Tanya Bissell is a marketing director for environmental consulting firm Roux based in Long Island, New York. She graduated from Northport High School in 1985; when it was a time of craze, chaos, and confusion. As a dear friend of mine, I recently had the pleasure of speaking with her. She shared a unique perspective of her high school years as well as how her time at Northport has impacted her life and career today.
What was your time at Northport High School like?
You know, at this point in your life, you don’t really think about high school per se. But to be honest, it was a pretty tumultuous time for me. My parents were divorced. My mom had married and remarried, and I was shuffled back and forth. I had that going on personally and my mom had some other issues.
In November of 1984, Gary Lauwers, our classmate, was murdered by Ricky Kasso, another classmate. With Northport being the exclusive little town that it was, it was a huge thing. Nobody ever had that happen here. And it wasn’t a satanic killing like they all said. They were just guys that got really stupid and high. You know, things you do at 16, 17 years old. So that was a big drama and everything.
However, despite that experience, I would say that it was a great time for me. It was a really great time. I had wonderful teachers. I had friends. And thank God for the Commons area and just having someplace to go to feel safe and protected.
But honestly, I would have to say my years at Northport High School were educationally average at best. I just got what I could and got out of there. I knew I wanted to get out and go to college. But the camaraderie and the people along with the experience of the murder brought us all together and kind of made it a little bit more special.
Were there any specific experiences at Northport High School that influenced who you are today?
I would definitely say that I had a tumultuous time externally at Northport, but I do think there were things there internally that really influenced me and I didn’t realize it. I can’t remember if I was a part of DECA, but I know that there was a moot court kind of thing. I was involved in that. I got to go all the way up to Albany and speak and everything. I absolutely loved that.
Also, this sounds really weird, but the organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving just started back then and the idea of really educating people became more common. I got really outspoken about that. I was also in the LEAD course in either the first or second year that it ran, and we would do skits in the commons. I was very involved with this one that depicted the progression of the events going on over a night. It was very creative and very serious. I feel like that helped me develop my leadership skills and it kind of showed me that I kind of like being in the mix of things.
But the moot court thing definitely shaped who I am today and originally defined what I wanted to be. I was thinking about going to law school. I went to the University of Buffalo and majored in English. Back then, you would major in English or History and then you would go into law school. But when I got up to college, things changed. However, I think that the early installation of concepts like leadership and public speaking were a really big part of my experience.
What were your favorite classes or teachers at Northport and why?
Obviously LEAD, but also English. I had Mr. Feinstein. He was an English teacher who taught creative writing, and I loved that class. Those two classes I really liked the most. Again, I had such a tumultuous time in my life in high school. I didn’t think about it, but those two classes really helped me to express myself, be safe, state my opinions, and take my focus off some other things.
And then there was this other class I had, financial literacy. It was basically just, like, how to write a check. Almost like a “How do I finance a budgeting” class? I really loved that, too. And I still have all those steps in my head, which is so bizarre. I would never think that that would be. Again, I just felt like because there was so much chaos in my life, those three classes allowed me to have control. They taught me life skills, so I think that’s why they were very influential to me and I enjoyed them greatly.
Were there any traditions or events at Northport that you enjoyed during your time as a student?
Always the commons with the pranks. That was always phenomenal. I was always super excited, because when I went there, it was 10th, 11th, and 12th grade, so we had three separate areas. And I was super excited to get into the senior well. That was remarkable.
Halloween was always big too, with the Halloween party or parade and stuff like that. Although, they probably don’t allow you to be as creative as we were. But, yeah, the Halloween tradition and the pranks in the wells were always great. And obviously senior day was phenomenal, too.
I also loved the fact that we had that open campus kind of thing and we could come and go, which was different from most other high schools at the time. Our food, too. You had the school store where you could go buy snacks and stuff like that. I don’t know. It was like this little microcosm when I think about it now. And I’m like, “Oh, gosh.” But it was big, just the feel of it. Football was always good. Homecoming was a huge thing. I wasn’t a cheerleader or on the kickline, but all my friends were, and I had a lot of friends also on the football team. It was very cool to just go and be a part of that.
Were there any challenges you faced in high school that you overcame and learned from?
I never felt like I fit in. I think Northport has such a merge of different levels or classes. It’s much more common now, but back in the day, being in a divorced household was different. A lot of it was my own perception, I’m sure. I went through a lot of extremes and a lot of things to fit in, and I wish I almost didn’t spend that much time doing that. You know what I mean?
I wish I spent more time on my classes. I don’t know if that was because of Northport High School or because of my personal situation, but it was always a challenge. Just always feeling somewhat less than, you know? I still don’t know what that was. I would say that it was because it was very cliquey. There’s a reason why I know about the mean girls. But even that taught me a lot of life skills as well. Looking back on it now, I just wish I didn’t spend that much time on that. I wish I just felt that I was okay with the four or five friends that I had who were solid. At the end of the day, that’s what mattered, and not getting caught up in all that other stuff.
Whenever I found myself in a dilemma, I remember my dad telling me, “This doesn’t matter.” Which made it worse! I was like, “This is my whole life. How can you tell me this doesn’t matter?” But truthfully, as life goes on, that is just one little portion of your life and it doesn’t matter. But at the time, it’s the biggest thing. It’s huge.
What would you say to your high school self?
Be true to yourself and stop trying to be something you’re not. If I had known that, I think I would have been a much happier person. Also, take your time. I definitely rushed it in high school. I so wanted to go on and get through it and move on to college. And again, I don’t know if that was because of my personal situation, but I really wish I would have cherished it. I would love to be able to go back and just kind of take my time and not worry about all the other stuff. Don’t take it so seriously, be true to yourself, and take your time. Enjoy it.
