2007 – Spring ’22 Class Letter
Greetings, Class of 2007!
Hi, Class of 2007!
We hope this letter finds you well! In just a few short months, we will be gathering to celebrate our 15th Reunion. The Reunion planning is well underway, so make sure you keep an eye out for various updates, as well as registration for Alumni Weekend (open online April 1). Alumni Weekend and especially the Class Reunion is such a great time to connect and reminisce with former classmates and we hope to see many of you on campus June 23-26, 2022! Our Reunion will be celebrated on Saturday evening.
In addition to making plans to attend our Class Reunion this summer, all of us have an opportunity to support our Class Gift in a special way this year. Ripon’s #OneDayRally, a day of giving that is a fun day to follow Ripon College’s social media accounts, is also a great day to consider making a contribution to our Class Gift. We will present our Class Gift at Alumni Weekend, and it is a way that we can come together to support our Alma Mater. Remember that the percentage of class participation matters, which means a gift of any amount is important and makes a difference.
Below, you will find some updates from our classmates as well as College news. Enjoy!
JOSHUA ENGLISH ’07 of Louisville, Kentucky, writes, “The title of my short story is ‘The Human Animal’ and it won the 2021 Ember Chasm Review Fiction Contest. I live in Louisville, Kentucky with my wife, Jessie, and am a Senior Lecturer of English at the University of Louisville. My stories and reviews have appeared in Hobart, The Rumpus, Black Warrior Review, and a few other places; my short story collection, ‘Local Beasts,’ is presently a semi-finalist for Texas Tech University Press’s Iron Horse Prize for a 1st Book of Prose.”
MATTHEW HILDEBRANDT ’07 of Ellsworth, Wisconsin, writes, “I recently married Marena on September 18, 2021. Her current occupation is a clinical educator/registered nurse.”
PATRICK KERSTEIN ’07 of West Lafayette, Indiana, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Health Sciences, and a member of the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience. He received his BA in Biology and a minor in Chemistry and received a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Vollum Institute at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, where he used advanced mouse genetic techniques to study the developmental processes that guide neuronal cell fate and connectivity in the visual nervous system. The goals of the Kerstein Lab are two-fold: 1) identify the genetic-molecular factors that define neuronal cell types and guide neuron-specific connectivity in the visual system, and 2) identify the gene-environment interactions that disrupt normal nervous system development during ocular toxicant exposure.
JOLENE RUEDEN SCHATZINGER ’07 of Ripon, Wisconsin, writes, “I am 100% looking forward to celebrating our 15th Class Reunion together! I hope to see as many of you as possible! Don’t forget to book your reservations if you plan to stay in a hotel, otherwise, there will be room to stay on campus during Alumni Weekend and that could make for some fun memories! Being that I work at Ripon College in the Office of Constituent Engagement as the Associate Director of Engagement, I am lucky enough to get to reconnect with some of you when you come back to visit and it is a real joy for me. Please do let me know if you are ever back in the Ripon area. I’m sharing a picture of when classmate, MATTHEW HILDEBRANDT ’07 and spouse, Marena, visited Ripon this past fall. It was
great catching up with you, MATTHEW! As far as personal news goes, I was recently honored to receive the Legacy Award at Ripon College’s MLK Spirit Award ceremony that ‘recognizes a distinguished alumni who displays leadership and advances the cause of justice and equality in our community and society.’ This is an annual award so keep thinking about who you might want to nominate next year. I wish all of you a good spring where you can get outside and enjoy nature, and I hope to see you this summer for our Reunion!”
MARY STERRETT ’07 of Seattle, Washington, writes, “I graduated from Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship in Charleston, South Carolina, and received my MPH at Johns Hopkins. I now work as a perinatologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, and volunteer to teach with Global Ultrasound Institute.”
STACY KRUSA TEACHOUT ’07 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, recently received the Pinnacle Caregiver Award in which healthcare providers are recognized for providing exceptional care to patients. STACY is a critical care float Registered Nurse at Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.
HEATHER WITTIG ’07 of Redgranite, Wisconsin, died Nov. 9, 2021. At Ripon, she had a self-designed major in criminal justice and a minor in psychology. She played basketball and intramurals. She started her career at the Waushara County Sheriff’s Department in 2009, then became the jail administrator at the Waushara County Jail in 2014. She enjoyed traveling, spending time with her family and friends, and celebrating her Irish heritage.
Ripon in the news!
Earlier this year, Ripon, Wisconsin was recognized as one of the “7 Best Downtown Areas in Wisconsin.” Only in Your State News describes Ripon as a “charming little college town that is filled with revitalized buildings, great restaurants, lively pubs and unique shops.”
The search for Ripon College’s 14th president:
Former Ripon College President Zach Messitte left his position at the end of the fall 2021 semester to return to his hometown of Washington, D.C. Dr. Andrea Young took over as the interim president of Ripon College beginning in January and is the first woman to lead the College in its 170-year history. How cool is that?! Over the next several weeks, Ripon College’s search consultants will advertise the position and search for potential candidates. The search committee anticipates that the first round of interviews will begin in March.
We are looking forward to a memorable 15th Reunion, so make sure to get the date on your calendar! We are hoping to have a great turnout at our Reunion and would love your help with spreading the word. If you are interested in helping us reach out to fellow classmates, please email one of the 2007 Class Agents to get added to the Reunion Planning Committee. As always, don’t be a stranger, and make sure to share your life updates. Thanks for continuing to support Ripon College. Take care and be well!
Hope to see you at our Reunion!
ADAM KRUEGER ’07
(857) 389-8617
LINDSAY KREYE HEIL ’07
(952) 944-7528
STACY KRUSA TEACHOUT ’07
(920) 345-1048
LIZ LEACH MORRELL ’07
(920) 279-0779
Your 2007 Class Agents