2012 – Fall ’21 Class Letter

2012 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

ERIN SCHAICK ’12

(920) 312-3825 / [email protected]

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12

(406) 274-4708 / [email protected]

Hello, Class of 2012! 

I’m sure you’ll all agree that it’s been a long year (going on two) but it’s been really great to connect with those of you in our Facebook group and beyond. Despite the pandemic, Ripon College has stayed busy and recently hosted hybrid Alumni Weekend activities. Can you believe our ten-year Reunion is next summer?! Please save the dates of June 23-26, 2022, and we hope to see you on campus to reconnect in person and see the numerous upgrades around campus. We are also actively looking for classmates who would like to help with our tenth Class Reunion celebration, which would include classmate outreach. Please email Erin and me to let us know you are interested. 

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to everyone who contributed! 

In-person classes started in Ripon on Monday, August 30 and whether school seems like a distant past, you’re a teacher, or you have kiddos entering a new semester, we hope you’re all safe, healthy, and ready to take on whatever you encounter in this new season! 

Without further ado, here are the life updates and class notes you’ve shared with us recently: 

CHAD KRUEGER ’12 of De Pere, Wisconsin, is making a career with FedEx Express as a courier. He married his wife, Jackie, on May 28 of this year.

SARAH WEINBERG HILL ’12 of Saint Paul, Minnesota, got married last Halloween to her best friend, JORDAN HILL ’11 and hopes to see some Ripon friends at their vow renewal on their one-year anniversary! Also, she started a job at Oakdale Public Library where she chats with kids (and adults, too) nonstop about the Legend of Zelda, Dogman, animal facts, and lots and lots of books.

KATHARINE SHADLE GAILS ’12 made a huge career change and is now the office manager at a dental office! It’s almost been a year since she started!! 

KATE HAMM FRIEDL ’12 and her spouse, Chris Friedl of West Allis, Wisconsin, welcomed twins to the family on May 14th.

LISA HILLEREN ’12 is still living in Chicago, Illinois, and started a new job as a project coordinator with Adage Technologies.

NYI NYI AUNG ’12 started a new role as a manager at Marubeni Corporation where he has been for over six years.

ARIEL DICKINSON ’12 of Madison, Wisconsin, and her husband welcomed their first child, Dorian Oliver, in July.

SHARON KLAPPERICH DOLL ’12 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, is currently working on her second Master’s degree in Education from the University of Glasgow.

SPENCER ’12 and AURORA POLLEI LAMEKA ’12 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, welcomed their baby, Millie Wren, on May 21st.

ELLIE BYLER ’12 of Jordan, Minnesota, welcomed their baby, Genevieve Joan, on June 29th.

KAYLA WALLICK MENDEZ ’12 of Bloomington, Minnesota, welcomed her third child, Xiomara Flor Mendez, on February 3rd. She spent her summer living in Papantla, Veracruz with her in-laws

MEGAN MCGEE NORRIS ’12 of Kenosha, Wisconsin, took a position as Guardian ad Litem in Racine County, Wisconsin, and is still running her own firm doing a lot of juvenile and family law. 

BRYANT VANDE KOLK ’12 of Ellicott City, Maryland, finished his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Notre Dame in May and was fortunate enough to run into a few Ripon friends at Alumni Weekend when back in town for his goddaughter’s baptism. 

JESSICA BRUNGARDT LARSON ’12 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is still working for the County Attorney’s Office in Colorado Springs, but will be joining the drug court team doing child protection cases and will be adding in adult protection cases as well. She and her husband are enjoying being the proud parents of our almost two-year-old son, two dogs, and three cats.

AUBREY WEBER ’12 of Middleton, Wisconsin, started a new job as a Salesforce Administrator at Cerity Partners and will be beginning her fourth year on the faculty at Edgewood teaching Introduction to Human Communication. Aubrey just spent four days/three nights paddling in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and recently purchased her first kayak. She is still living in Madison with her elderly cat and dog and partner, Tim.

ERIC SCHUMACHER ’12 of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, and his wife welcomed their second child, Ryan, in April. Their family loves to spend time on the golf course and their two-year-old, Jack, might have the best swing of the family!

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12 of San Francisco, California, got married this June in San Francisco and lives with his wife, Christina, and puppy, Waffle, in their home there. He started a new job in April 2021 as a Senior Project Manager on the HR Enablement team at LinkedIn.

ERIN SCHAICK ’12 of Concord, New Hampshire, is AVP, Director of Development and Community Relations at CATCH Neighborhood Housing in Concord, New Hampshire. 

SAM STELMACK ’12 of Chicago, Illinois, is now an operations specialist at School Bags for Kids, LLC in Chicago, Illinois.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing and we hope to see you in person next summer for our Class Reunion!

Be well,

ERIN SCHAICK ’12

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12