Whatever happened to... Charles Root, MHS '88?

By VICTOR RIVERO | Milton IndependentContributing Writer
victor.rivero@earthlink.net

Charles and Amanda Root were married in 2005 and will soon be moving into their new home in Underhill.

“Wow, I tell you, it's been a crazy ride these past 20 years since graduation,” says Charles Root, MHS Class of 1988.

After Graduation

In a nutshell, after high school, Charles went right into the workforce while attending college part-time; he also dabbled in politics, studied Martial Arts, and eventually landed a starring role in the largest Internet movie series ever, Star Trek: New Voyages (now called Phase 2). Seriously? Yep.

Here's the longer version: Having served in the Vermont State Civil Air Patrol for many years, after high school Charles debated with the idea of entering the military but elected to go into the workforce and attend college part-time.

“I won't bore you with all the places that I've worked, but all my jobs have revolved around some aspect of computers, either repairing, programming, or managing them,” he says.

Meanwhile, Charles attended The University of Vermont where he studied computers as well as Political Science and Theater (“two areas of study I feel go hand-in-hand,” he says). Eventually, he decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Management of Information Systems from Columbus University where he graduated summa cum laude.

“There's a bunch of other junk in that time frame, like earning multiple belts in various martial arts, running for political office, owning a couple of businesses,” Charles adds. “If we ever bump in to each other in a bar, I'll buy you a drink and tell you about them.”

How'd the Star Trek gig come about? In 2002, Charles rekindled a friendship with James Cawley in New York and eventually came on board as a PA (personal assistant) for Star Trek: New Voyages, a web series that James developed based on the original Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry. “My theater background helped me land the role of Montgomery Scott, which I play today in the series,” says Charles.

Family Matters

In other areas of life, in October 2005 Charles married Amanda Shepard (“a wonderful woman!” he says) and they reside in Vermont. “This has greatly expanded my family as it was down only to my Dad and my sister,” Charles says. “I now have a large extended family who's tree includes such luminaries as Alan Shepard, the first American in space.”

Charles met his wife through a friend at a place they both worked at. “We were friends for a long time, but things got more serious and we decided to get married. We honeymooned in Ireland, and she's fantastic!”

A few years back, Charles' Dad remarried. Today, he's about to retire from GMP (Green Mountain Power) after having worked there for more than 30 years. “He's looking forward to spending Vermont's crummy winters in Florida with his feet in the sand,” laughs Charles. His sister, Cheryl Root, moved to Washington state, got married and has a four-year old.

School Notes

Any lasting inspiration from Milton High School teachers? “Going through high school there were three teachers that really stand out in my memory,” says Charles. “Mr. Rusnak, Mr. Danielcyzk, and Mr. Francoeur. All had various positive attributes, but consistently, these three teachers, I feel, showed a genuine interest in teaching and more importantly they treated students like young adults -- not like children.”

Charles says he bumps into old classmates all the time. “It seems like the vast majority of us ended up sticking around here in Vermont!” Charles remains very good friends with John Janesik as well as Mike and Todd Morton.

Current Connections

These days, Charles is the Director of Technology for ipCapital Group in Williston, one of the leading Intellectual Property Management companies in the world. “It's very, very interesting work given that the vast majority of our customers are Fortune 500 companies, the military, etc., so you get to see a broad range of emerging ideas.” For further information, check out: www.ipcg.com.

And of course, there's his portrayal of the character Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott in Star Trek: Phase 2. He's worked with a cast and crew that has done six films, won numerous awards and are currently in contention for the prestigious Nebula Award. “I've had the privilege now of acting with George Takei and Walter Koenig, among many others,” says Charles. “I've been all over the U.S. speaking to thousands of Star Trek fans. It's quite an opportunity and a thrill to be involved in it all.” To enjoy all the action, visit: www.startrekphase2.com.

Charles' wife Amanda is an accountant, but she too does some acting in the productions. As an interesting side note, her father, Lynn Shepard, is the Veterans of Foreign Wars Deputy Chief of Staff for the entire United States. “I also got involved with the VFW through my wife and her father, and now act as VFW Post 6689's Men's Auxiliary secretary,” says Charles. “It's a wonderful organization. If you have a relative that has served overseas including Iraq, you can honor them by joining the VFW.” For more info on that, email: charles@charlesroot.com.

After 32 years in Milton, Charles and his wife are in the process of building a new house in Underhill. “I'm finally pulling up stakes,” he says. “We've always dreamed of having a place with a view of Mt. Mansfield, and our new place has a great view of the south slope. We should be in by the end of March, so we're very excited.”

Senior Advice

What words of wisdom does the Lieutenant -- er, Charles -- have for Milton students looking ahead to life beyond high school? “To the young people just starting out, I would give this advice,” he starts. “Don't let other people discourage your dreams. There will always be teachers, bosses, or peers that don't have the same capabilities as you to achieve. People easily become jealous and instead of encouraging you, they want to see you fail. It allows them to be comfortable in their mediocrity. If someone says ‘You can't' -- then walk away from their negativity as soon as possible. If someone places restrictions upon you or unjustly punishes you, fight back! Never, never settle for less then what you want; never doubt your vision of your future.”

Further, Charles shares: “There is one thing in my life that I did neglect, through high school, through college, up until recently, and that was my faith and belief in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A lot of people become uncomfortable when you speak of religion, especially in our overly sensitive, politically correct culture. I know I used to, but after reading the Bible and renewing my faith, my life has been infinitely more enlightened.”

Anything else to share? “I know that my former classmates are hard at work on the class of 1988's 20-year reunion. A committee has been formed and has had a few meetings now. I'll be partying most hard on the night of our gathering, and I can't wait to see everyone.” To see Charles before the reunion, classmates, other friends (and Trekkies!) can visit his website: www.charlesroot.com.

Want to know whatever happened to someone you used to know? E-mail victor.rivero@earthlink.net