Tom

Class of '86

Thanks to the practice of dividing classes alphabetically for homerooms, I spent at least 5 years just a few seats away from Thomas Van Veen. The Tom I knew in middle school-- handsome and brooding with a quick, dry wit, seemed to be the same Tom in high school.

I remember girls liked Tom. Like really liked him. Today, he tells me he was oblivious. Even more surprising, was learning about his home life in high school. “My grandparents moved in with us. They were horrible, abusive alcoholics,” he recalled.

While making a film about identity, it was rare to find someone who wasn’t somehow shaped by our school’s champion status. Tom counted himself a proud Blue Devil. However, there’s much more to identity than sports and there’s more to high school than, well, high school.

“That’s part of the reason I enjoyed Springbrook so much, going to school was an escape.”

To look at Tom, like I did for so many years from two desks away, he looked like he had it together but quietly, he was searching for peace. “I stayed at the Rakises as often as I could. I didn't want to go home.”

As our former classmates open up their lives, I hope it will serve as a reminder to us all, you never know who is struggling.