Loren+Kurpiewski

= = = = =My name is Loren Kurpiewski = and, like all of you, I am pursuing my Masters at Chatham for Secondary English. I am really excited to be back in school because I feel as if I finally found my calling. From 2002 to 2011, In my previous life, I was a writer, then an editor, then a managing editor, then a writing supervisor of a company that will not be named. While it seemed as if I was doing well and was climbing the corporate ladder, I was unhappy with the direction my life was taking and unhappy with the company for which I toiled endlessly in the evenings and weekends for no additional pay and a pittance of a salary. I am sorry to bring everyone down, but I will summarize by just saying that it really, really sucked. = =  After much soul searching, I finally realized what I was meant to do with my life (funny how this kind of epiphany rarely happens when you are still in college). I've worked with people from all walks of life, and I am shocked at how many people have trouble performing simple writing tasks; forming a complete sentence was difficult for some people. I am really excited to be back in school and I feel that, if anything, this whole experience has made me understand and appreciate the importance of having a career that is mentally and emotionally rewarding.

A little bit about me...

= = I am 31 years old (!) and have an amazingly supportive, loving husband. We own a home in Stanton Heights and a dog and a cat (although the cat thinks that //he// owns //us//). I am a huge music buff and own a pretty extensive record collection. Back in the day (when I was cool), I was the music director at the Pitt radio station and had my own little radio show on Friday evenings. I still love going to shows and would have no defense against someone arguing that I am a music nerd. I'm also an amateur photographer and a pretty crafty person who loves to sew and melt things in our oven that aren't food. Below is one my albums (this one is from our camping trip in Death Valley National Park). Please feel free to check out my other albums on my Picasa photo website.

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In closing, I am looking forward to an interesting semester and to making new friends in the process.

For your enjoyment, here is a short, shaky video of my dog trying to eat the mysterious red dot:

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