Class of 2024

Ruth enjoyed a very successful thirty-five-year career as a high school World Language Teacher. She began her career at Masuk High School in Monroe, CT as a Spanish and French teacher. After eight years, she joined the faculty at South Windsor High School and remained there until her retirement. Ruth earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a major in Spanish and a minor in French, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from Southern Connecticut State University. She went on to obtain a Sixth Level diploma in Educational Administration from the University of Connecticut.

During Ruth’s professional time at SWHS, she served as the World Language Department Chairperson for many years in addition to her duties as a Classroom Teacher of Spanish. She was instrumental in planning, creating and executing an Immersion Program for students of Spanish and French. Ruth also organized the University of Connecticut’s Cooperative Program for high school students and instituted Advanced Placement Programs in Spanish and French.

Ruth served as the Chairperson of system-wide and high school Professional Development Committees. She wrote curriculum for the Spanish Program and developed a proposal for a high school language laboratory. Ruth also served as a member of the Attendance, Philosophy, Computer and Homework Policy Committees.

To support colleagues, Ruth completed certification in the Beginning Educator Support and Training (BEST) and Mentor Programs through the State of Connecticut’s Department of Education. She was also selected to be a member of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Visiting Committee to review other high schools for the purpose of accreditation. At the local level, she served on the School Development, Human Relations and Faculty Councils.

To encourage immersive learning experiences, Ruth was supportive of foreign exchange scholars. She also planned and chaperoned trips abroad for her pupils with the purpose of enhancing cultural awareness and appreciation. Ruth provided guidance and challenging experiences beyond the required curriculum for advanced students and offered remedial opportunities to those experiencing learning difficulties. In addition, she served as advisor to the National Honor Society and the Student Council.

Colleagues have described Ruth as: a personification of teaching excellence that is the hallmark of SWHS; an educator with an above and beyond approach to teaching; a first-rate teacher; and a caring supportive member of the faculty. Former students have described her as: an outstanding teacher; an asset to SWHS; and a teacher that has made a difference. Ruth’s commitment and dedication to all facets of her profession have tremendously benefitted the school community.

Ruth passed away in 2022. She would have been extremely honored and exceedingly proud to have been selected for induction into the South Windsor High School Hall of Fame.

Photos of Ruth's Induction

Born and raised in South Windsor, Donna is proud of her hometown roots. She credits the SW Parks and Recreation Department for providing her and all South Windsor Youth with a fun, safe environment to play and learn - not just about sports, but about sportsmanship.

As a Timothy Edwards Cougar, Donna initially played only Softball and Basketball. That all changed when PE teacher, Mrs. Tuskowski (Mrs. T), encouraged her to come watch the Field Hockey team play. Who would have known - Donna’s decision to watch that day lead her on the path to become not only a Junior Olympian, but also a National Champion! She attended field hockey camps every summer with her SW teammates, including her awesome sister, Tracy. Donna credits those camps with exposure to college coaches, especially UCONN Coaches Diane Wright and the legendary Lauren Fuchs.

As a South Windsor Bobcat, Donna was a well rounded student. In addition to athletics, she participated in chorus all three years and achieved membership in the National Honor Society. Initially competing in three sports, Field Hockey, Basketball, and Softball, Donna dropped basketball her junior year to focus on Field Hockey and Softball. She sought the mentorship of Baseball Coach Ed Florio who helped her with strength and core training, as well as the mental aspect of competition. Her Bobcat accolades include: 1982 Central Valley Conference Field Hockey Champions, 1983 CVC Softball Champions, senior year Co-Captain of Softball and Field Hockey teams, selection to the All CVC Softball and All CVC Field Hockey teams, and selection to the Connecticut All-State Field Hockey Team.

During the summer after high school, Donna attended and represented South Windsor at the Olympic developmental and selection Field Hockey camps. After 3 weeks of intense competition and cuts, Donna was selected for the 18 and under Junior Olympic Team. She was also selected to go on to the prestigious “A Camp”, where the top 60 players in the nation competed at The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. Following A Camp, Donna flew to Jacksonville, Florida for the Junior Olympics. She was voted Captain and led her team to a Bronze medal.

Donna then attended The University of Connecticut, where she earned a B.S. degree in Biology. She was a member of the Connecticut Field Hockey Team all 4 years, and volunteered in the Athletes for Youth big brother/big sister program. During her tenure at UCONN, Donna and her team appeared in two NCAA Final Fours, winning the NCAA Division I National Championship in 1985. She was named a Co-Captain in her Senior Year and was the recipient of the inaugural Warren Taylor Award for Sportsmanship.

Not ready to hang up her cleats after college, Donna moved to Florida to pursue a Golf Career. After winning a Palm Beach County team tourney and the Florida State Championship, she turned pro and traveled throughout the US to compete on several professional golf tours.

Donna eventually found her new team and career, working as a Paramedic and Firefighter. Over the course of twenty years, she served in Palm Beach County and then for Indian River County Fire Rescue. She received numerous commendations throughout her career and was proud to co-chair the IRC Fire Rescue Community Volunteer Program, helping numerous charities, including Habitat for Humanity and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Donna now resides in Florida, where she has established and operates Compassionate Care Transport, Inc, an organization dedicated to serving the elderly. She is forever grateful to her parents, Sal and Jackie Garofalo, for all of their love and support throughout the years.

Photos of Donna's Induction

A 1981 graduate of SWHS, Andrea was class valedictorian and multi-sport athlete, earning varsity letters in field hockey, basketball, softball, and tennis. A captain in field hockey and basketball, she earned All-CVC honors in both sports for three consecutive years and was named second team all-state in basketball her senior year. She was 2-time CVC champion in field hockey and a 3-time CVC champion in basketball, with both teams reaching the state semi- or quarterfinals for each year that she played. Andrea was a member of the National Honor Society, was selected to Laurel Girls’ State, and received the Yale-Redden award for outstanding scholarship, athletics, and leadership. She served on the Student Council and as class President her sophomore and junior years.

Andrea attended Harvard University as a Division I field hockey recruit and majored in Social Studies with a concentration in international relations, graduating magna cum laude in 1985. She earned eight varsity letters, competing as a starting forward in field hockey all four years, was a captain and All-Ivy her junior year, and was selected to attend US Olympic Developmental camps. She walked-on to the basketball team her freshman year and transitioned to lacrosse as a sophomore walk-on. Andrea was the starting center on a team that won three consecutive Ivy League titles and reached the national semi- or quarterfinals, receiving All-Ivy honors her senior year. After graduating, she worked in New York and Paris, and returned to Harvard for her MBA from 1988-1990.

Andrea’s professional career fulfilled a lifelong dream to see the world and blended her interests in international relations and business. She started as a banker at Morgan Stanley and then became a project developer of energy infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe for Enron, the global energy company, residing in London and Paris for more than a decade. She was part of a team that developed one of the first privately financed power plants in Poland. Her work took her to many of the former Soviet republics and she experienced firsthand their emergence from communism and traveled extensively in Russia, Africa, and India.

Upon her return to the US in 2000, she pursued a career in education, focusing on technology and the ways it could open access and deliver personalized learning. As CEO of Kaplan Professional, she ran a division that delivered online and classroom training to professionals, then was an Executive at the College Board where she was responsible for global sales. She is currently a Senior Advisor for Tyton Partners, a global education strategy consulting firm and investment bank. Her work focuses on impact investing in education, and she advises foundations, family offices and CEOs. She serves on the Advisory Board of JFF Ventures, an early-stage fund investing in workforce edtech companies supporting female and minority entrepreneurs. She is also a board member and investor in SmartLab Learning, a K-12 STEM company and 7 Mindsets, a social emotional learning company. After spending 17 years in Chicagoland, Andrea and her husband and son recently moved to Providence, Rhode Island to be closer to family and their New England roots.

Photos of Andrea's Induction

Jon will always be remembered for his love of flying. He earned his private pilot license before his driver’s license, and then dedicated the rest of his life to aviation. He studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Maryland where he earned his instrument and commercial licenses. After graduation from Maryland, Jon entered the Air Force and became a certified combat pilot in the F-16 Falcon fighter jet. While stationed at Langley Field in Virginia, Jon traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to attend the funeral of John Levitow, whose mother was a South Windsor resident. Levitow had been awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam; Jon wanted to make sure he was buried with someone from South Windsor in attendance. Jon also arranged a four ship F-16 flyover at Kitty Hawk on the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers flight.

After Jon’s active service he continued to work for the Air Force as a propulsion engineer overseeing upgrades to the C-5 cargo plane and authoring several technical reports. He attended graduate school and earned an MBA from Webster University. At Edwards AFB in California, Jon took on the role of lead radar engineer developing RADAR and navigation systems for use in future combat aircraft.

Jon returned to South Windsor and earned a degree in computer science at Manchester Community College with the hopes of creating software applications that would make a pilot’s job easier in the cockpit. Sadly, like too many other military veterans, we lost Jon too early. He passed away on November 23, 2015. Jon’s aviation legacy lives on with a memorial scholarship that has been established in his name through the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) based in East Windsor. This scholarship has helped young pilot aspirants defray some of the costs of flight training, allowing the next generation to share the joys of flight.

At SWHS, Jon was active in the school newspaper, the yearbook, and in video communications. His team won a nationwide video contest and was flown to Chicago to get professional video editing training and receive an award. He played baseball all four years and was a member of the 1993 State Championship team.

Photos of Jon's Induction