PW Classmates: Tell us about your life!
Lori Carlin: My life today? It’s extremely full with my youngest, Skye, graduating from Liberty University on May 9 with a heart for the Lord, missions, and children; perhaps she will venture into ESL teaching. My middle son, Reed, is 26 and lives in Cleveland, working in the Sports arena. My oldest son, Cole, will be 29, is now married to Jessica, and is living in Cincinnati as a project manager for a hospital with my two greyhound “granddogs!” And then there’s my Buddy, little sweet white Maltese that will be 16 soon, but still running! My husband, Michael, is regaining his health and stamina after suffering three consecutive strokes in 2020 and has more or less lost his food brokerage business that he built over 30 years. Thankfully, he is doing great! His brain has learned how to rework itself despite losing the entire function of its right cerebellum. I have had to re-group several times, but am very blessed to have my family and dear friends since moving to the Ocean City, NJ area 28 years ago.
PW Classmates: What has your career path been since graduating from PW?
Lori Carlin: Well, I’m still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up 😊. I’ve been in the energy efficiency business for decades, educating commercial entities in New Jersey and nationally to reduce their overall energy costs by upgrading lighting and HVAC, plus solar and EV charging; I’m also a local real estate agent in the South Jersey area. A lot of pivots in the past 40+ years, highs and lows for sure. I went to Wesley College for Fashion Merchandising and soon realized — not my thing. So I went on to obtain a marketing management degree (finished up at Cabrini) after getting my paralegal certification from Villanova.
PW Classmates: Tell us about your family.
Lori Carlin: I married Michael Carlin, PW Class of 1981, who owned Carlin’s Colonial Pizza in Lafayette Hill for a bit while I climbed the corporate legal ladder as a Compliance Officer in PA and CA, then back to PA. I was a PA realtor when I began extensive infertility treatments for many years (all unexplained) and then became pregnant with triplets in 1995 after our first IVF procedure. A beautiful 6 months and 2 days of pregnancy, but on July 24, 1995, it was placenta abruption, and my three little girls had to be born. Though absolutely perfect, Summer and Adeline lived only 30 minutes apart, and Michael had to take Kelly Ann off of life support 36 hours later. To say it is a miracle that I lived and that we were eventually able to save our heartbroken marriage is an understatement. That day has marked our entire lives as nothing can ever trump it in terms of hardships. Exactly 40 weeks later, my son Cole was in my arms on May 24, 1996 (adopted from CA), and my “career path” became being a full-time mother. Two years later, using the same embryos from my triplets, we conceived, and in 1998, our son, Reed, was born (Michael’s mini me!). After a miscarriage a few years later, we adopted our daughter Skye from Texas in 2003. All have very unique stories: We were told Cole would have Down Syndrome right before he was born — he did not. Reed is a true “test tube baby”; conceived in 1995 and born in 1998, Skye was diagnosed with HIV shortly after she was born in San Antonio, but whether it was a false positive or God healed her, 2 weeks later, she was cleared and ours to adopt. My “mom” career path of 7 children: 4 in heaven and three this side of heaven has been my life cause. With Michael traveling extensively for work, I was very fortunate to stay home and raise my children while volunteering in school and church, and I did direct sales with Silpada Jewelry for about 7 years.
PW Classmates: WOW, LORI! That is amazing. I speak for all of your classmates when I say our hearts are with you, and we are all so glad your family is doing well. Now, take us back to 1982. What did you dream of becoming when you were in high school?
Lori Carlin: Dream of? I genuinely wish I had had better guidance and direction back then. I didn’t really think ahead too far. I so recall taking that guidance counselor test of “what to be,” and my result: a funeral director! At 18 — kinda not my thing! It’s so funny, as when I tell others today, they say: You’d be a great funeral director! I will say my ministry in work and life is to come alongside others so they feel heard and loved, and assist them in making their wants/needs/dreams come true. Raising my children, it became my dream and goal to make sure my kids got to experience a 4-year college and all it has to offer them. They ended up at Vanderbilt, the University of Tampa, and Liberty University. I’ve loved every bit of it with them!
PW Classmates: What advice would you give to your high school self?
Lori Carlin: It’s all about relationships. Cherish them, nurture them, but also have boundaries. Most importantly, don’t take today for granted, as tomorrow isn’t promised. Through trials and loss, I know this to be very true. My joy comes from the Lord and not my circumstances. Grief of losing children, parents (mine died 10 days apart in 2018), loss of our home due to mold/builder negligence over 3 years, financial loss, and just loss of how I thought it would be now at 61. It’s all taught me to truly DREAM and LIVE in the present! Life is as good as I believe it is. And I’m choosing to believe!
PW Classmates: What would you like to say to all of your classmates today?
Lori Carlin: It was a wild ride, and if my parents had just asked me a few questions about what I was up to, well, it could’ve saved me from a few avoidable situations! I was fortunate to have had a few different groups of friends in our 1982 class, as well as from the Class of 1981. We grow, we change, but in the end (after going to the 25th and 40th reunions), it’s all the good times to remember and move forward with renewed relationships today. I’m aiming to thrive these next 20-25 years! Join me for summer dancing at The Point, fall loving when the crowds leave the beach, winters I still see the bay and ocean every day, and spring for “summer’s coming” 😊!
Connect with Lori at loricarlin1 on Instagram, and Lori Sylvester Carlin on Facebook.