Courtney Rabideau
May 31, 2008 - 12:00 a.m. EST

CARO -- With 58 years of combined services to students and the world of education under their belts, Carmel Contardi and Lynda McIntosh are ready to begin the next chapters of their lives.

After seven and 23 years, respectively, at the Tuscola Technology Center, both women are preparing to step down.

Contardi, an Iron River native, graduated from Northern Michigan University pursuing teaching goals. After two years in that occupation, Contardi turned instead to counseling.

After jobs counseling at Michigan Technological University and 24 years doing the same for Unionville-Sebewaing Schools, Contardi came to the Tech Center.

Seven years later, despite her many praises of the area and the Tech Center itself, she has decided the time has come to move on.

After years of watching students walk in and out of her doors, Contardi recalls the “variety” of students her job has allowed her to come in contact with.

“That’s what I love,” she remarked, “getting to know people, seeing their perspectives and learning about their experiences. The range of students I’ve worked with has been extremely rewarding.”

Contardi also treasures her time spent working specifically with Special Populations kids .

“Gifted students, non-traditional students, special education students, disadvantaged students - I’ve really enjoyed my time spent with them. They were truly remarkable.”

She is quick to commend the staff at the Tech Center, too.

“What a wonderful place to work,” she said. “The staff here are fun, kind and so professional. They’ve really been a second family to me. With a morale as good as it is here at the Tech Center, I’ve loved coming in to work every day.”

With plenty of time soon to be on her hands, Contardi hopes to devote herself to her two daughters and her grandchildren, who live out of state. She would like to get back to playing bridge and exercising, and possibly even taking classes at SVSU.

In the same building, Lynda McIntosh, Director of Education for Employment Services, is also readying herself to close what has been a huge chapter of her life.

For 23 years, the Cass City native has given back to the community, first as the Regional Education Media Center in Cass City. After 10 years there, McIntosh transferred to the Tech Center, where she has stayed until now.

McIntosh turns credit from herself to the staff and support she’s had over the years.

“People will give me credit, but it’s not me,” she commented. “I just had the ideas. The people I work with made it happen.”

Throughout her years, McIntosh has been involved in a career she calls “refreshing.”

With direct involvement in the different branches of the Community Education department at the ISD, she has had the privilege of working with many people in Education Employment Services, the GED program, the ACT testing center, or the 0-3 program for families with young children.

“Other than the wonderful support from my direct staff of Kristina Osantowski and Joan Sayer, the enrichment instructors, the TTC instructors and support staff and the administration, the community, business/industry, TCHD, and state and local government, local and community colleges, I also had the blessing of seeing so many successes,” McIntosh commented.

“Whether it was the a GED student passing the full or partial battery test, the senior citizen conquering exploring the internet and e-mailing their grandchildren, or the ACT tester passing the exam, it’s been truly remarkable. It has been a very rewarding career for me and I will have so many wonderful memories of all the people and co-workers that I worked with.”

McIntish looks forward to retired life without definite plans, hoping to divide her time between her children and grandchildren, traveling and golfing.

With two successful careers almost completed, it’s certain that the Tech Center, its staff, its students and the many others both women have touched along the way will miss their passion, devotion and love for what they do.