What’s your name? What department do you work in? My name is Pat Bordenet and I’m in the Social Studies Department.
How long have you been working at Niles North? This is my 31st year here at Niles North. Yeah, a long time.
If you could pick anywhere to live, where would it be? I know you’re Greek, so not Greece. That’s a good question. But you know what, I don’t know if I would want to live in Greece. I would live anywhere where I had my family close by. I want to keep my family close. So wherever my family is, that’s where I want to live.
Other than being assigned to teach law, where did this interest come from? I’ve always had a fascination with crime and law and order, those types of shows. It was just a personal fascination. And I’ve always, for whatever reason,I’ve always been interested in the law. One of my other dreams was to be a lawyer. However I ended up choosing teaching instead.
Which form of law would you have practiced? I’m not sure, because I know, we all see criminal law. I would like to think that I would do that. But it’s hard, really hard. So I’m not sure. I’d be a prosecutor. I don’t know if I could be a defense lawyer because I think it would be hard to defend somebody if you knew they did something really heinous.
You answered the next question I had, which would be, if you could pick any profession, where money doesn’t matter, which one would it be? I think it’d be a lawyer. I do think it’d be kind of funny. Only because I’m not as quick on my feet as other people. I’m not as quick thinking. It will be kind of funny to watch. But I think that’s what I would like to do. I actually wouldn’t mind going back to school now, If I had the time and the energy. I can tell you that it’s not happening. I’ve been working since I was 13 years old. I’m retiring next year. I think I need a little bit of a break. Never say never.
What advice have you received from a family member or someone in your life that has always stuck with you? No regrets. I can’t spend my life looking back on what could have been because I am at the place where I am right now, in spite of anything else, and I’m actually happy with where I’m at. If that makes any sense.
What’s a core memory from your childhood? You said core memory and I don’t necessarily associate things with happy memories. But when there were major events that happened in the world, I can remember exactly where I was when I heard about it. Sometimes songs evoke memories for me.I remember this happening when I heard this song. So it just depends on the memory. If that makes sense.
If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be? You took that from my getting to know you, you’re horrible. This is the hardest question you’ve had to ask me. I don’t know. I don’t have any idea.
I said Amelia Earhart. Are you going to steal my person? Absolutely. Amelia Earhart, because I want to know what the heck happened? I want to ask her what the heck happened? Where are you right now? Did the plane go down? Did you land somewhere? Were you in the desert? What happened to you? Amelia Earhart, that’s a good one. And then the captain of the Titanic. Did you see the iceberg? Did you not see a little bit of iceberg there?
Is there someone that you credit your teaching to? As in they are the reason you did what you did? My mom because my mom wanted to be a teacher but certain circumstances in her life didn’t allow her to be. So she’s part of that inspiration.
If you could pick a different subject to teach here, which subject would it be? It doesn’t have to be in this department either. PE because I like yelling at kids. I’m kidding. But let me think, no science. I hate science, not math. English but you read too many essays, actually I’d teach an EL class. So for ESL learners, I do like EL social studies, because I think that the kids there seem to be very eager to learn and they have enthusiasm and excitement, because they see things, obviously differently than people who’ve grown up here.
