Class of 2014

1993 graduate of South Windsor High School and four year member of the Varsity Baseball and Football Teams. In 1993, he was a member of the Class L State Champion Baseball Team and named All Conference, All State, and received All American honors along with being named CT High School Player of the Year by Gatorade and USA Today. He received the Hugh Greer Award as the SWHS Class of 1993’s Outstanding Athlete. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 22nd round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft but chose to attend Clemson University. As a Freshman, he started in left field and batted 5th for a team who maintained a #1 ranking in College Baseball for most of the season. In 1995, he led Clemson to the College World Series and was named All ACC and All American highlighted by a .344 Batting Average with 27 Doubles which ranked #2 in all of NCAA Division 1 Baseball. During the summer he went on to represent the Orleans Cardinals in the Cape Cod League All Star Game. In 1996, he ranked as the 56th Best College Prospect and was named as a Baseball America 3rd Team Preseason All American. He went on to lead Clemson to their 2nd College World Series appearance and was named All ACC that year. He represented the Falmouth Commodores that summer in the Cape Cod League All Star game and was named “MVP” of the game. In 1997, he led Clemson in just about every offensive category and was named team “MVP” batting .391 with 15 Homeruns, 82 RBI’s and 106 hits. He finished his Clemson career breaking the Career Doubles Record (77) along with finishing in the top five in several career offensive categories. Drafted in the 22nd round of the 1997 Major League Amateur Draft he had a successful 14 year professional career highlighted by eleven years playing in the U.S. with the Philadelphia Phillies (8 years), Toronto Blue Jays (2 years), Cincinnati Reds (1/2 year) and the ST. Louis Cardinals (1/2 year) organizations. His accomplishments in Professional Baseball include 2 time Triple A Team MVP with the Blue Jays in 2002 and the Phillies in 2007 and a one-time Double A Team MVP with the Phillies in 2006. He is currently the Reading Phillies All Time Career Homerun record holder with 56 Homeruns and was named to the All Decade Team 1999-2009 as an outfielder. He was awarded National Minor League Baseball Player of the Month by Topps Baseball Cards in August 2006 and won the Triple Crown in the Phillies organization in 2006 despite missing a month. He achieved All Star honors at every single level of organized baseball. He finished his Minor League Career in the U.S. with over 1105 games played, 1173 hits, 116 homeruns and a .291 Batting average. Gary went on to set the all-time foreigner hitting streak at 23 games in a row, a record in Taiwan in 2008 and earned a roster spot for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Major Leagues with Bobby Valentine. In 2010 he played one more year in Italy finishing in the top 5 in most offensive categories and retired at the end of the season at the age of 35. He currently owns and operates Burnham Enterprises LLC focusing on Multi-Family Real Estate Investing and is presently in Surgical Device sales. Gary also conducts hitting lessons for area baseball players.

1997 Graduate of South Windsor High School and member of the Varsity Soccer, Basketball and Lacrosse teams all four years. Served as Captain of Soccer team two years and the Basketball and Lacrosse team one year. In Soccer she was All Conference four years, All State three years and All New England two years with 39 career goals and 21 assists. Her soccer teams won three CCC Championships. In Lacrosse she was All Conference and All State and won one CCC Championship scoring 123 goals and dishing 46 assists in her career and is credited as the second leading scorer of all-time after picking up the sport her freshmen year at SWHS. She remains third on the all-time chart for most points in a game: 9 (Longmeadow 1997: 8 goals, 1 assist). Basketball teams won two CCC Championships. Katie was a member of the National Honor Society and participant in the Unified Sports team and Whaler’s Student-Athlete leadership team in her time at SWHS. Katie’s Club Soccer team won the U.S. Youth Soccer Region 1 Championship three times and a national championship in 2000, with Katie notching the winning goal in overtime. Graduated from Boston College where she was a member and starter of the Varsity Soccer team for four years and captain her senior year. She won the Leadership Award, was a member of the All Academic team, Big East Scholar Athlete, Aeropostale Big East Scholar-Athlete and received Big East Academic All Star Honors and selected as the Thomas McElroy Award recipient. Employed as a Special Education Teacher since 2003 in Bernards Township, NJ and served as Ridge High School Head Varsity Coach since 2006. She was selected as NJGSCA North 2 Coach of the year in 2012, has over 100 career wins, and has coached her team to three State Sectional Championships. Served one year as a volunteer at Kairos house/Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia, PA, a residential facility for mentally ill homeless men and women. Katie is married to Tim Donahue and has three kids, Colleen, Maura and Kevin.

English Teacher at South Windsor High School for 31 years. She received an A.B. in English from Anna Maria College and a M.A. in English from Assumption College. Carol was a Cooperating Teacher for nine student teachers, facilitator of writing exchange between high school and elementary school students, taught summer school ten years and was a counselor in the Drugs Don’t Work Program. She was a member of the South Windsor High School Student Assistance Committee Core Group, Faculty Council, Faculty Council Cheer Committee and Personnel Policies Committee. Received recognition from Clark University as an Outstanding Secondary School Educator and received the South Windsor Superintendent’s Award for Excellence. Selected by the State Department of Education to begin work on Conncept and to perform holistic scoring of writing achievement. Participated in the State of Connecticut Department of Education BEST Program for beginning teachers and served as Adjunct Faculty for The University of Connecticut and University of Hartford as a supervisor of student teachers. Member and presenter for the National Council of Teachers of English and New England Association Teachers of English. Fellow of Connecticut Writing Project since its inception in 1980 and has served as a Workshop Coordinator and Presenter. Member of Career-Master Program in South Windsor, CT. Carol is a volunteer at St. Patrick - St. Anthony Church and at the Wood Library.

Physical Education and Health Teacher at South Windsor High School, Ellsworth and Timothy Edwards Middle School for 29 years. At South Windsor High School served as Department Head and Athletic Director. Started the South Windsor High School Football Program in 1970 and coached for 28 years. Served as Girl’s Softball Coach 15 years. Gatorade-CT High School Association Football Coach of the Year 1998-1999. Received Outstanding Educator Award from the South Windsor Jaycees and Northern CT Football Foundation Association Coach of the Year Award. While serving as Athletic Director, South Windsor High School won the Mickelson Award for Best CT Large School Athletic Program. Served on the State Football Committee and assisted with the restart of the Senior All-Star Game. Coached in CT All- Star Games including the role of Head Coach. Coached CT Girl’s All-Star Softball games including Head Coach responsibilities. Served on the South Windsor Park’s and Recreation Commission 12 years (Chairman for 10 years). B.S. and M.S. Degrees from Springfield College.