2006 – Fall ’19 Class Letter
Nicole Klaas Hands
Ed Hansen
Andrew Kitslaar
Hello, Ripon Red Hawk Class of 2006! Well, those of you living in Wisconsin had to wait a little longer than you might have liked for warm summer temperatures this year, but as we all know, a chilly start to summer in Wisconsin is nothing new. It simply serves as a reminder that 13 years after graduating from Ripon College, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Willmore Center (formerly Storzer) shines as a bright example of change on campus, for example, but when the rain unexpectedly comes on Mother’s Day, you’ll still need to move graduation into the gym … just like ours was. Most of us are less likely now to stay up into the wee hours of the night than we were in 2006, but those of us who are parents of young children often find ourselves burning that familiar midnight oil once again. Many of us have scattered throughout the country and the world, and we don’t always get a chance to chat as much as we’d like, but when you get that call or a message from an old college friend, I bet you can pick up the conversation from precisely where you were the last time you spoke.
These are feelings that we can all relate to, of course, but there is nothing quite like the feeling you get when you go back to Ripon. The campus might look a little different, and some of our favorite professors have left, but it still feels like home. If you haven’t been back to campus lately (or even if you have), we encourage you to visit and see for yourself. In the meantime, we’re always excited to hear from you, so please continue to send in your updates! Here is what’s been happening lately:
JEFFREY DODSON ’06 has returned to Ripon as minister at First Congregational Church of Ripon.
ROSE MCNULTY EBEL ’06 and SHANE EBEL ’07 of Monona, Wisconsin, met their second daughter, Frida Pearl Ebel, in late May. The whole family is in love, and their first daughter, Lucette, is especially excited to be a big sister.
NICOLE KLAAS HANDS ’06 relocated from North Carolina to the greater New York City area in April. She’s changed jobs and is now the product marketing manager for The Financial Revolutionist, a financial innovation platform with editorial and software as a service offering.
ED HANSEN ’06 and his wife, Megan Deichen Hansen, of Tallahassee, Florida, had their first child, Owen Michael Hansen, on St. Patrick’s Day this spring. His birthday is especially fitting, as he visited his Irish relatives last summer while in utero.
ALISON NOWAK RISSE ’06 of Slinger, Wisconsin: “My husband, Troy, and I welcomed our first baby into the world in April 2019. We are so in love. Ty Edward Risse and family are doing well!”
RACHAEL SMITHBACK LAST ’06 and ANDY LAST ’03 of Ripon, Wisconsin, are happy to announce the arrival of their son, Oliver Andrew, just before Mother’s Day on May 10, 2019. What an amazing gift! Everyone is happy and healthy and feeling beyond blessed to have welcomed such an amazing little man into the family.
No van-related news to report in this class letter, which can only mean one thing. Something big (or mini) is on the horizon.
We hope you had a lovely summer!
ED, NICOLE and ANDY