2010 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 2010!

As we write this Class Letter I look out the window and see the snow falling ever so lightly, reminding me we still have a few more weeks of spring and how much things have changed since our graduation in 2010. While we have made it past 2020 and are hopeful for a better 2021, we also look back on what winter was during our time at Ripon College. I fondly remember days of sledding on Sadoff Hill and some late-night snow shenanigans I know many of you remember. While we were lucky to have a fairly normal four years at Ripon College, many of our peers who are current students have navigated the past year and the pandemic that has affected us all. As a community, Ripon College has done its best to have in-person classes as much as possible and at the time of this writing, students are on campus, taking classes, but also navigating the differences like smaller group sizes as well as campus-wide testing. While it has been a year of changes, it is comforting to know Ripon College has gone above and beyond to try and provide as much of a normal experience to their students as they can.

Good news regarding Alumni Weekend and our Reunion! Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.

JUNE 2021

  • In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees.
  • The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25.

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

  • Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session.
  • In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8 and will focus on alumni awards recognition, including for our very own SARAH ANDERSON ’10 and LUCY BURGCHARDT ’10, who were the 2020 Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipients; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our 10th Class Reunion; and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
  • Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Having a beer on the hill in front of Johnson Hall is one of the many memories from our 5-year Class Reunion and we all are hoping to be able to make many more memories at our 10-year Class Reunion. Just a reminder that #OneDayRally is coming up on April 28th and we urge you to all give to our alma mater so they can continue to provide a world-class educational experience.

We would also like to take this time to mourn the loss of our classmate, FREDDY SUBIA ’10, who tragically lost his life too soon this past August. FREDDY SUBIA ’10 of Chicago, Illinois, died Aug. 21, 2020, after a car accident. At Ripon, he majored in psychobiology and participated in intramurals, martial arts, Cultural Diversity Club, music, and many other activities. He also served as a resident assistant. Survivors include his mother; and one brother, FABRIZZIO SUBIA ’13. We take this opportunity to remember him and let this serve as a reminder that we need to maintain the bonds of friendship we have built over the years.

Class Notes:

SARAH ANDERSON ’10 and MATT BUSH ’08 of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, purchased their home in January and recently moved in.

NICHOLAS BAKER ’10 of Carol Stream, Illinois, recently received a promotion to Auto Property Damage Specialist III at Farmers Insurance. He still lives at home helping out his parents and enjoys to cook during the week.

EMILY HOFFMAN BRATTON ’10 and ARTHUR BRATTON ’08 of Ripon, Wisconsin, welcomed their son William Dean Bratton on March 26, 2020.

MOLLY BREITBACH MCLAUGHLIN ’10 of Ambler, Pennsylvania, is currently a part-time graduate student working towards her MA in Public History. She also just relocated to Ambler, and started working full-time with Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites as their Director of Outreach and Visitor Experience.

LUCY BURGCHARDT ’10 of Bettendorf, Iowa, is in her third year as Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She got engaged to Paul Lindsey in July 2020 and is hoping to be vaccinated in time for a small wedding celebration with family in July 2021. 

CADY CUMMINGS CAMPBELL ’10 of Albany, Oregon, and her husband, Jonathan, were blessed to welcome their first child, Patrick Allan Campbell, into the world on November 8, 2020. In such a challenging year, Patrick has been a beautiful light.

LILY HANSCOM ’10 of Chicago, Illinois, started a new position with JCFS Chicago as a Clinical Supervisor managing therapists and working with youth and families in the foster care system specifically as a trauma specialist.

KAITLYN HENG DAHM ’10 and JAMES DAHM JR. ’02 of Chicago, Illinois, writes, “We had a baby girl in January of 2020 – Lucy. She joins big brother Charlie who will turn four this spring.”

ROSS HEINTZKILL ’10 and Dr. CELENA SIMPSON ’10 of Eugene, Oregon, were married on January 20, 2021. The couple lives in Eugene, Oregon, where Celena was awarded her Ph.D. in Philosophy by the University of Oregon in 2019 and to where Ross moved after his six years in the Air Force. They never would have found each other without their FYS with Dr. Cope-Kasten and POL 110 with Dr. Colucci a full 15 years ago, and think only fondly of their shared time at Ripon.

ALICIA RHYNER RYTLEWSKI ’10 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writes, “I welcomed a baby boy to our family. Clarence Ross (Clay) will be a year old on November 13, 2020.”

Stay safe, and we hope to see you at our Class Reunion celebration in August!
NICHOLAS BAKER ’10
(931) 444-4466

TOMISSA PORATH FREISLEBEN ’10
(715) 853-6104
Your 2010 Class Agents