1. What is your name, which TSD schools did you attend, and what year did you graduate?
My name is Erin (Schenck) Sanfeliz. I started my Thompson School District school career at Centennial Elementary kindergarten through sixth grade. I went to Bill Reed Junior High School for seventh and eighth grade. Bill Reed at the time was transitioning from a junior high school to a middle school, so the ninth graders had recently began going to high school buildings and sixth graders hadn’t yet left the elementary buildings in Loveland. I graduated from Loveland High School in 1995. This happened to be Loveland High School’s centennial year.
2. What have you been doing since graduation, and what is your proudest accomplishment?
I attended Colorado State University (GO RAMS!) and graduated in 1999 with a degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition. After graduation I took a brief hiatus for a year and then attended a Dietetic Internship at University of Michigan. After graduating from this program, I returned to my beloved home state of Colorado (also had a little something to do with a handsome dude!). I have been a registered dietitian for just over 20 years working in skilled nursing facilities and most recently for the past 13 years in acute care at Banner McKee Medical Center.
My proudest accomplishment is being a Mom; while I don’t always rock it, I always try really hard! And I love my kids fiercely!
3. What is your best memory of school?
I submerged myself in the social life of high school and deeply treasure those memories. I would say my friends are my best memories from high school. Many of us are still in close contact and get together often! I also have wonderful memories of participating in cheerleading and pom, along with anchoring/field reporting for the KLHS broadcasting club.
4. What was your biggest challenge during school?
This is a great question. I think my most honest response would be balancing being a teenager and wanting to have fun, with the responsibilities that came with schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and employment. I recall having to make some “tough” decisions between these compartments of my life.
5. What do you know now that you wish your younger self had known?
I would tell myself to slow down, enjoy being a kid/teenager!
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Ferris Bueller
6. What advice would you give to students in school now?
The same thing I want my kids to know. Have the time of your life, study hard, play hard and ALWAYS BE KIND! You never know what someone is struggling with.
7. Name one person who changed your life for the better during school and how they did it.
I could not narrow it down to one person, so here is a short list and a quick recap of how each inspired me during high school.
- Becky Langford: I never thought history could be fun, she showed me it could.
- Gary Light and the DECA marketing club taught me about charisma and how to showcase yourself in a professional setting. I have pulled inspiration from these experiences for the many important “interviews” of my life so far.
- Ms. Connie Einfalt was such an inspiration to me during KLHS, and my art classes when it was hard to let go of my Type A personality and just let the creative juices flow.
8. If you could wave a magic wand and change something about your school years, what would it be?
I don’t think I would change anything specifically. I think I would instead wave a magic wand to go back to high school in 1995 for one more day!
9. How did school prepare you for what you are doing now?
I loved science always, so I would say that may have guided me toward my current career.
10. What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
I have dabbled in the science/healthcare world all of my adulthood so far. I would like to explore my artsy and creative side again. I always enjoyed my art classes in high school from drawing to sculpture, and jewelry.