Class of 2022

Jim is a 1990 graduate of South Windsor High School where he lettered in varsity football, indoor track and outdoor track. Jim was coached by South Windsor High School Hall of Fame members Ralph McCarroll and Bob Labreche while competing for the Bobcats. Jim earned All-New England recognition in the 55 meter and long jump during his senior year as a Bobcat. Jim enrolled at Eastern Connecticut State University where he became the premier sprinter in the first 20 years of the men’s track and field program. During a three year career from 1993-1995 Jim earned All-New England recognition 8 times in six different events. Jim graduated as the program record holder at 55, 100 and 200 meters along with the 4x100 and 4x400 relays and second all-time in the long jump at Eastern. Jim served as an assistant track coach at Eastern for three years and was inducted into the Eastern Connecticut State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

After graduating from Eastern, Jim, who had grown up in South Windsor with the mindset of always looking out for the helpless and trying to help the underdog entered the United States Army. Jim served two tours of duty in the Middle East where his unit provided protection for supply caravans from IED’s and enemy attack. After several near-death experiences there Jim told himself if he made it back home he would spend his life taking care of people who need help. He saw law enforcement as a way of changing the lives of others.

Jim is currently a 19 year member of the Hartford Police Department where he is a citywide Homeless Outreach officer. Jim’s homeless outreach program is run out of a repurposed bomb squad truck that Jim renovated into a van to carry supplies to serve the homeless. Jim calls his outreach van a “mini bodega” that serves more than 900 homeless men and women who Jim routinely checks in on. Jim is parked every Monday morning across from the Hartford Public Library. Otherwise, he drives to various homeless encampments where he distributes water bottles, protein bars, sleeping bags, coats, hoodies, blankets, personal hygiene products, beef jerky, canned tuna and chicken salad. Jim also partners with Footwear with Care to hand out new socks, sneakers and boots to the homeless. When asked why the homeless need good footwear Jim says, “It’s like the military, you walk from point A to point B, and if you keep your feet dry and decent, you’re going to feel good. If not, you’re going to fall apart."

Concerning Officer Barrett, Lisa who was homeless for 4 years says, “When you’re down and out he shows that he cares. He’s very humble and doesn’t judge people. He believes in me and he believes in people and I survived, I have Officer Barrett to thank for that.”

Jim again showed that caring for people that need help is at the heart of who he is when on October 14, 2019 Jim answered a call of an emotionally disturbed man vowing to jump off the bridge at 200 Columbus Avenue. Jim was the first on the scene with his bike. Jim came upon a man who was positioned on a railing overlooking the traffic filled roadway below and was able to pull him back to safety.

Dr. Colasanto graduated from South Windsor High School in 1985. He attended the University of Connecticut from 1985 – 1989. During his time at UConn, he served the community as a volunteer for the South Windsor Ambulance Corp for over 12 years and at Manchester Memorial Hospital for over 4 years. After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Neurobiology, he worked in research at the University of Connecticut Health Center designing and testing new pain medications at the cellular level. Then, he received a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown in 1993. He returned to Connecticut and taught Anatomy and Physiology at Manchester Community Technical College as Adjunct Faculty while continuing basic science research at the University of Connecticut. In 1995, he attended the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and received his M.D. in 1999.

After medical school, he completed his Internship in Medicine at Yale in 2000 and was awarded Intern of the Year. He was also the recipient of a research based award for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Best of ASCO 2003), and Radiological Society of North America Roentgen Resident - Fellow Research award for 2003. During internship and residency, he continued to volunteer for South Windsor Ambulance Corp and also worked for the State of Connecticut as Assistant Medical Examiner.

He completed his residency at Yale in 2004 in the Department of Radiation Oncology. He started an academic career as Assistant Professor at Yale School of Medicine, Department of Therapeutic Radiology. At Yale, he was a committee member of several national and local organizations, including CALGB Genitourinary Cancer Committee Member, RTOG Lung Cancer Committee Member, Endocrine Cancer Section Chief, VA (Veterans Affairs) Section Chief, Yale Thoracic Oncology Program member, Co-Chair of the Yale Quality Improvement Committee, Graduate Medical Education Committee at Yale, Clinical Advisor to the Gateway Community College, Editorial Board Member to the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, Reviewer to the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology & Physics Journal and The Cancer Journal. He remained active in clinical research. He was Principal Investigator on 9 clinical trials at Yale and 4 at Saint Francis Hospital. He published a book chapter on thyroid cancer and 17 medical publications including co-author of a landmark publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2006 that changed the way we treat certain lung cancers today. He has given medical presentations for several organizations, nationally and internationally. More recently, he is a Radiation Oncologist in private practice at the Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale – New Haven Health at Saint Francis in Hartford, CT. He continues to be involved in medical research and continues to teach at Manchester Community Technical College.

Craig was a 1970 graduate of W. H. Hall High School, where he received four varsity letters in football and lacrosse. In his senior year, the Warriors became West Hartford’s first undefeated, untied league champion football team. Craig was selected as an all-league guard and as a player on the East Team in the 1970 Nutmeg Bowl Game. He enrolled at Bates College, graduating in 1974 with a major in American History. He later earned a M.A. in Educational Psychology from UCONN, a Sixth-Year Certificate in World History and an MA in American Studies, both from Trinity College, and was awarded honors in graduate scholarship.

In 1974, Craig was hired as a Social Studies teacher at SWHS, where he served for nearly 33 years, nine as Social Studies Department Chair. He taught classes in Current Affairs, U. S. History, Ancient and Modern World History, and began the freshman Global Village program. He also developed and taught SWHS’s first courses in A. P. U. S. History and A. P. World History, as well as Connecticut’s first high school course of study in Connecticut History. He advised the SWHS Model U. N. Club for many years and expanded its scope to include club participation in both the Harvard University Model U. N. as well as the University of Hartford Model U.N. Craig also advised many SWHS students as contestants in the regional, state, and national History Day competitions. He later served for several years as a judge at Connecticut History Day on behalf of the Connecticut Historical Society.

Craig coached SWHS varsity football for nine years (1974-83), having primary responsibility for the offensive and defensive lines as well as calling the defensive signals on game day. During the off seasons, he helped develop the team’s first strength program. In 1977, SWHS won the Central Valley Conference football championship. After his coaching career, he continued to scout up-coming opponents of the Bobcats for several years.

In 2007, Craig was hired as the Education Manager at the Mark Twain House and Museum and served as the museum’s Site Director for four National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Teacher Workshops and Institute. He presented scores of educational programs and workshops on Mark Twain’s cultural and historical legacy to students, teachers, and the public at the Twain House and at libraries, schools, and civic organizations throughout the Northeast. In 2014, he became a historical interpreter for visitors to the Twain House and later a “living history” actor who created a tour for visitors portraying- Rev. Joseph Twichell, Mark Twain’s Best Friend.