Up Close and Personal:
(Bauer) Schermerhorn, Brenda
Name of Spouse: Paul
Address:
4623 163^rd St
South Haven, MN  55382
Phone: 320.493.3892
Email: bschermerhorn@bernicks.com
Kids: Zak, Age13; Noah, Age 10
Pets: 2 horses – Chaz and Tubby (YES, this IS the same horse I had in high school – he’s 33 years old this year!); 2 cats – Toonces and Boomer; 1 Dog – Alexis Lucius (Lexi)

The “Dish”
I headed out to “big” St. Cloud State University after graduation. I managed to make it out in 4 years and graduated with a degree in Marketing in 1991. After a short stretch as a trail guide at an area horse ranch, I began working at a bank in St. Cloud while I was in college. I spent a total of 15 years in the financial industry working for 3 different banking systems in roles all the way from teller in the beginning to the VP of Marketing.  In 2004, I decided I’d had enough of the financial world and moved on to an industry that is much better suited for me3⁄4soft drinks and beer! I am currently the Vice President of Communications at Bernick’s, a Pepsi and Miller beer distributor, headquartered in Waite Park, MN.

I met Paul my freshman year in college (wow, almost 20 years – that’s over half my life!). We were married in Perham in 1992. We were blessed with our first son, Zakery, in 1994 (I have to keep reminding myself that we really are blessed. . . he’s a teenager now, and some days I don’t feel all that “blessed”!). Around the same time, we decided city life just wasn’t for us and our growing family, so we moved to the country on some acreage. I got back into horses almost immediately, surprising my mom one Saturday morning when I called her up and asked her to help me find Tubby, more than 8 years after turning him over to new owners (long story). In 1997, our second son, Noah, came along. Having two young boys toddling around the house was enough for us to know that 2 kids would be IT for us! They keep us busy and we enjoy every single minute of it.

In 2003, we upgraded living arrangements one last time, building a home and moving the kids and pets to a 40 acre slice of heaven in South Haven. The neighbors say it’s quiet and beautiful – but we rarely get to enjoy it ourselves these days. We are a full-fledged and CRAZED hockey family, with both boys playing year-round. We frequent the Duluth, Alexandria, Grand Rapids, Cloquet and Twin Cities areas several times a year in our tournament schedule, so if you live in those parts, give us a call or send us an email – maybe we can get together! On the rare occasion when we are not playing hockey, we enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time in our pool.

What do I remember most about High School?
Gosh, everything! I cherish every memory, except, of course, when my house burned down (remember that guys? I was 14 – what a horrible time). I remember, and DEARLY MISS all of my friends (although a few of us do still get together for girls weekend every year). I loved volleyball and reflect on how much I wish I could do a diving roll today and live to tell about it. I also remember being the second baseman on PHS’s first-ever fastpitch softball team, and trying to balance that with track at the same time. I remember football games and those big, huge bugs that would fly around in the lights. I remember cruising “the loop” (Kay, Dacia, and Heidi, you will know what I’m talking about). Scott Sweere’s New Years party (wow, now THAT was a doozy!). – well, heck, MANY parties – especially at my house in the hot tub! In my current profession, I chuckle over the memory of  the only computer we had at the time was one in Mrs. Seiling’s room that was covered up most of the time and you got “stuck” using it if you were late to class or the last one in the room! The trip to New York City with 10 or 11 seniors was fun . . . . Wow, this little trip down memory lane has gotten me really excited for the reunion! We have a hockey tournament that weekend (OF COURSE!), but we will try to get there for part of it, at least.

Above all, I look at my life today and I can see how just about everything about it is influenced by what we did back then, what we learned in high school (both in school and outside of school), the people we met who still all mean something to us. It creates a huge sense of responsibility knowing that right now, as we speak, we are forming those values, those memories and those roots with our own children. And looking back at it that way, I wouldn’t have changed a single thing. Stay in touch my dear PHS friends!!!!