Class of 2026
Peter Anthony
Class of 1980
Peter Anthony is a 1980 graduate of South Windsor High School. A lifelong resident of South Windsor, he has dedicated much of his life to improving the lives of others, guided by a belief in service, leadership, and the power of athletics to unite people.
As a student-athlete, Peter earned All-Conference and All-State honors in track and cross country and became a state champion in the mile, setting the school record with a time of 4:15.0. He was also a two-year starter for the varsity basketball team, helping the team win conference championships in both seasons. For his overall achievements, he received the Hugh Greer Award at South Windsor High School during his senior year.
He continued his running career at Spokane Community College in Washington, where he still holds the 13th-fastest 1500-meter time in school history (3:53.1). After two years at SCC, he transferred to Boise State University on a Division I scholarship, serving as team captain for both track and cross country while improving his personal bests and earning Big Sky Runner of the Month honors. He placed third in the Big Sky conference meet in the 800 meters finishing with a time of 1:50.7. His personal best in the mile was 4:10.3.
Peter’s contributions to athletics extend far beyond his competitive years. He began coaching boys basketball in 1986, dedicating 24 years to the program with 13 as JV coach and 11 as varsity coach. As only the third head coach in school history, he led SW to state tournament appearances in nine of eleven seasons. His teams produced two Division I players, numerous All-Conference selections, and a 1,000-point scorer, as well as CCC East Conference titles in 2001 and 2005. He was also selected to coach the Connecticut LL Senior All-Star Team.
Peter has served South Windsor in numerous leadership roles, including three terms as First Selectman. He spent more than 15 years as chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission and led the Golf Course Committee, securing a grant for a municipal golf course feasibility study.
Peter remains deeply involved in South Windsor athletics, coaching track (40 seasons), cross country (19 seasons), and indoor track (3 seasons), continuing his lifelong commitment to student-athletes and excellence.
Stacie Cassarino
Class of 1993
Stacie Cassarino is a 1993 graduate of South Windsor High School. During her time at SWHS, she was a multi-sport athlete in basketball, soccer, and softball. She went on to play basketball at Middlebury College, where she earned a B.A. in English with minors in Italian and Gender Studies. She holds an M.A. in English from the University of Washington-Seattle and a Ph.D. in English from UCLA.
Stacie is a poet, educator, and scholar who has taught literature and creative writing for over twenty years at Middlebury College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Fairfield University, Pratt Institute, and UCLA. She has also worked as a chef in NYC and as a digital copy editor at ELLE.
Stacie is the author of three books. Her most recent poetry collection, Each Luminous Thing (2023), won the Lexi Rudnitsky Editor's choice Award at Persea Books and was a recommended book in The New York Times Sunday Book Review and Ron Charles' Book Club in The Washington Post. Her first book, Zero at the Bone (2009), received a Lambda Literary Award and the Publishing Triangle Audre Lorde Award. She is also the author of a scholarly monograph, Culinary Poetics and Edible Images in Twentieth-Century American Literature (2018), which was nominated for the Lora Romero Prize and the James Russell Lowell Prize. She has won numerous awards for her writing, including the 92nd Street Y "Discovery"/The Nation Prize, an Astraea Foundation Writers' Fund Grant, and fellowship residencies from the Millay Colony for the Arts and the Ragdale Foundation.
She lives in Vermont with her three daughters (Sofia, age 8, and twins Lucia & Stella, age 6), where she enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, kayaking, gardening, cooking, playing piano, tennis, and hoops with her kids.
Sharon Kyc Heaton
Class of 1997
Sharon Kyc Heaton is a 1997 graduate of South Windsor High School. During her time at SWHS, she was a 3-sport athlete: an outside hitter for women's volleyball, a windmill fast pitcher for softball, and a 200 meter sprinter for indoor track. Sharon was awarded All-Conference Honors from 1995-1997 for women's volleyball and softball and, during her senior year, received All-State Recognition for volleyball. A natural leader, she served as captain of the volleyball team in her junior and senior years. Sharon was inducted as a member of the National Honor Society in 1996 and participated in the Outdoor Club, the Yearbook Club, and the South Windsor Ambassador Team. She organized Red Cross Blood Drives, Habitat for Humanity events, and was a 4-H camp counselor. During the off season, she played for the Connecticut Junior Volleyball Association as an outside hitter. As part of the 1997 community scholarship awards, Sharon was awarded the Ann E. Waldron Memorial scholarship.
Sharon was recruited to play volleyball at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, where she played for two years. She also joined the women’s rugby team. During her time in college, she was chosen as a research assistant at the UConn Child Study Center and inducted into the Psi Chi National Honor Society for Psychology. In 2001, Sharon graduated from Sacred Heart University Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. She continued her education at Springfield College, where she earned a master’s degree in social work. She then worked for the State of CT/Social Security Disability for 16 years, where she assisted individuals in navigating the disability benefits process.
After being born with a congenital defect, Sharon underwent open heart surgery to repair her mitral valve on 11/12/13. Inspired by the great care she received from the nurses in the hospital, she went back to school while juggling her full time work schedule to become a Registered Nurse in 2019. Sharon has worked as an RN performing home care services and was recognized for providing essential care during the COVID pandemic. Sharon also assisted the National Guard in setting up a mobile hospital at the Hartford Convention Center. Sharon attributes her nursing values to the great lessons she learned from her teachers and coaches from South Windsor.
Stephen Hunger
Class of 1977
Dr. Stephen Hunger is a 1977 graduate of South Windsor High School. A distinguished leader in pediatric medicine, Dr. Hunger has dedicated his career to the research and treatment of childhood cancer. After graduating from SWHS, he earned his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his medical degree from the University of Connecticut.
His extensive medical training included a three-year pediatrics residency at Johns Hopkins University and a six-year fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and research at Stanford University. Since beginning his professional practice in 1994, Dr. Hunger has become a renowned pediatric oncologist specializing in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Through his leadership in national and international clinical trials, the medical community has seen significant improvements in survival rates for the most common form of childhood cancer.
Dr. Hunger spent 14 years at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver and 6 years at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Since 2014, he has been at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, leading the pediatric cancer clinical and research programs, which are among the largest programs in the world. He continues to work (more than) full time, and his job requires national and international travel.
Stephen celebrates this honor with his wife of 40 years, Cammy (a retired pediatrician), and their two sons, Patrick (33) and Marshall (30). They have a house in the Denver suburbs with both of their sons nearby, and travel back and forth between Denver and Philadelphia. In their free time, they like to travel and have visited many places all over the world; their recent time in France was a highlight. Stephen extends special gratitude to his brother, David (SWHS Class of 1981), for his support in this induction.
Jeff McInerney
Class of 1978
Jeff McInerney is a 1978 graduate of South Windsor High School, where his lifelong connection to football, leadership, and teamwork first took root. Jeff’s early passion for the game set the foundation for a coaching career that would span more than three decades.
Jeff’s coaching career is defined by excellence, adaptability, and sustained success at every level of the sport. Most recently, he served as Defensive Analyst at Penn State University during the 2024 season, contributing to a College Football Playoff semifinal team that appeared in both the Orange Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. From 2015 to 2023, he was an integral part of the Indiana University coaching staff, serving as Defensive Quality Control and Special Teams Quality Control. During this period, Indiana enjoyed one of the most successful stretches in program history, highlighted by multiple postseason appearances.
His influence extended to the professional ranks as well. Jeff coached in the AAF with the San Antonio Commanders as Defensive Line Coach and Special Teams Coordinator, and later served as Special Teams Coordinator for the New York Guardians of the XFL. In both roles, he was recognized for his ability to quickly establish discipline, cohesion, and competitive units in new league environments.
The cornerstone of Jeff’s career came during his tenure as Head Coach at Central Connecticut State University from 2006 to 2013. There, he compiled a 48–41 overall record and led the Blue Devils to back-to-back conference championships in 2009 and 2010. He was awarded NEC Coach of the Year honors and national recognition as an Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year finalist. Under his leadership, CCSU achieved its first national Top 25 ranking and national leadership in rushing offense, scoring, and turnover margin.
Throughout his career, Jeff held coaching and coordinator positions at numerous respected institutions, including Duke, Tulsa, UNLV, Georgia Southern, Rhode Island, North Dakota State, USC, Oregon State, and Troy State, while being part of multiple national championship teams.
Beyond the field, Jeff McInerney is married to his wife, Leslie. Together, they have two adult children and are proud grandparents to three grandchildren.
Sharon Moran
SWHS Faculty
Sharon Moran had a distinguished 44-year career in education, including a 33-year tenure as a Social Studies teacher at South Windsor High School followed by 11 years as a curriculum writer. During her time at SWHS, she taught Geography, U.S. History, and American Political Systems. She was instrumental in developing curriculum for Honors and AP Government and Politics as well as for all class levels in Constitutional, Criminal, and Civil Law. Additionally, she created the "Democracy is not a Spectator Sport" curriculum, outlining lesson plans for student involvement in voting activities and responsibilities. This guide was published and utilized throughout Connecticut and beyond and earned Sharon the 1992 Connecticut Celebration of Excellence Award.
During her time at SWHS, Sharon served as the National Honor Society advisor for 30 years and the Senior Class advisor for 28 years. She also led the Mock Trial teams to three state championship finals and advised the "We the People The Citizen and The Constitution" curriculum, where students won Connecticut Championships and Northeast Regional awards at the 1990 and 1998 National Finals.
Sharon also made important outside contributions to education both during and after her tenure at South Windsor High School. She participated in National Endowment for the Humanities summer institute seminars on Constitutional Law, Federalism, and Democracy at Yale, Boston College, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, and California State College. She has lectured on civic education internationally from Australia to Russia. She was awarded 1996 White House Honors for her post-war work in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and received the 1998 Human and Civil Rights Committee Mahatma Gandhi-Martin L. King Jr. Peace Award.
Her dedication to education has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Connecticut Consortium’s Mark R. Shedd Teacher of the Year Award, multiple yearbook dedications, the South Windsor Board of Education annual Recognition of Excellence from 1990 through 1996, and a 1999 State of Connecticut General Assembly Official Citation for lifetime service. Sharon holds a B.A. in Social Sciences from Albertus Magnus College and an M.A. in Government and Politics from Trinity College.
James Nova
Class of 1992
James Nova is a 1992 graduate of South Windsor High School. Jim joined the Grammy award winning Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2009 as its Second/Utility Trombone. In 2012, he made his solo debut with the PSO, performing the Tomasi Trombone concerto.
Since 2012, Jim has found a new passion using recording technology to explore multitrack recording, also known as “overdubbing” and created numerous stunning recordings of his own challenging new arrangements of a variety of exciting repertoire for trombone choir. These employ a number of trombones: contra bass, bass, tenor, small tenor, alto, and even soprano trombones!
Jim has had a lifelong love of John Williams’ film scores and in December of 2017, he released a new overdub album for trombone choir, A Fall from Light to Dark. This album musically chronicles the rise and descent of Anakin Skywalker as he transforms into Darth Vader. Truly a one-man show, this album’s transcriptions, playing, recording, editing, mixing, and mastering were all done by Jim.
Jim studied with Glenn Dodson at the Curtis Institute of Music followed by study with Norman Bolter at the New England Conservatory of Music. While in Boston, Jim played regularly with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra, including recordings and television broadcasts as both principal and second trombone. He also served eight seasons as the Assistant Principal/Second Trombone with the Utah Symphony Orchestra before joining the Pittsburgh Symphony.
When not on stage at Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Jim can be found at Duquesne University where he is Adjunct Trombone Faculty and also the Brass Coach of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra.
Visit Jim’s website jimnova.com for more information. James Nova is an S.E. Shires Artist and performs on his signature line of Greg Black Mouthpieces.
Suzanne Warner Stanton*
Class of 1985
Suzanne Warner Stanton was a 1985 graduate of South Windsor High School. Born and raised in South Windsor, she was one of eight children. She was a three-sport athlete and a trailblazer, playing on the first SWHS girls soccer team and winning the first ever Central Connecticut Conference in basketball under the leadership of Coach Kathy Rusch. During her senior year, Sue was awarded All-Conference recognition for basketball as the lead scorer and rebounder, and then proceeded to earn a second All-Conference recognition in softball under longtime coach Ralph McCarroll.
Sue brought her athletic skills to the collegiate level at Eastern Connecticut State University, where she competed in all three sports and earned the nickname of “Suzi Warrior”. Her primary sport was softball, where she was a standout catcher and led ECSU to an era of dominance including two NCAA National Championships. As a trusted battery mate, Sue worked with three All-American and three Eastern HOF pitchers catching six full no-hitters. She remains tied for eighth in career fielding percentage (.985) and was honored with the Jeff Anderson Memorial Award in 2012.
The relentless drive, discipline, and teamwork skills that Suzanne cultivated during her athletic career naturally transitioned into a powerful foundation for motherhood and community service success. She was a proud mother of three (Chad, Jodi, and Brett) who took an active role in all aspects of her children’s lives. Her mental fortitude, developed during competition, transformed into a calm and resilient approach to parenting, and her “team-first” mentality created a supportive household where everyone could thrive.
Suzanne had a strong faith and desire to give back to her community and to help the less fortunate. She volunteered for youth athletics in various capacities, including both Little League and the CYO Basketball League. Suzanne founded the “Little Angels” Faith Foundation Program at her church, and would also gather unsold food from a local business for daily deliveries to a soup kitchen. Even during illness, she continued to give back, orchestrating a fundraiser to benefit Hope Lodge in Boston.
Suzanne passed at a young age, but her journey is testament to how the competitive sports arena coupled with a strong faith equipped her with a focus and attitude that fostered success in all areas of her life.
