Rick Stream

“I graduated from KHS 50 years ago. 1967 was a great class, even in the middle of the Vietnam war. I am one of 8 kids and the second oldest out of those 8. My son is the coach for water polo and, if you’re involved in plays, my daughter is involved in that at KHS. My family and I are definitely involved in the schools. I was an average student when I was [at KHS], and my favorite classes were recess and gym. When I was 14 my dad passed away, and we had no money no insurance and I started painting houses, cutting lawns [for money] and then when I turned 16 I went to work at St. Joseph’s hospital- which is now aberdeen heights by Robinson Elementary. I worked there nearly full time through highschool and college. I couldn’t afford to go to any colleges so I went to meramec for two years and got my associates degree, and then I went to USML to get my full degree. It was a tough time personally but we just had to work through it. I wanted to serve, I got educational deferments while in college, but my I had come from a long family history of soldiers- particularly navy- and so I wanted to follow them. Once I got out of college I had already started the process of becoming an officer and enrolled in an officer candidate school.”