Debbie Quinton
Initially, it’s hard to believe that it’s been thirty years since we left Hanford; but, when I try to look back and summarize what I’ve been doing since then, I realize that it certainly has been a long time! I spent the first four years after high school at Washington State University – I was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, an Interior Design major, and interned in commercial design in Virginia and North Carolina. After graduation from WSU I went to work at WPPSS #2; then left Washington for Diablo Canyon in San Luis Obispo California in 1984. After working at Diablo Canyon, I lived in several different California cities, mostly in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and began a career working in City/County government as a Building Plans Examiner. I followed this career path for twenty years and five different jurisdictions working in various positions dealing with the land development process.
In 1992 I married a member of the Air Force and was blessed with the birth of my son Christian. Shortly after Christian’s birth we relocated to McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma. While living at McChord I attended graduate school and earned a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership and Graduate Certificate in Human Resources. I enjoyed graduate school and the work I was doing at the time, but my greatest joy was time spent with my son – if I could have been a stay-at-home Mom, I’d have chosen that option in a heartbeat. (Most of my time and energy over the past 16 years has been focused on being a Mom; parenting has definitely been the most rewarding experience of my life.)
In 1998 we relocated to Charleston, South Carolina and spent two years living in the history-rich “Low Country”. In 2000 we moved again, this time to Vacaville, California, near Travis Air Force Base. Christian’s father and I divorced, but we stayed in Vacaville until the summer of 2006 when we moved again, this time back home to Richland. I now live a block away from Hanford, within a couple blocks of my parents (still in the house they lived in when I was growing up) and my younger brother and his family. I am now working for Energy Northwest as a Facility Property Manager.
The 30-year reunion was the first reunion I have been able to attend. It was a lot of fun to see everyone after so many years, and a great time to pause and remember things long forgotten. As for the next thirty years? If I am as blessed in the future as I have been thus far, I will be a very fortunate woman. I look forward to watching Christian grow to be a fine young man, and am very excited about the prospect of being a Grandma – in ten more years or so! I’d like as much more time as possible with my family, and to be able to travel more – destinations of choice: Alaska, the New England coast, Ireland and Greece. I am in a relationship with a wonderful man who I hope will be a part of whatever the future has in store. Until we meet at the next reunion…… God bless each of you and your families!
Debbie
My 1978 Hanford High School senior photo
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