Putting the web site together was fun.Everything was there from the Yahoo site that brother George created, just organized differently.

Freshman year, 1972 I came to FIT on a Pennsylvanian student loan. I bought a new, shiny red surfboard and then couldn’t afford the meal plan. So I learned to live off the land, catching fish, collecting grapefruit, oranges, and the like. That first year was hard, both emotionally and scholastically. Back then; you could take as many classes as you wanted for one-fee. I toured the jungle late at night, bleary from my physics and advanced chemistry homework and played the blues harp at various pagodas. To help pay for tuition and rent, I took jobs offered by the school. First was the cafeteria as a dishwasher then a few months later I transitioned to the maintenance shop. FIT owned some houses off of University Avenue and I was sent to fix screen doors and do minor repairs. Then the big job came. Build a covered bridge. From scratch, a handful of us sank the timbers into the jungle’s muck and then raised the lumber. My two specialties were nailing the floorboards and making the rafter pieces. When that was finished, I found work at the bookstore. Does anyone remember Mr. Zimmerman, the manager? Well, it took me 6 years to complete my undergraduate degree in Ocean Engineering. A third of the cost came from student loans, a third from my mother, and a third from work. DDT Brothers were always there for me; they brought me into their lives, shared stories, and offered compassion. FIT was the glue, offering an excellent education and providing work in a sleepy little Florida town where jobs were hard to come by. My first job out of school was at Kennedy Space Center. DDT brother John Horan spoke for me and got me an interview. FIT prepared me well. I was thrilled! My salary was $12k/year in 1979. My loans were paid off in 2 years and I had a blast.