2009 Fall ’23 Class Letter
Hello Everyone!
Can you believe that just over 15 years ago we were beginning our senior year at Ripon? How time flies! And, of course, this means that next summer will be our reunion! Alumni Weekend will take place next year from June 20-23, 2024. If you haven’t been to campus for a while, what more perfect time is there than for a reunion? We are busy planning a few different great events for us all, so make sure to watch for updates on our Class of 2009 Facebook Group (and through official college channels.
With that in mind, this year is also a perfect year to donate if you haven’t before (and continue if you do!). At Alumni Weekend, all reunion classes will present their yearly donations in front of the assembled alumni, and while it isn’t officially a competition, we definitely want to show the other classes just what the Class of 2009 is all about! We completely understand that all of us are in different places financially and career-wise and that some might not be in a position to give. That said, if you are in the place to give even a small amount, it all adds up to ensure further growth of the college and continued financial support for future students. All gifts made by us from July 1, 2023 through the Reunion will count towards our presented total. More information about the current college fundraising campaign can be found at ripon.edu/forever.
If you are someone that likes to plan early, remember that Ripon has limited hotels. That said, there are room blocks set at Heidel House (Under new management!) and Cobblestone Suites (call 920-748-5500 to reserve blocked rooms). Additionally, on-campus housing will be available with online Alumni Weekend registration starting April 1 and you can request to stay together with other members of the Class of 2009.
We are excited to celebrate our 15th Reunion next year with you all, and we really hope to see many of you on campus next June. Make sure to save the dates now! Below are a few updates we received for fall. We would love many, many more for spring leading into our reunion! Email us at [email protected] or [email protected] to share a bit of your life with our class.
JOSH LEGREVE ’09 had his recent presentation “Lenses of Culture: Addressing Culture in the Novice Classroom” named the ‘Best of Central States’ at the 2023 Central States Conference in Columbus, Ohio. He will be giving this presentation at the national world language teaching convention, ACTFL, in Chicago this November.
EMILY MEYER ’09 and her family moved to Wamego, Kansas at the end of last school year. After a very short time as a stay at home mom, Emily was hired as the Assistant Director for Apartment Living at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Lily started second grade and is exploring Scouts this year, and James is 4 and in his last year of preschool.
ELIZA CHERRY STEPHENSON ’09 and BRUCE STEPHENSON ’09: Bruce is starting a new job as a Senior Software Engineer for Cloud Systems at Blackbaud. Eliza is starting her fourth year at Ripon Middle School as a Clerical Aide and also coordinates field trips for elementary students on teacher in-service days. Their son, Ari, is in second grade and their daughter, Vivian, started kindergarten this year. The years are passing quickly!
KATIE KRUEGER KRAMER ’09 and JOSH KRAMER ’09 still live in Cedarburg and manage four Anytime Fitness locations in the area. They’re busy with their two kiddos – Cora (4.5) and Jeffrey (1.5). Their family enjoys going on adventures, being active outside, and doing volunteer work to raise awareness and support for the Down Syndrome community.
COLIN FREEMAN ’09 in a shocking update, reports that he is the quiet type. In other exciting news, Colin is now a homeowner!
ZAC MANS ’09 shares that he is going into his second year directing theater at Anoka High School. BRANDI GASPARD MANS ’10 is the staff Draper and Instructor for Costuming Technology at the University of Minnesota.
JOSH FREY ’09 and his wife, Katie, welcomed their daughter Charlotte (Class of 2045?) this spring. Josh currently works as the Deputy Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Nuclear Science & Engineering Research Center at the US Military Academy at West Point, where he is the Program Manager for the DTRA’s Cadet Summer Internship Program. Next year, he will transition to the Academy Faculty as an Instructor within the Department of Chemistry and Life Sciences.
Be well,
