15 minutes with Amy Gallant Linaberry

When did you graduate from Bluffton High School?

I graduated from Bluffton High School in 1990.  I am married to Matt Linaberry and have one son whose name is Kelso and he is 12 years old and in the 6th grade.  We live in Kettering, Ohio.  I am an Early Learning Coordinator/Assistant Director for Creative World of Learning. 

I moved from Bluffton to Dayton in January 1994 looking for a job and I started out as a nanny for 3 boys.  From there, I have worked in various day cares, teaching all ages.  I have been working for Creative World of Learning for the last 5 years as a teacher and now as the Early Learning Coordinator/Assistant Director. 

I have 2 degrees; an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from Lima Technical College. and a Bachelor's Degree from Wright State University in Social Work.

Can you recall who you sat beside in the first grade, and for the matter, what do you recall about first grade?

I do not remember who I sat beside in 1st grade, but I remember that I had Mrs. Amstuz as my teacher.  I remember learning to read in the 1st grade and had chicken pox then.

You were in band in high school, right?

I played the clarinet in the band, but I could also play the bassoon and the bells a little.  The last time I picked up my clarinet was about 2 years ago when I was teaching about musical instruments at work.  I probably could not play the fight song by memory now, but I do have great memories being in the band and playing the fight song for all the football and boy's basketball games.

When someone asks where you are from, how do you describe Bluffton to them?

When describing Bluffton, I always say that Bluffton is a small town where people know you by name and even though I have not lived in Bluffton for many years, I can still come home and someone knows who I am and the family I am connected to. 

I love showing Bluffton to my husband and son, showing them where I went to the movies, where I shopped and where I got ice cream every summer.  We still make the trip to the Whippy Dip every summer for some ice cream.  I also tell people that Bluffton is a great town to grow up and we can boast that we have a Japanese plant, a German plant, a Mexican restaurant, and a private Mennonite college. 

People are amazed that I can still remember all of my classmates.  We might have been a small class, but I feel that we were a close class.

How do you stay in touch with your BHS classmates?

I stay in touch with most of my classmates now through Facebook.  Once in a while when I come to visit in Bluffton, I might run into someone.  I was able to see my classmates a few years ago when we celebrated our 20th class reunion.  It is hard to believe it has been that long.

Ever have a brush with someone famous?

I have seen famous people, but one that sticks out is meeting the author Richard Peck when I attended the English Speech Festival at Bluffton College when I was in high school.  He had a great sense of humor and he signed one of my books. Back then, I thought that was pretty cool that a famous author came to our little town to talk about his books.

Tell us about your street painting experience.

I never painted the streets in Bluffton.  I guess I was afraid I would get caught.  I do remember enjoying seeing the street with all the names on it.  I wished I had done it just because it is a popular thing to do.

Okay, what car did you drive during your driver's test and where did you take the test?

I remember taking my driver's test in Ottawa when school was out my sophomore year.  I took my mom's Pontiac 6000 car (which was gray) and the test was done within 20 minutes.  I passed on the first try.  I do remember my dad taking me out on country roads when learning how to drive and I learned the maneuverability part at the Ebenezer's church parking lot.

What's the latest movie you watched?

The last movie I saw is Parental Guidance with Billy Crystal.  It was a great movie to watch and classic Billy Crystal.  I have seen some bad movies, but none really come to mind that I wanted my money back.