2004-Spring ’19 Class Letter
Class Agent: Nick Spaeth
[email protected] / 262.227.6097
Spring 2019
Fifteen years guys…fifteen years.
I’m guessing some of you embrace the passing of that time, and others struggle with the idea. Fifteen years is equal parts unfathomable and impressive. Hard to believe that 15 years ago, we graduated from Ripon…how can we be that old??? Yet, remarkable that it’s been that long, when it oftentimes seems just like yesterday! Regardless, it’s reality. The other reality is that our alma mater has gone through some impressive changes over the past 15 years, yet also retains the identity and personality that attracted us to the campus in the first place. You really need to come back this June for our class reunion and see all the changes for yourself.
If it’s been a few years since you’ve been back, you need to check out the new Willmore Health and Wellness Center. Our old Storzer is hardly recognizable!
If it’s been a decade since you’ve been back, you might not believe that the road running through campus that many of us zipped down on our way to a meal, class, practice, or Miller’s, is no longer. While you’re admiring that change, you can also now sip on a drink from the Starbucks on campus.
If you’ve never been back, well, good luck wrapping your head around all the changes! Do yourself, and all of your classmates, the favor of coming back and revisiting old memories.
The dates are June 27-30. If you golf, plan to be there for the outing on Friday. At minimum, join our class for our reunion dinner on the evening of Saturday the 29th. Book your hotel room now!
Class Notes:
MARY DANIEL DEAN ‘04 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is being honored as a 2018 40 Under 40 award winner by Association Forum. The organization seeks to advance the professional
practice of association management and serves 47,000 association professionals who, in turn,
serve more than 37 million members. Dean is a client executive for Executive Director Inc. in
Milwaukee.
CAROLYN DUVEN ‘04 graduated with her PhD in Higher Education in August of 2018. She moved to Georgia with her husband and started a new position at Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, GA. She coordinates institutional retention efforts and new student orientation.
LISA HENKE GRAF ‘04 teaches 8th grade Earth Science at Merrill Middle School in Oshkosh. She is honored to be part of a leadership team that drives PD in our building. She designed a year-long genius hour project for her students that have gained significant momentum. Every day, she contemplates having her students sign up to be part of a reality series about life as a middle schooler! When not in her classroom, she enjoys spending time with her husband Jacob & their 4 kids; Ella (13), Brennan (11), Connor (9), & Addison (7).
SARA WICHLACZ HANEY ’04 and TIM HANEY ’03 welcomed a second son to their family in May 2018. Sara has returned to work at a private college prep school teaching Grades 1-9 Science in Calgary, Alberta Canada
ANDY MIELKE ’04 lives in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, with his wife Jessica and two boys AJ and Hank. He is the Purchasing Manager for Signicast Investment Castings in Hartford, Wisconsin.
REBECCA PERKINS ‘04 of Dubuque, Iowa completed a master’s degree in
nonprofit management from Our Lady of Lake University.
RACHEL SCHMIDT PUFALL ’04 After 25 semesters (12.5 years) as the 4K-8 and for the last 2 years 4K-6 school counselor in Washburn, Rachel took the reins of the 7-12 Counselor position in the district in January. She’s enjoying reestablishing relationships with former students and building new ones with new students and coworkers. Her brain is constantly challenged as she learns new things every minute. When not enthralled in work she continues to chase around her 2 active young children and husband, Frank.
MIKE ROMAGNOLI ‘04 was required to do six hours of volunteer translation work at an area agency in his first semester as a graduate student studying Spanish at Illinois State fourteen years ago. He chose to work with the Community Health Care Clinic (CHCC), and he’s been with the organization ever since. In early November, Romagnoli became the CHCC executive director. On his first day volunteering at CHCC, Romagnoli was trained by a volunteer physician who was fluent in Spanish. After that first day, however, the physician never returned and Romagnoli suddenly became the only Spanish translator at CHCC. Seeing the need and the importance of the work, he volunteered as much of his time as possible, continuing well past the six hours required for his course and into the next semester. The following summer, he officially transitioned from volunteer to staff member.
MICHAEL TIMM ‘04 of Cudahy, Wisconsin is working with Reflo Sustainable Water Solutions as a Manager for the Milwaukee Water Stories Program.
PAULA RICHARDSON TOMPKINS ’04 will be running in the Boston Marathon for a second time this April.
See you all in June!
Nick