2022 Spring ’23 Class Letter
Dear Class of 2022,
We would first like to reintroduce ourselves as your 2022 Class Agents. We are RHETT CUNNINGHAM ’22, ABBE LANE ’22, ALYSSA NABER ’22, and LOGAN ZEINART ’22. Many of you may be wondering what this letter is. Each class of alumni receives a letter bi-annually detailing developments with Ripon and their fellow classmates. It also serves to maintain connections with Ripon College post-graduation.
Now, beginning with Ripon. As you all have heard, the College recently announced the appointment of its first woman president, Dr. Victoria N. Folse. Dr. Folse, a respected scholar, and administrator, brings to Ripon more than 30 years of experience in higher education and a long-standing commitment to the liberal arts. From what we have heard, she has been going to sporting events, concerts, and other activities students are a part of. Overall, she seems to truly want to know the students. She has had a great first semester and we are excited to see what President Folse has in store for our college’s future. Dr. Victoria (Vickie) Folse, will be inaugurated as Ripon’s 14th president on April 22nd, 2023. She will be the first woman to be formally inaugurated as president of Ripon College. More information can be found at here.
Another update is the $35 million dollar Strategic Infrastructure Plan. The administration announced in December that the college is moving forward with renovating Farr Hall, building a new on-campus stadium (no more Ingalls Field 🙁), and upgrading the residence halls. Ground will be broken this coming spring with the residence hall improvements slated for later in 2023.
You all should have received an email recently from the Center for Career and Professional Development about a brief graduation survey. Please fill it out if you have not done so. Additionally, email [email protected] to provide your contact information and life updates.
Alumni Weekend is planned for June 22-25, 2023. If you are planning on coming, start to think about booking accommodations. You get the opportunity to meet (and party with) decades worth of alumni in addition to members of the administration and faculty. It is an enormous amount of fun!
If you’re planning on off-campus lodging, there are room blocks at Heidel House in Green Lake (choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/HQ83E1), and at Cobblestone Suites in Ripon (920-748-5500). On-campus lodging will open up in April, and will have plenty of capacity.
RIPON NEWS
Knuth Brewing Company has recently purchased a renovated building right across the street from their current location and plans on moving all of their operations once it is completed. They plan on calling themselves “Knuth Brewing Co. Brewpub & Event Center.” This is very exciting especially to allow them to do more events to share with Ripon just like their Polka on Ice event. I am sure they will hatch up on some more amazing events.
Next, I am sure you have some sort of news regarding the new Boys and Girls Club that is supposed to be built in Ripon. A recent article says that they are planning to start building in May this year and complete the project in March 2024. They also expect to hire Ripon College students to work there to provide a great experience for the students and are super excited to provide the experience for them.
For more details, you can check Ripon Press for the full articles and more updates regarding all things Ripon and surrounding areas.
CLASS UPDATES
LINDSEY WIGAND ’22: “Howdy! After graduation, I spent the summer in my hometown (West Allis, WI) teaching high schoolers how to stage manage productions. In August I started attending classes at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where I’m working towards my MFA in Stage Management. I am a graduate assistant working in the prop shop and teaching undergraduates.”
GABE RAMIREZ ’22: “I found a full-time job in August and I am still at it to this day, and so far it has been interesting. I recently got my driver’s license in the first week of November, and currently, I am going to apply to get a passport. I am also currently ‘on the hunt’ for a vehicle so I can finally not need to take public transportation everywhere, especially going to work.”
LOGAN ZEINERT ’22: “Over the summer I tended bar at a golf course and another bar in my hometown of Wittenberg, WI, along with picking up lifeguarding hours at the aquatic center where I used to work. I recently moved to Madison where I got my new job at Labcorp as a Study Technician. I am super excited to work with the animals and feed them many treats. I am in the process of getting an apartment on my own, as well as, a vehicle to travel around Madison.”
RYAN SCHMIT ’22: “I’ve been working as the Sports and Recreation Coordinator at the Heart of the Valley YMCA since the beginning of November. Additionally, I have been coaching at the Fox Valley Performance Club Volleyball Program, Appleton North Men’s Basketball, and Neenah Men’s Volleyball.”
TOMMY BIANCHI ’22: “I am currently at Armor Basic Officer Leader Course (ABOLC) at Fort Benning, GA learning how to be an armor platoon leader in the army.”
ALYSSA NABER ’22: “In August I moved down to St. Louis with my boyfriend, GARRETT RADTKE ‘22, as he works towards his bachelor’s degree in engineering. I am currently working as an administrative assistant at a vocational rehabilitation office for the State of Missouri. I am loving my job, the people I work with, and getting to explore the city. We also adopted a one and a half year old cat, named Vivian.”
PAYTON RAHN ’22: “I’m starting my second semester of law school at Marquette University and absolutely loving it!”
CASSIE BEHREANDT ’22: “I currently work as a site coordinator for Almond-Bancroft Boys and Girls Club. I am engaged as of December 24, 2022. My wedding date is June 15, 2024. It’s very exciting!!!! I am also currently attending graduate school at Alverno College for a master’s in school psychology. I highly recommend the new Avatar: Way of the Water movie. It’s long, but so worth it.”
DAKOTA STARK ’22: “I am enjoying time with my husband and three children. In August, I gave birth to the surrogate baby that I was pregnant with for the sweetest couple in Madison. She is doing wonderful and getting so big! I did not take a full-time teaching position yet, but I am substituting as much as possible and I took on leading the first-grade BRAVE program at Barlow. I’m not sure if I will be ready for a full-time teaching position come this fall, but I am just taking it one day at a time and focusing on myself and my family.”
SOLANGEL GONZALEZ ’22: “I have started working in the Office of Advancement here at Ripon College, serving as their assistant director of annual giving. I am also getting married later this year.”
BAILEY ZANCK ’22: “Since graduating I’ve been working as the event coordinator for a business called The Soap Opera on State Street in Madison. It is one of the oldest businesses on State St. so there is a lot of heritage embedded in the store and the customers that come in. I get to plan outreach and in-store events for the public, as well as design layouts and execute store displays. We recently won the downtown window decorating competition, so I’d say it is going pretty well!”
ABBE LANE ’22: “Over the summer, I moved to Kansas City, Missouri to complete my student teaching with a high school choir program in Overland Park, KS. In December, I received a job offer in Berlin, WI and moved back after a few short months out of state. I am currently living back in Ripon, and I am excited for my first Choral Director job out of college! I’m incredibly lucky to have found this job opportunity. I’m also hoping to get a cat or two soon!”
ZOE HAZEL ’22: “Since June, I have moved to Madison and now work in the marketing department at Duluth Trading Company’s Headquarters. It’s been a great learning experience, and I’m very excited to keep growing with the company!”
LORI HESS ’22 is attending Nursing School.
SIERRA THEIN ’22: “I am currently working as a battery chemist and certified fire and explosion investigator (CFEI). I have been traveling around the country investigating battery fires. I will be attending UW Madison in the fall to start in the chemistry Ph.D. program.”
LILLIAN KOPPLIN ’22: “After receiving a job offer in April and starting in June, I have since been employed by the Wisconsin Center District as a sales operations specialist on their primary sales team for the Wisconsin Center, the Miller High Life Theatre, and the UW-M Panther Arena. We are in the midst of a $456M expansion that will open as of May 2024 which encourages the expansion of our clientele base for the state of Wisconsin and throughout the US. Additionally, I have become a member of the Junior League of Milwaukee, organizing events and volunteering time to community needs.”
RHETT CUNNINGHAM ’22: “After graduating I began my service in the United States Army. I first assisted the Ripon ROTC program with recruiting before attending the Signal Basic Officers Leader Course at Fort Gordon, GA. I graduated the course last month and have since moved to Fort Stewart, GA where I am leading around 20 soldiers as a platoon leader.”
MICAELA ENCARNACION ’22: “I am currently the University of Wisconsin Parkside volleyball graduate assistant while being able to pursue a master’s in sport management. I have also been able to work at the NBA Head Coaches meeting in the hope to find an internship opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience in the sports industry. Since graduating I have attended the NCAA Career in Sports Forum which has helped me grow individually and professionally. I look forward to what the future has in store for me.”
CALEB KLINZING ’22: “I have had a lot of changes in my life since graduating from Ripon. Notably, moving to Kansas to pursue a master’s in music in organ performance from Pittsburg State University, being awarded a full-time graduate assistantship with teaching responsibilities, and being called to serve as organist and assistant choirmaster of St. Philip the Apostle Episcopal Church in Joplin, MO. I ended the fall semester with a 4.00 GPA. I am really excited to see where life takes me in the coming months, but I have really enjoyed my time thus far.”
BROOKLYN HOGAN ’22 is working at Dodge County and going to pursue a master’s in social work.
EUGENE PLISKA ’22: “I’ve been working as an accounting associate at Janssen Accounting & Tax Services, Inc. since the beginning of December 2022. Additionally, I have been named the head official and Assigner for the Waupaca Area Rec Soccer Program.”
CORMAC MADIGAN ’22 received All-American Division III Football Team Member of the Year honors. This award is given to a student in order to recognize their achievement on the competition field and in academics.
SONJA BRUEGGEMANN ’22: “Upon graduating in May, I immediately started working at my current job as a child welfare case manager through Children’s Wisconsin Hospital community services. This job provides me with consistent challenges that allow me to learn and grow from my community, as well as, my families every single day. I have also started rock climbing with my partner and have adopted a new love for yoga. Every day has been a goal to be more present with me and those around me and just enjoy life.”
HUNTER SIMMERS ’22: “Since graduating from Ripon I went back home to California and have started my career as a Lighting Applications Engineer at ALR in Oakland, CA. I began my new role at the beginning of October and have enjoyed using the skills I learned while enrolled at Ripon College. Also, this past summer and fall I was an assistant football coach for my high school, Concord High School. Also, watch The Last of Us! It’s based on an awesome game and I promise you won’t regret it.”
KELSI MORRIS ’22: “I am currently a graduate research assistant at Michigan State University, and I am pursuing a dual Ph.D. in human nutrition and environmental toxicology with a master’s degree in epidemiology. Moving to Michigan has been exciting – even though it’s only a lake away from Wisconsin, there are a lot of differences! It’s been very fulfilling to apply my undergraduate education to my graduate studies, and I have been expanding my horizons into coding and computer science to analyze data for my current research. My lab group focuses on maternal nutrition and pregnancy outcomes, which are topics that I am very passionate about, and I am excited to continue with my education and research here at MSU. Go Spartans (and go Red Hawks)!”
BEATRIZ QUINTEROS CABRERA ’22: “I am currently a Spanish teacher at an all-boys Catholic high school on the Southside of Chicago. Growing up as a first-generation college student and an immigrant, education played a very vital part in my life that was emphasized growing up. One of my biggest goals in life is to give back to my community the knowledge I have gained throughout the years. In the past year, there has been a large wave of immigrants coming into the US and I have noticed the great need they have for learning a new language, English. I’ve always been passionate about advocating and supporting my community and our needs, which is why I’m working on creating a tutoring center. I’m currently working on the paperwork to make this dream become a reality.”
SAMMI SCHAEFER ’22: “After graduation, I moved to Madison, WI, and I am currently sharing an apartment with fellow Ripon alum KATY DANO ’22! I began a job at Labcorp as a study technician, meaning I assist in the process of collecting data to ensure that new pharmaceutical drugs are safe for the public.”
CLAIRE LUEBKE ’22: “I am currently in UW – Oshkosh’s master’s of social work program. I work at my internship at Columbia Correctional Institution, part-time at the mental health office in Juneau, WI, and part-time as a graduate assistant math tutor in UWO’s math lab— all while doing full-time academics. I now have six total pets: two dogs and four cats. We all live in our house in Fox Lake and spend our free time on adventures hiking at state parks and at various dog parks.”
L.J. AYSON ’22: “I am currently taking my CBEST Exams in California to become a substitute teacher, while also working to save money to head back to grad school at CSU Fullerton to pursue a master’s in administration. If all goes according to plan I’ll be a high school teacher in my local area!”
SAVANAH COUSERT ’22: “Right after graduating in May, I was teaching 8th grade English at Theisen Middle School. It wasn’t until a couple of months in that I realized that teaching in the classroom wasn’t my passion. It was really my first ‘adult’ decision I had to make, because who steps away from their ideal job that fits their degree? In January, I got offered a position at Ripon College – in the Advancement Office – as the engagement and communication specialist. I am the person who communicates with Class Agents and current parents. Even though I’ve really strayed from the path I thought I would be on, I feel as if everything is going the way that it should be. I live in an apartment right on Watson Street, I have a new baby brother (Jayce) and starting mid-February will be working and going back to school full-time for an associate’s degree in bakery and pastry production. By June 2024, when my program is complete, my dream of opening my very own bakery will soon be closer to a reality! :)”
BREANA SMITS ’22: “I have moved to Orlando, FL, to start my career working for Walt Disney World. I am currently working at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at two different attractions. I also am a trainer at one of my work locations.”
JENNA TOMSCHIN ’22: “My life is coming together in a way that is different than what I planned, but I am in many ways very content with what is happening. I am living on my own and working as the lead teacher at a daycare center. I am looking forward to applying to become an actual teacher in the coming year. Along with being a daycare teacher, I am also a caregiver for a local family that needs help. I am happy with where life has taken me and I look forward to the path that is to come.”
OLIVIA AMBROSE ’22: “I have been attending Carroll University in Waukesha to pursue a master’s degree in nursing. I have also continued to work for Ripon Guardian Ambulance Service.”
SARAH WEBER ’22: “I’m currently in my second semester of grad school at Marquette and have a 4.0, so I’m trying to keep that up. I also am working at Rogers Behavioral Health in admissions where I screen patients and help them get admitted across the country. I’m also getting married this August, so I’m pumped to live that married life.”
LUIS ARAGON MIRANDA ’22: “Since graduating last year my life has been pretty normal. I moved to Madison, WI, in December and continue to live in the same apartment building with my roommates. I am currently a team lead at Target where I manage a team of 10 people. I have been in this role for over a year now. I will say that while my degree isn’t fully applied in this role, I find myself saying ‘applied innovation’ almost every day that I am at work. When I am not at work I’m with my girlfriend SAMMI SCHAEFER ’22 or playing video games. You know – the usual. I’ve picked up skiing in the past year, as well, and I’m happy to say I don’t fall as often. I’m happy with what I have and I’m glad to be where I’m at.”
ALLI SLOWIAK ’22: “Since graduating I have moved to Iowa City, IA, to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Iowa. Since living here I have taken a job as a graduate research specialist in the Main Library, where I assist undergrads with research projects and questions about the library. I have achieved a mentorship with one of my professors in information literacy where I am doing research on how best to teach students how to access the library. I am also working with the city of Clinton, IA, on a LibGuide for their public library on their connection to the Underground Railroad. I ended my fall semester with a 4.00 GPA and am excited to continue my education here and in all the opportunities before me. I highly recommend A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel.”
REN ZWASCHKA ’22: “I have become an education & community entrepreneur while improving my mental health. My business currently focuses on tutoring and grant writing. I tutor students from infants to undergraduate students on a variety of subjects including mathematics, science, English, economics, emotional and behavioral learning, French, and Advanced Placement classes. In addition to my two years of experience as a tutor at Ripon College, I have my MN substitute teaching license. I’m currently tutoring in person in South Central Minnesota and virtually elsewhere. I also write grants virtually for the Bayonne Youth Center in New Jersey and for Elizabeth Street Garden in Manhattan. Reach out @ 507-720-8188 if you or someone you know needs tutoring or a company is interested in procuring my grant writing services. I recommend Every Last Word by Tamera Ireland Stone.”
BECKY ROSSEN ’22: “After graduation, I moved back to Illinois to begin my career at Ace Hardware HQ, as a merchandising representative, for the lawn and garden department. I plan to stay with the company and continue down the path to becoming a merchant. Outside of work, I’ve sought out many opportunities to travel, make art, and see as much live music as possible. It’s been a great first six months in ‘the real world’ and I’m excited for all the new experiences the coming years will bring. :)”
TYLER BENISH ’22: “Since I graduated from college this past year, I have been working full-time as a real estate appraiser. Working about 50 hours a week between work and classes to be able to get my license. When I’m not working, I still enjoy working out and competing in firearms competitions.”
BILLY STIGGERS ’22: “A few things have changed since graduation. I got into an acting conservatory on Broadway and moved to New York. That’s new. I’ve started drinking coffee. That’s also new. I’m in class for around nine hours every day. I’ve got dance classes, screenwriting workshops, improv classes, voice lessons, and a bunch of other stuff I’m going to every week. Living in midtown Manhattan is way different than Ripon. There are no trees and a lot of people. Every day you wake up to a different smell or weird colored substance on the street. New York is both as great, and as gross, as everyone says. I’ve got a few performances scheduled for the end of the year, but I’ve also discovered a hidden talent for stand-up comedy. I’m excited to see what else Broadway has in store for me.”
DEB TUZAS ’22: “I’m currently going to school for my master’s degree in museum studies at the University of Oklahoma.”
GARRETT RADTKE ’22: “I moved to St. Louis with my girlfriend, ALYSSA NABER ’22, and completed my first semester at Washington University for mechanical engineering.”
EVAN BARBIAN ’22: “Since graduation, I completed my season-long internship with the Brewers Community Foundation. Using the experience I gained, I landed a full-time position as the development & communications associate with Cathedral Center. Cathedral Center is a non-profit organization located in downtown Milwaukee that provides services to unaccompanied women and families experiencing homelessness. I am able to continue my career in baseball too. as the catching coach for the Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team this upcoming season. I have been doing all of this while settling into my new apartment in West Allis.”
KATY DANO ’22: “Since graduation, I have been working for Photography To Profits. I just hit my one year there! I am currently a junior marketing lead and the work is never boring. However, I am currently looking to pursue new career paths in the social media manager/specialist world. I have also moved to Madison, Wisconsin with a Ripon bestie and love living in the city. This year I will also be finally taking a trip to Spain.”
BRE OLLECH ’22: “I am currently a math teacher at Oshkosh West High School! I will also be helping coach the JV softball team there starting in March and have been head coaching a 14U travel team in Fond du Lac.”
Finally, we would like to again thank the class for donating and giving back to Ripon. Over half of the class contributed this past year, assisting future students in achieving their educational goals.
Please continue to stay in touch with us! We look forward to hearing from you all as we progress through our careers and personal lives.
Sincerely,
Rhett ’22
Abbe ’22
Alyssa ’22
Logan ’22
P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!