NPHS Reunion Interview: Gerry Burns, Class of 1968

Gerry tackles another adventure on a zipline in the Poconos in 2015.  

What was your sense of community in your class/in the school at NPHS?  

Gerry Burns:  The Class of 1968 was a very close class. As with every class, there were different groups of kids who hung out together based on interests and personalities.  There were so many of us were involved in extracurricular activities based on our interests and NPHS had a lot to choose from.   Clubs were very popular and attendance was strong.  Friendships were very important to us and club involvement fostered friendships that I still have to this day.

What experiences in high school, positive or negative, helped to shape you as a person? 

Gerry Burns:  My involvement in extracurricular activities and the encouragement I got from my teachers had a great impact.  I was a quiet, shy, average student going into NPHS.  I became not only a participant in many activities, but a leader of several clubs.  My grades also improved.  It really is true that the more you get involved the better your grades become… at least it worked for me.  I think it forced me to organize my time and to learn to work with different personalities.   I’m very organized to this day and like helping others.  I still volunteer in several venues within my community.   

Do you have any regrets about your experiences during your high school years? 

Gerry Burns:  No regrets.  I loved NPHS!!! My days at NPHS were some of the best days of my life!  I just wish my own children had been able to experience high school as I did.

Now, 50 years later, has your perspective on your high school years changed at all?  If so, how? 

Gerry Burns:  I still have fond memories of my days at NPHS and that’s why I’ve enjoyed planning our reunions for all the years.  I know we can never go back but honesty, sometimes I wish we could.  The world is so different now, I know we heard our parents say that of us in the ‘60s, but life is so more demanding now that I feel like kids can’t be kids.  I feel like they don’t interact person to person like we did without electronics and social media.  There’s a lot to be said for the personal touch.

What is your fondest memory of your years at NPHS?  

Gerry Burns:  School Spirit!  We were so proud of our school.  We had fun!  We valued our friendships.  I truly loved our community of North Plainfield, so much that I raised my three children there too.  

What was the craziest or stupidest thing you did in high school?  

Gerry Burns:  I cut Mr. Maurer’s 8^th period chorus class the day of the junior prom to get my hair done. Other girls did the same.   He never took attendance and I never cut a class before so I thought nothing of it.  Well, he took attendance that day and I got caught.  Almost got kicked off the majorette squad.  Never cut class again!

What was your proudest accomplishment in high school?  

Gerry Burns:  Trying out and being selected to the Majorette Squad and then becoming Captain.  

Who was your favorite teacher? 

Gerry Burns:  Without a doubt, Ethel Abrams – She was so supportive and encouraged me to be the best I can be.  I remember being told by my guidance counselor that I would never make it in college because of low SAT scores.  Mrs. Abrams told me to never give up.  She told me everyone has something to contribute.  She encouraged me to follow my dreams.  I proved that counselor wrong, graduated college and became a nurse and community leader in my home town.  I’m so glad I was able to thank her in person several times after college.  She was truly a gift from God.

What was your worst class? 

Chemistry with Mr. Sankus.  I struggled in that class.  He was very nice person, but his teaching style was way above the grasp of high school students.  I felt like he taught more on a college level.  I loved science though, especially Biology and Advanced Biology with Mrs. Martin.  She was a terrific science teacher.  I learned so much from these two classes.  I always wanted to be a nurse. My love for biology and the preparation I had at NPHS certainly helped me with college anatomy and physiology.  

What is your most powerful or haunting memory during your years at NPHS? 

Gerry Burns:  It was actually in 8^th grade when the announcement of JFK’s death came over the PA system.  Always remember I was sitting in Mrs. Nix’s 8^th period English class.  Those next 4 days will be in my memory forever.

Graduation from Middlesex County
College in 1971.  Gerry went on to
become a licensed RN in NJ.