Where Are They Now? Tom Cole '72

Favorite Saint Viator/Sacred Heart memory:
WAY too many to single out one. Most of my best memories, though, tend to be about the way we came together as a family in difficult times, and how much fun we had, and how we supported each other as young teachers. I also cherish lots of crazy wonderful memories connected to Kairos.

Impact teaching at Saint Viator/Sacred Heart had on you:
It provided my rocky start to a blessed career in education. I will always remember Principal Pat Render telling me that the goal of your first year as a teacher is survival. That first year (or two) was rough. I appreciate him setting the bar low, allowing me to find patience with myself and my journey as an educator. After 20 years at Viator, I worked for 19 more at Fremd High School in Palatine as counselor and Department Chair -- two wonderful chapters to a lucky and blessed career. I have lasting bonds with the people I worked with there. Every time I visit it feels like coming home. I love running into alums and swapping stories. I still get together fairly regularly with a few of the fellas in my first homeroom -- former students who have become lifelong friends.

What made Saint Viator/Sacred Heart unique:
For me – the sense of family. During my years at Viator, there wasn’t a ton of money for teacher salaries and I think that motivated us all the more to try to make it a fun and friendly place to be and to work.

Former colleagues you stay in touch with:
Very afraid I’ll forget someone here, but here goes: Judy Amberg, Bill Faltinoski, Lyle Baier, Bruce Hildabrand, MaryAnn Ericksen, Dan Seeberg, Paul McMahon – I’m sure I’m forgetting someone. God bless Carol Serrani Anderson for advocating for me to be the editor of Alumni Update for my last several years at Viator. That was the most fun part-time job I ever had, and it made me appreciate the Viator Family more than ever.

Town you currently reside in:
Palatine, IL – but headed to Traveler’s Rest South Carolina in the spring. It’s a lovely town, even though it sounds a bit like a nice name for a cemetery.

What you are doing now:
Retired as of 2019. Biking, hiking, and right now, stressing out about moving.

Message for former colleagues and students:
Two things, I guess. Embrace change. I, personally, know that I don’t do change well (I like to call myself a “slow-change” artist), but when I look back on my life in general, and my career, specifically, I see that change was key to whatever happiness I have experienced. In the rearview mirror, I see that allowing myself to be open to new challenges made my 39 years in education seem like half that.

Get in Touch:
I’m on Facebook. Always a Lion.