“Let me start it with saying I taught in a junior high school in Long Island for the last 27 years. So when I started here in November last year, it was different having older kids that you can actually have a conversation with.”

“We go apple picking every year over at Tougas Farm in Northborough, and we usually go up north to see the foliage.”

“My favorite fall scent is when I rake the leaves.”

“If I could give myself some advice, I would’ve said, ‘Don’t give up on your dreams as easily as you did.’ I went to college and ran cross country and track and field at the University of South Dakota. I got a scholarship. I ran two marathons, when I finished competing, I was out of shape. Completely out of shape. And I did [the marathons] as a bet. And I ended up running two hours and 36 minutes. And that was with a fifteen minute walk in there. That’s how out of shape I was. I think if I’d given it a chance, there would’ve been a great possibility that I could’ve been sponsored. At that time, the standard was 2:18, and I had a teammate who made the standard. That’s what I mean by don’t give up on yourself. Don’t give up on your dreams. That’s the one biggest ‘what if’. What if I’d given it a chance? But I’m happy the way my life turned out.”