2013 – Fall ’19 Class Letter
Alexandra Peltier
Charlotte Sikkink Lee
Lauren Ott
Hello, everyone! I hope you’re all soaking up some warmer weather and taking things a little easier. We’ve certainly earned it after the winter we had, at least here in Minnesota! In Marshall, where I’m living these days, we have a record snowfall in February. Let me tell you, having a newborn when there’s record snowfall and day after day of below zero temperatures is not exactly the most fun. But we survived!
Alumni Weekend at Ripon is just around the corner, and I’m looking forward to catching up with some of you and showing off my little guy (sorry, proud mamma here!). If you haven’t been to an Alumni Weekend yet, you need to! Doesn’t matter if it’s a reunion year for us. It’s a relaxed weekend of catching up with classmates and seeing what’s changed and what hasn’t at Ripon. The College hosts two socials with free beer, wine and snacks, so bare minimum you should come to those!
If you haven’t heard, Ripon is doing something new and our updates and class letters will now be available online: www.ripon.edu/rconnections. Hello 21st century! So, if you aren’t using Facebook much these days or you just don’t want to send your notes to Lauren, Ali or I, you now can post your updates there. You can also look at other people’s updates and our class letter, and even check out our senior class picture (bet you forgot about that gem, didn’t you?). Congratulations on whatever your latest milestone has been. Keep sharing, posting and reaching out – it’s great to hear from all of you.
CHARLOTTE
ORNELLA UMUBYEYI ’13 of Charlotte, North Carolina, received the Ripon College Outstanding Young Alumni Award during Alumni Weekend in June. She is a hospital chaplain for CaroMont Health in North Carolina and became a certified life coach in 2013.
LIZABETH BARANCZYK ’13 and her puppy, Chevy, moved to Green Bay at the beginning of June. She has accepted a third-grade teaching position at St. John the Baptist’s School in Howard, Wisconsin.
JENA ROSCIZEWSKI CLUKA ’13 and KEVIN CLUKA ’13 welcomed their first child, Declan, on June 15. Just in time for Father’s Day! Another future Red Hawk for the Class of 2042!
AIMEE PRUDHOMME DWYER ’13 and MATT DWYER ’10 now reside in Marshall, Montana. Matt is the assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator at Missouri Valley College, and Aimee is a special education teacher. They welcomed their first child in May!
JERRY ECKLER ’13 and LIBBY RUSSO ECKLER ’11 welcomed a baby boy, Grayson James, on March 8! Dad, Mom and baby are all doing great!
PAUL HAUSCH ’13 of Madison, Wisconsin, was one of five students nationwide to be selected to have design work included in the exhibition “The Road Ahead: Reimagining Mobility” at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York. He is pursuing a master’s degree in industrial design at Arizona State University.
AMANDA FENSKE JOHNSON ’13 is now a licensed practical nurse after having worked briefly at Winnebago Mental Health and then Wisconsin Resource Center over the last five years as a psychiatric care technician-advanced. She plans to return to school for her RN degree in the near future.
EMILY KIJEK ’13 and ZACHARY SCHWANDT ’08 of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, married on campus this past May.
JESSIE LILLIS ’13 received her master of literature degree from Mary Baldwin University this past May and will spend this year completing her master of fine arts degree, also from MBU. Jessie also got engaged at the end of April!
JACQUELYN MICHALAK MADDEN ’13 and her husband, Patrick, celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary May 31, and Jacqui celebrated her fifth year working at Aurora West Allis Medical Center as a histologist. They have three kids and a cocker spaniel dog.
ADAM ORTH ’13 purchased a home in Oconto, Wisconsin, on Valentine’s Day 2018. This year, he got a “new-to-him” Equinox and is a business cash management officer for Stephenson National Bank & Trust in Marinette, Wisconsin. He is also an active member of Oconto Lions Club, Oconto Copperfest Committee and Section 7 Project for Trail of Terror. Way to make the rest of us look lazy, Adam!
LAUREN OTT ’13 is program director of YMCA Camp Icaghowan in Amery, Wisconsin. So if you haven’t heard from her in ages, that’s why. She will come out of hibernation in the fall. In the meantime, she says we’re all welcome to visit her any time, and if you know any 18-year-olds, send them to go work for her!
ALI PELTIER ’13 has moved to Des Moines, Iowa, with her boyfriend, Jonathan, to take on a role as a national account manager for Meredith Corp. Ali is now responsible for media related to the titles of: Successful Farming, Living the Country Life and Country Gardens.
KATIE JO STUMBRIS ’13 is still the lead dental assistant at Jackson Family Dentistry in Mayville, and NICK WEISS ’13 has become the head of the science and physics departments at Sussex Hamilton. Their daughter, River Jo, just turned 2 and is running them ragged!
OLIVIA WETZEL ’13 of Watertown, Wisconsin, is a school counselor for Rossman Elementary School in Hartford, Wisconsin.
ZACHARY WIELAND ’13 and his wife, Rebecca, bought their first house in Appleton at the end of April. So far they are enjoying it, even the commute to Green Bay for work! Baby #2’s due date is fast approaching – hopefully the nursery gets set up in time!
ANDREA SLOSSER WORTH ’13 is now a doctoral candidate at the University of Wyoming, still studying clinical psychology. She’s also taken up mountain biking!