'll let you know.
I finished my undergrad at Pitt (don't scowl) in Chemisty but haven't put it to any kind of use as I am still working as a claims adjuster. Last year, I started teaching some continuing education classes for collision repair professionals as a way to help me to be better at my job. I really enjoy it and think I might like to move into training and development some time soon.
My wife and I bought a home in
All in all, I wouldn't change a thing - except I think I would like to have kept in touch with people better than I have. I'm glad you are bringing this back Scoli. I think you may be the lynch pin that has held SKN together all these years and I'm so glad you are who you are. I hope to talk to you again soon.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Marcus Ronaldi - "Where are they now?"

In 1997 I got a job in California as the weather was far better. At this point Clay Robeson and Frank Johnson were part of one of the best practical jokes on me.
Last few years I have been in recruiting and sourcing including work with Cisco and Google. Feel free to send your resume to me (hydra1970@gmail.com)
When I started working at Google I was concerned that the complimentary Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner would make me as big as a house so I started running. Since then I have run 3300 miles and my goal is to run 1000 miles in 2011 (I am at 550) and 12400 miles by December of 2020. Raised money for Parkinsons and Team in Training.
For fun I do pub quiz at the bitter end and play kickball.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tom Medovitch - "Where are they now?"
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Josh Tech - "Where are they Now?"


