1994 – Spring ’22 Class Letter
Hello, Class of 1994,
I hope you are all staying healthy and strong – we are all going to need our strength as the majority of us turn 50 this year. We are now likely as old (or older) than our parents were when they dropped us off at Ripon in the summer of 1990.
Milestone birthdays make me reflect on what I have accomplished and what I still want to achieve. If you are on Facebook, you may have seen KATE MCELDERRY HARRISON ’94’s post on January 19 regarding her five reflections for five decades. I loved what she wrote. So with her permission, I’m sharing portions of her post. I hope it inspires you as much as it did me.
1. Every stage of life is a gift. Don’t wish to be a different age. Own it! Adopt a Growth Mindset and the learning never stops, whatever age you are. This mindset, in my opinion, is the tonic of youth and has nothing to do with age!
2. Time is a non-refundable resource. You never get it back. Time simply doesn’t stand still. How and with whom we spend it matters and shapes your life accordingly. Spend time on things that matter and remember that those things take time. Combine time with effort and you have a beautiful, winning combination–one that leads to trust, experiences, memories, not to mention lasting, and enduring relationships. (There are no shortcuts to this!)
3. Children don’t always suck. [OK, I confess this is my snarky title, not KATE’s – her version was much more positive.] Whenever and if ever children–one’s own or someone else’s–grace your life, celebrate them and learn from them. (They are some of the best teachers you will EVER have!) Moreover, children give purpose and meaning to life. They motivate us to clean up the oceans and make the world a more peaceful, just, and sustainable place.
4. Difficulties, loss, and pain are real. They hit us all in some shape or form. It’s not a comparison game and one’s truth and experience is one’s personal reality. Hence, empathy is the way, as is patience. (Patience with others and also ourselves.) If we are patient and willing to push through, adversity can bring with it energy, and if we choose it, a positive energy that can lead to creative and good works.
5. Shared humanity is a gift. Tea with a friend, a beer in the pub, a meal with your family… and also clapping as part of an audience, having a conversation with a stranger, being part of a community, working for a cause… it’s not about you. It’s not about me. But it really IS about the WE in life. Shared humanity is rich and life-affirming. It reminds us what a beautiful, diverse, and interesting world we live in and that everyone deserves a chance. The energy, wisdom, warmth, and LOVE that we can gain from learning and sharing within our local patch, and the world at large, adds a richness and joy not to be missed out on! Shared humanity is a global mindset; it keeps us connected, validated, open, and humble.
Update on the College
In September 2021, President Zach Messitte announced his plan to leave the College at the end of the 2021 fall semester following nine years of impressive leadership. The Board of Trustees of the College approved the formation of the Presidential Search Committee to actively engage the immediate and extended Ripon College community to search for, and review the credentials of, interested candidates. The Search Committee will ultimately select a group of finalists to interview and then present to the Board of Trustees a candidate they believe is best-prepared to lead the College into the future. CARRIE ROCA-DAWSON ’94 and I are both on the Search Committee, along with nominated faculty, staff, students, community members and other alums. We know that the next President of Ripon has the power to shape the future of the College and impact the students significantly, so we take this obligation very seriously.
Ripon’s annual giving day, known as #OneDayRally, will be held on Wednesday, April 27th. Please save this date and if you can donate, support the Ripon Fund and post about it on social media. I know many of you give to the College on an annual basis. Thank you for all of your contributions. If you cannot help financially, please consider reaching out to the College to volunteer on behalf of the alumni or admissions office, or become a mentor to current students for career and professional development.
Alumni Weekend is June 23-26, 2022. If you are looking for a chance to connect with fellow classmates, Alumni Weekend is always fun. Please stay tuned for updates on the event.
Class Notes
Thank you to the classmates who reached out to me with updates. Here are what some of our classmates are up to:
ANDREW LIMOURIS ’94 of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, is the recipient of the 2021 Hellene of the Year Award from the Hellenic Bar Association Foundation (HBAF). He is the president and CEO of Medix and Talentoday, a family of companies specialized in connecting talent to the right career opportunities and supporting employers with the right workforce solutions. ANDY founded Medix in 2001 based on the mission and purpose of positively impacting lives and strives to recruit others who live the company’s core values. He is a proud Hellene and supporter of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago. He and his family are parishioners at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Elmhurst, Illinois. ANDY served on Metropolitan Nathanael’s transition team and as a member of the Metropolis Council of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago from 2018-2019. ANDY is also a frequent speaker for young adult ministries in the Metropolis focused on inspiring leadership in our youth.
DREW PETERSEN ’94 of Verona, Wisconsin, is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at TDS Telecom and is receiving additional responsibilities and will now supervise broadcast television operations with Zolo Media. Zolo operates KOHD-TV the ABC affiliate, KBNZ-LP the CBS affiliate, COTV11, CO4 Visitors Network, and Central Oregon Daily, which provides targeted advertising solutions. Drew has been with the company for 24 years and is the past president of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.
KATY HERBOLSHEIMER LINDBERG ’94 of Hastings, Minnesota, just bought a building in Historic Downtown Hastings that was built in 1876. She will be moving her Farmers Insurance office there after a total renovation. She would be happy to quote anyone’s insurance who lives in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Illinois.
Our classmate SUSAN YUDS SHERBON ’94 of Machesney Park, Illinois, could use some support. SUE has been battling an aggressive form of breast cancer. She recently had brain surgery to remove lesions and at the time of writing this letter it appeared that surgery went well. SUE is also battling with tumors in her lungs that were not responding to a clinical trial. SUE is trying to keep positive but she needs her classmates to send her some “good vibes, well wishes, and love.” If you would like to help support SUE, please contribute at the following site: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-sue-her-kids?qid=c3b49d026b1406920a4feca9312a2fde
LISA SPROSTON SUTTER ’94 will be writing our next Class Letter in the Fall. If you have updates that didn’t make it into this letter, please reach out to her at [email protected] or contact me and I will make sure LISA receives the update.
In the meantime, I hope you have a very happy 50th birthday!
All the best,
KIMBERLY WOOLLEY ’94
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Your 1994 Class Agent