District Employee Tracks Down Rightful Owner of Long-Lost Treasured Token

	For the first time in more than three decades, Erin Horner, a 1986 graduate of Cicero High School, was able to slide her high school class ring onto her finger, thanks to the dedicated detective work of a soon-to-be NSCSD retiree. Erin, who was a part of the school’s marching band and colorguard, had ordered the class ring as a memento of her beloved high school activities. At some point after school, Erin lost the ring but could never pinpoint where it could have gone. When Marilyn Nandin, the secretary to Superintendent of Schools Dan Bowles, came to work for the District Office in February of 2011, she happened to come across a class ring that had haphazardly been shoved into the back of a credenza in her office. Unsure where the ring had come from, Marilyn initially asked around the office to find its owner but after several dead-ends, she placed the ring into a desk drawer and forgot about it. From time to time, Marilyn would see the ring and think about renewing her efforts to track down its owner but as typically happens, she would then get busy with work and the ring would get left in the drawer.
Pictured above: Marilyn Nandin, Erin Horner and Superintendent of Schools Dan Bowles.
When Marilyn made the decision to retire earlier this year and had begun to clean out her office, she again came across the ring and decided that she was going to find its rightful owner before leaving the District. Marilyn began her quest by first taking pictures of the ring and zooming in to get a close look at the school, class year and ring inscriptions. After finding a last name inscribed on the ring, Marilyn looked at an old yearbook and discovered the potential owner. She continued to go through school records and was able to track down the owner’s mom, who still lives locally, and together they made arrangements for the owner to pick up the ring. On Friday, June 24, which happens to be the date of the C-NS Class of 2022 graduation ceremony and is also less than a week away from Marilyn’s retirement date, Erin Horner was gratefully reunited with her ring. Erin arrived at the district office building with a bouquet of flowers for Marilyn and was presented with her long-lost token of a well-loved high school career. Erin enthusiastically slid the ring onto her finger, although she said that it didn’t go on quite as far as it used to. Erin took time to meet with Superintendent Bowles and told him and Marilyn stories about her high school career, complementing the District for the opportunities afforded to its students. After graduation from Cicero High School, Erin attended Syracuse University and has lived a happy life in the area. She told the NSCSD staff how grateful she was to have her ring back and gave Marilyn a big hug in appreciation for dedicating getting the treasured token back to her.