2008–Fall ’18 Class Letter
2008
Stephanie Sommer Faulds
608-630-3369 / [email protected]
Leah Hover-Preiss
608-432-2399 / [email protected]
Zac Schwandt
920-291-5685 / [email protected]
Greeting Class of 2008!
As you read this letter, another class of freshmen are getting ready to embark on their Ripon College journey. Packing up their belongings along with their new, extra-long bed sheets and new computers. Trying to enjoy what’s left of summer before they settle into their dorm rooms, partake in “Welcome Week” and attend their first golden hour.
While we just celebrated our 10-year reunion this summer, it seems like just yesterday we were right there moving into Tri-Dorms, Johnson, or Scott Hall, organizing our entire lives in those cramped dorm rooms, and beginning what would turn into lasting friendships far beyond the boundaries of Ripon College.
Even though much has changed at the college since then, many of the hang-outs, beautiful campus locations, and traditions have stayed the same. If you have not gone back to visit, this fall would be a great time.
Since the last class letter, many members of the Class of 2008 have experienced major life changes such as new babies, continuing education, or new jobs. Check out the class notes section to see what your classmates have been up to. Thank you to everyone who have donated to Ripon College. Your gifts help to make sure that the excellent education we received will be available to future Red Hawks!
Finally, if you would like to include any updates in future Ripon Magazines (births, new businesses, promotions, continuing education, marriages, etc.), please contact any of the Class Agents using the contact information listed above or the Office of Constituent Engagement ([email protected]) directly. Additionally, if you are not a member of the Class of 2008 Facebook page and would like to be, send a message to a Class Agent.
Go Red Hawks!
LEAH, STEPHANIE, and ZAC
LEAH HOVER-PREISS ’08 of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, is in the final stages of writing her dissertation for her doctorate in educational leadership from St. Mary’s University. She is expecting to graduate this summer. She is in her ninth year of teaching high school mathematics. Leah and her husband Zach have two children, Aiden who is 6 and Harper who is almost 1.
TRISHA SHAFER ‘08 and her fiancé, Bill welcomed a daughter, Olivia Rae Moore, on June 11, 2018.
JOE HENTZ ‘08 and his wife, Megan welcomed a new baby girl, Emmylou Ruth Hentz on November 16, 2017. Joe recently became a partner at Swendson Hentz Law Ltd., a general practice law firm in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
BRANDON PARROTT-SHEFFER ’08 of Palatine, Illinois, is Vice President at Edelman in Chicago. He is also engaged to be married in October of this year.”
RYAN MANIS ’08 of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, transitioned from Director of Brand Operations with United One Credit Union to Chief Operating Officer for Roydan Enterprises Inc. in Manitowoc.
AMANDA BEERS WOJTANOWSKI ’08 of Oregon, Wisconsin, welcomed a baby boy, Jacob Daniel, on June 27, 2017. She also began working at the Vet Center in Madison as a Readjustment Counselor.
ERIN OAKLEY KOLTES ’08 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin married Mike Koltes on September 30, 2017.
JESSICA CHATMON BEDNAREK ’08 of Berlin, Wisconsin wrote “my husband, BRYANT BEDNAREK ’07, will be Assistant Principal of Wautoma High School starting this 2018-2019 school year.”
SARA KUSSMANN SCHMITT ’08 of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin said “I left the lab at the end of 2017 and am now working from home as a Medical Writer for Avant Healthcare Marketing. CURTIS SCHMITT
’09 also works from home as a Solutions Consultant for Tyler Technologies. We’re so lucky to have such accommodating jobs, because it allows us to stay home with our newest addition, our baby boy, Finley John, who we welcomed on October 18, 2017.”
PAMELA SCHUMACHER MUMM ’08 of Ripon, Wisconsin, transitioned from teaching high school for the past seven years to being the K-8 Media Specialist at the Rosendale Primary and Intermediate Schools this past fall.
CHELSEA DWYER ’08 of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a Chief Stewardess on a private mega yacht, sailing primarily through the Caribbean, New England, and Mediterranean.”
SARAH TIMM ’08 of Cloquet, Minnesota wants to share the news of the birth of her son Emmett Michael, on June 16, 2018.
JORDAN ANDERSON ’08 and DAVE CZARNECKI ’08 of Waukesha, Wisconsin, report “we are still living in Waukesha, Wisconsin with their 4 year old Eadalie and 1 year old Enoch. Dave is a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company since 2017 and Jordan continues to work for a private practice doing clinical trial research. Jordan has also recently accepted a Wisconsin state leader position with The Well Armed Woman shooting groups and also as Vice President of Badger IDPA, a local competitive shooting group.”
ERIN RUTH MAGUIRE ’08 is employed as lead social worker for three separate dialysis clinics for Davita Dialysis. She recently bought a home in Hot Springs Village, a gated community near Hot Springs, Arkansas and is the proud Mama of two rescue fur babies “Coco and Carlee”
ALISON KRINGS OTTO ’08 of Winneconne, Wisconsin, and TYLER OTTO ’07 had a baby boy, Gordon Marshall Otto, on November 30, 2017. Gordon weighed 2 lbs, 13 oz and measured 15 inches long. Everyone is healthy and happy!
MATTHEW BIRSCHBACH ’08 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, writes, “I got married to Kourtney in 2016 in Ripon. I work at Holiday Automotive as a product specialist. I started the band, “Driftwood” 7 years ago and now playing every other week (including Country USA this year and last)…see www.facebook.com/driftwoodwi for pictures.”
STEFANIE BOSTEDT ’08 of Pahoa, Hawaii, wrote “I have my eyes set on attending the International Conference for Community Psychology happening in October in Santiago, Chile to bring back knowledge for my new consulting involvement with a youth-owned worker cooperative in Pahoa, Hawaii. To find out more about the cooperative, visit: www.yopac.org.”
RUTH LAWRENCE ’08 of Germantown, Wisconsin, reported “I graduated from UW Milwaukee with a Master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders in August 2017. I am working as a Speech-Language Pathologist for Aegis Therapies in the Milwaukee area. And I had a baby in December, her name is Alice.”
LESLIE REINKE LUEDTKE ’08 of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, welcomed their second baby, Rory Thomas Allen Luedtke, in October 2017.
REBECCA DULEY ’08 of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, received her masters degree in psychology with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis. She moved back to Wisconsin and got married in 2015 and had a daughter in 2016.
JUSTIN YONKIE ’08 of Portage, Wisconsin, is now working as a Medical Coding Specialist in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at University of Wisconsin Health in Madison, Wisconsin.
AMY DORMAN ’08 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was promoted to Director of Development at Milwaukee Repertory Theater on January 1.
ARLENE TORRES ’08 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, became Chair of the Southeastern Wisconsin Educational Consortium on January 1.
COLLETTE UNGER NAKIELSKI ‘08 shares, “Big news in the Nakielski household – our son, Finnegan is a year old, Chris graduated from the University of Iowa with his Doctorate in Choral Conducting, and our family will be moving to Washington State in July.”
KYLE UNGER ‘08 recently finished 10 years of service in the US Army. He is continuing his service in the US Coast Guard as a HC-144 pilot stationed in Miami.