Where Are They Now? — Jeff Austill

This is Jeff Austill. It's interesting to see how everybody has turned out, some have turned out in ways unexpected, others I think to myself – yeah, I can see that. So here is my life after high school, judge for yourself if it's surprising or "I saw that coming twenty years ago".

After spending a month in Canada with Mike Parsons, then 2 years in Paraguay as a missionary, I began school at UVSC. I did manage to finally get a degree in secondary education after changing careers a dozen times along the way. I am not a teacher, I also no longer use my advanced SCUBA certification, my commercial pilots license, flight instructor certification, insurance license, or any of my computer training. I have been a flight instructor, trainer for Hewlett Packard, security officer, substitute high school math teacher (for a week), chimney sweep (with Ben Snell), Sales Manager, Operations Manager, Insurance Salesman and probably a dozen other things I can't even think of right now.

Where am I now? I'm the General Manager of the Tuff Shed factory in Phoenix, Arizona. We build sheds and garages throughout the state. I have been with the company now for almost 3 years; the record is four (CompUSA) in case you were wondering and I know you were.

In July of 1993 I was on a date with a friend of mine (we really were only friends) and we went to her work party, there I met a friend of hers named Barbara who looked so good I asked my friend to set me up with her. The rest, as they say, is history. We've now been married for 14 years and she still looks just as good as that first time I saw her sitting across a table from me. Only a truly great woman would have put up with the constant career changes over the years, she has backed me up all the way. She is from Bountiful.

We have 4 children (4 children seems to be a recurring theme with everybody) Nicholas is 12, Derek is 10, Kade is 8 and Samantha is 6 going on 16. Barbara stays home and takes care of everything; I'm the luckiest guy in the world. We like attending all the sporting events (spring training baby!), going on drives and hikes, and just hanging out as a family.

Poor Nicholas has attended 4 schools in the last 3 years as I have been bounced around cleaning up other people's messes for Tuff Shed, first in Bakersfield, California (Elaine Biddulph-Urmston only lived a couple blocks from us there) then here in Phoenix. Here is where we stay though, we love it here and finally feel settled. Anybody else in this area? Look me up; I would love to see you.

Is it what you expected?

Memories from High School? Swim team with coach Wilson, Photography with Mr. Poulter, German with Mr. Chambers, peanut butter on my locker handle (is anybody going to fess up to that?) and spending Christmas vacation in the photo lab with Mike Parsons trying to make yearbook deadlines.

We are planning our vacation around the reunion, can't wait to see you all.