MARION GOCKER HERBER ’52 of West Bend, Wisconsin, died Aug. 8, 2021. She attended Ripon College. She then went to business school at Prospect Hall in Milwaukee, where she became a secretary. She and her family spent summers at Silver Lake in West Bend from 1977-1986 and made Silver Lake their permanent home in 1986. She was a longtime member of St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church in West Bend. Survivors include two sons.

Full obituary:

Marion Mae Herber

Nov. 8, 1930 – Aug. 8, 2021

Marion Mae Herber (nee Gocker), age 90 years, of West Bend was called home to be with the Lord on August 8, 2021 at Froedert West Bend Hospital.

Marion was born on November 8, 1930 in Milwaukee to Rupert and Ina Gocker (nee McKinnon).

She was united in marriage to Donald R. Herber on September 8, 1951 at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Wauwatosa. Donald passed away on October 29, 1990.

Marion was raised in Wauwatosa. She attended Ripon College and then went to business school at Prospect Hall in Milwaukee, where she became a secretary. Marion and Donald spent their summers at Silver Lake in West Bend from 1977 – 1986. They made Silver Lake their permanent home in 1986.

They loved the lake life! In 2005 Marion moved to Cedar Ridge. She believed in the cause of donating blood and enjoyed many years of donating at the Blood Center in West Bend.

Marion was a long-time member of St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church in West Bend.

Those Marion leaves behind to cherish her memory include her two sons, Daniel J. (Mary) Herber and Robert A. Herber; grandson, Daniel R. (fiancée Jessica) Herber; brother-in-law, Wayne (Sally) Herber, and son-inlaw, Larry (Sandy) Stacy.

She is further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

In addition to her parents, Marion was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Donald R. Herber; daughter Lynne Stacy; and sister, Joyce Gocker.

Private family services were held. Burial was at Washington County Memorial Park in West Bend.

The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff at Froedtert West Bend Hospital and Horizon Hospice for their care and compassion.

Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Marion’s arrangements. Please consider signing our online guest book (www.myrhum-patten.com) to share your condolences with the family.

Cards addressed to the family may be sent in the care of Myrhum-Patten Funeral and Cremation Service, 1315 W. Washington St., West Bend, WI 53095.

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

HENRY AUGUST HOLZKAMPER ’62 of Bonita Springs, Florida, died Nov. 14, 2020. At Ripon, he studied business management, participated in student athletics and was a Partner in the Legacy. He also earned a business administration degree from Elmhurst College and served in the U.S. Navy. He had a varied career. He worked as a distributive education teacher and in real estate rentals and operated a powerboat charter business in the Virgin Islands. He was in the first group to experience zero gravity, sailed his sailboat three times from Chicago to the Virgin Islands and back and another time solo from Bermuda to New York. He loved adventure and telling jokes. Survivors include his wife, Jan; and two daughters.

Full obituary:

Henry August Holzkamper, born August 10, 1939, died in his sleep on November 14, 2020 in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Henry was born and raised in Chicago, the son of Henry August and Dorothy (Weinecke) Holzkamper. He showed a sense of entrepreneurialism beginning at the age of 6. Henry graduated from Lane Tech High School and Elmhurst College and immediately joined the Navy.

Henry was a remarkably good man and didn’t know he couldn’t do it. He was in the first group to experience Zero Gravity. He sailed his sailboat three times from Chicago to the Virgin Islands and back and another time solo from Bermuda to New York. He started his career as a distributive education teacher and enjoyed that, until he read a book on How to Get Rich in Real Estate and began to accumulate apartment rentals. After the high interest rates of the 1980s hit, Henry bought a powerboat and started a charter business in the Virgin Islands. He was the most booked boat in the Carribean! In 1995, Hurricane Marilyn totaled the boat – with him on it, only to be held up at gunpoint and knife the next morning. He moved to Florida and started over, buying small apartments. He was a one-man show, fixing them up and renting them. He will be remembered for Henryisms, “strangers are friends you haven’t met yet”, “better to waste than to my waist”, “the way to do this is…”, and best of all, “life is a participatory sport”.

One of the things Henry loved to do was to tell jokes – and laugh harder than anyone, no matter how many times he told it. He lived his life with curiosity as his friend. He loved adventure, the more unique and thrilling, the better. He had set out to live to be 120 years old.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jan Moore, daughters Heidi (Scott) Bernover, Holly (Anderson) McGregor and grandchildren Harrison Bernover, Tekla McGregor, Pippa McGregor, Hayden Bernover and Isla McGregor. He was so proud of all of them!

A private memorial service will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by visiting www.stjude.org/donate or the Community Pregnancy Clinic of Florida.

To sign his guest register or to leave online condolences please visit www.ShikanyFuneralHome.com

Arrangements are being handled by Shikany’s Bonita Funeral Home Family Owned and Operated since 1978.

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

Greetings, Class of 2020!

So much has changed in the world since we last saw each other on campus, almost a whole year ago at the time of my writing. Almost overnight, we went from making plans to celebrate senior week and graduation with our friends and family to having to plan how to return home safely, how to manage online classes, and so many more unprecedented questions.

Despite the many challenges we faced, we adapted, and we persevered. We wore masks and stayed home to protect our frontline healthcare workers; we learned and adhered to new terms like “social distancing” and “contact tracing,” and we made sacrifices for the greater good, like our remaining time on campus with each other and our graduation ceremony.

The most remarkable thing to me, however, is how, despite the many days of quarantine that all blended together into one; despite the days, weeks, and months we went without seeing loved ones, we began to find our footing in the world. We found jobs, started at new schools, got engaged, and so much more. Although we did not have the opportunity to celebrate our collective achievements at commencement like we should have, we already have so much to celebrate that we have done in our short time since we departed campus. Accordingly, here are our Class Notes:

KAYLIE MARKS ’20 of Saint Paul, Minnesota, is in her second year of chiropractic school, living with DAKOTA WILCOX ’19 and their dog. This year she will be taking the board exam, receiving her white coat, and getting married at Ripon College!

KATELYN KABACINSKI ’20 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, is halfway done with nursing school! She will graduate from Bellin College in October with her BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).

ALEXANDRA MOLINSKI ’20 of Arvada, Colorado, moved this past summer and started a Master’s Program in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling.

JOHANNA WIGAND ’20 of West Allis, Wisconsin, is the Initial Assessment Specialist with the Department of Children and Families with the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services.

ABBY KORB ’20 of Chevy Chase, Maryland, is the Political Research and Sales Coordinator at NGP VAN, Inc.

BRIANA BARTZ PETERSEN ’20 of Lakeland, Minnesota, teaches mathematics at River Falls High School. Briana and TODD PETERSEN ’19 married in the summer of 2020.

After his shoulder surgery, AUSTIN HEISELMANN ’20 of Burlington, Wisconsin, finally got his flight school dates! He will be moving to Alabama to start his Army Pilot Career! Austin has also been working as an Officer in Command for COVID-19 Operations.

ERIC DOLL ’20 of West Bend, Wisconsin, is looking forward to finishing his Student Teaching process!

JOHN MYERS ’20 of Ripon, Wisconsin, married KELLI WALSH MYERS ’16 and they are looking forward to the first spring in their new home!

ALLI SCHLOER ’20 of Park Falls, Wisconsin, got a job teaching art at two elementary schools near her hometown! Alli plans to start online courses in the summer through UW-Superior to work towards her degree in elementary education.

MIYE AOKI-KRAMER ’20 of Madison, Wisconsin, is currently long-term subbing in a seventh-grade science class at Beaver Dam Middle school! In June, Miye plans to move back to Seattle with her fiancé, STEVEN LANPHIER ’17.

DEVIN HOAGLIN ’20 of Davenport, Iowa, is a connoisseur and purveyor of fine meat products in Davenport, Iowa. Additionally, he recently announced his engagement to Ashley Madison.

MAX MINDIOLA ’20 of East Troy, Wisconsin, is enjoying his first year as a dental student at Creighton University, despite taking 50 credits per semester. He is looking forward to enjoying the College World Series and eating more of the delicious steaks Omaha is known for.

ADAM WRONSKI ’20 of Red Wing, Minnesota, began working at PPD, a leading global CRO (Contract Research Organization), shortly after his graduation from Ripon College. He is hopeful that the work of his company and countless other scientists will help bring the COVID-19 pandemic to an end promptly and looks forward to reuniting with his classmates when it is safe to do so.

MICHAEL HARTMAN ’20 of Grafton, Wisconsin, is a new Graduate Trustee on the Ripon College Board of Trustees. He currently works for Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (WI-05) in his Washington, D.C. office.

In closing, I want to express my deep appreciation for all of you. This appreciation is based not only on the great experiences and memories we made on campus together but equally on the inspiring contributions you are all making to the world around us already. I look forward to the day (hopefully soon), where we can all be reunited on campus and enjoy each other’s company and camaraderie. On that note, the College has announced a goal of hosting our Class of 2020 Commencement ceremony on Sunday, August 8th, as part of Alumni Weekend; I hope those of you who are able to make the trip will join us in this special celebration. More details will be forthcoming.

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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.

• Additionally, we, the Class of 2020, will officially be welcomed to the alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Keep wearing your masks and staying healthy; better and brighter days are ahead. We look forward to seeing many of you this summer!

ADAM WRONSKI ’20
(651) 301-9390

KAILEE BETLER ’20
(920) 290-1327

MITRA KERMANI ’20
(303) 807-3662

HALEY STOWELL ’20
(715) 214-8025
Your 2020 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Adam Wronski, Kailee Betler, Mitra Kermani, and Haley Stowell

Greetings, Class of 2019!

As spring sets in, we wanted to wish you and your families a safe and healthy 2021. The previous year has been challenging for many of us, to say the least. COVID-19, racial injustice, natural disasters, and the unrest across the country have left impressions on each of us that will follow us for the rest of our lives. Many of us have gone the extra mile to support one another, our communities, and ourselves. Whether you are currently working in healthcare, COVID-19 relief, fighting for what’s right, or simply delivering meals to those who need it, we send an extra heartfelt thank you.

Reading our class updates always reminds us that we are all still out there making a difference in our communities. While we may be located all across the globe, we remain connected as the Class of 2019. We hope these class updates bring you joy and memories of times when you were not-so-socially-distanced with your classmates.

We also have some updates about the place we all call home. Enrollment is already 30% higher compared to this point last year, with nearly 40% of the first deposits coming from first-generation students. #OneDayRally is April 28th, with a theme of Ripon Over the Years. Be sure to support the school in whatever way you can when the time comes. More details on #OneDayRally will be available as we get closer. We’ve also heard that the new food service provider, SAGE, is an immense upgrade over Sodexo. Those unfortunate students will never know what it was like to have cereal and vanilla ice cream as their only dinner options.

As we move into warmer weather, we look forward to hearing more about your successes, tribulations, and goals. We hope there will be future events soon where we can see each other (probably virtually), pick up where we left off, and maybe even share a beer again.

We have good news to share regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend. 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

Class Notes:

JUAN BAEZ ’19 of Dallas, Texas, says, “Just started my new position as a Supervisor at AMF Garland. I started my own video business back in Dallas that is starting to pick up.”

LANE BARNES ’19 of Selma, California, says, “I am leaving the country in April to go play pro football and start a career path in coaching. Hope everyone is doing well during these tough times! Stay strong.”

CARLY WESNER BOWMAN ’19 of Bailey’s Harbor, Wisconsin, says, “Been married for 6+ months now! Ryan and I adopted a rabbit that we named Bandit. He’s super fun! We are exploring other job opportunities around the country and hope to move this spring.”

SAM GINKEL ’19 of Mequon, Wisconsin, is working on two Children’s Books, one about Cryptids and a second about an Uncle and Niece playing pretend.

MELISSA MICALE HACKBARTH ’19 of Neenah, Wisconsin, says, “I have one year left of grad-school at Northwestern University! I will be receiving my Masters of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am more than halfway done!”

EMMA HALL ’19 of Derby, Kansas, recently graduated Sedgwick County Law Enforcement Training Academy and started as a patrol officer for the City of Wichita in our South Bureau.

OLIVIA HECK ’19 of Bloomington, Indiana, says, “I’m finishing my second year of the School Psychology Ph.D. program at Indiana University Bloomington. I’m looking forward to spending another warm spring in Bloomington going on quarantine walks and bike rides!”
RACHEL HAWLEY ’19 of Madison, Wisconsin, says, “I am finishing up my second year of pharmacy school at UW-Madison from the comfort of my own home with my two quarantine kitties: Pippa and Oliver. This summer I will be working for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals as a Regulatory Affairs Intern.”

VINCE HRIBERNIK ’19 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, says, “I’m working as a video operations associate at Forever’s media conversion center in Green Bay. I started the job back in August after a long job hunt.”

KATIE KING ’19 of Tucson, Arizona, says, “I moved to Tucson to begin my Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona. I’ve had opportunities to explore the Saguaro National Forest and red rock formations in Sedona. Though COVID-19 has resulted in all online courses and limited ability to experience my new city, I’m finding ways to enjoy my new home!”

EMMA LEMKE ’19 of Hilbert, Wisconsin, graduated in September of 2020 with a master’s degree in cultural heritage and museum studies from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom. While there, she worked for the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum. Ripon College featured a story about Emma’s internship, which can be accessed here.

WYATT MCGILLEN ’19 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, says, “I am currently living in Milwaukee with MITRA KERMANI ’20 and my two cats, Locke and Hobbes. I work for Prudential Financial as a financial advisor helping individuals with retirement planning and other investment or insurance needs.”

MCKENNA MEZA ’19 of Appleton, Wisconsin, says, “I started my career as a Registered Nurse and got engaged to THOMAS PHILLIPSEN ’19!”

TEARA MORGENROTH ’19 of Greenfield, Wisconsin, says, “I am in my second year of graduate school working towards a Masters in School Counseling. In Fall 2020 I was able to counsel members of the Whitewater community through my practicum experience. Now, I am applying and interviewing for internship positions for the Fall 2021-Spring 2022 school year where I will be able to practice as a school counselor in an elementary, middle, or high school. This will then prepare me to graduate in 2022!”

LUKE MUELLER ’19 of Oregon, Wisconsin, joins the New London School District as a physical education teacher at Lincoln Elementary and Sugar Bush Elementary Schools.

KATE MYSZEWSKI ’19 of Saukville, Wisconsin, is currently teaching middle school band in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Despite the challenges of teaching in-person and virtual students simultaneously, Kate is making the most of it! Outside of teaching, Kate is currently applying for graduate school, has weekly FaceTime dates with BECKY LEUENBERGER ’19, and is enjoying living with her boyfriend and two kitties.

NATHANIEL PAKOSZ ’19 of Frankfort, Wisconsin, started employment as a Clinical lab supervisor.

ROBERT ROSNER ’19 of Madison, Wisconsin, says, “I’m entering the penultimate semester of my master’s program in Water Resources Management at UW-Madison. I continue to enjoy my work as a trainee at USGS and hope to find a position there following grad school. During the holidays, I enjoyed seeing family and spending time ice fishing with my brothers.”

SHANE STRABLEY ’19 of Waterford, Wisconsin, is currently in his second of three years at Marquette University Law School.

ALEC SUTTON ’19 of Los Gatos, California, is attending graduate school at Montana State University Billings.

NICK TARANTO ’19 of the Minneapolis, Minnesota area, is working for Life Time, the fitness brand, at their corporate office.

SAVANNAH WHITE ’19 of Carol Stream, Illinois, says, “My partner and I will be moving in together this summer. We’ve been house hunting and it’s been quite the experience. We also have plans to adopt another fur baby as soon as we get settled. I’m a little over halfway through my graduate program and I have been adapting drama therapy for a virtual space since September. Working with the kindergartners and second graders has been an incredibly unique experience. I have also secured a placement for next fall at a partial hospitalization program for adults and adolescents and I’m looking forward to the new challenge. Additionally, I officially became published for the first time in November 2020 and presented the research at the North American Drama Therapy Association Conference the same month. You can find my article in volume six issue two in the Drama Therapy Review!”

Take care of yourselves and each other. <3

Our best to you,

ERIC FELS ’19
(262) 365-9726

RACHEL HAWLEY ’19
(224) 688-3049

OLIVIA HECK ’19
(262) 408-3785

TYLER STURZL ’19
(715) 889-3672

Your 2019 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Eric Fels, Rachel Hawley, Olivia Heck, Tyler Sturzl

Greetings, Class of 2018!

What seems like the longest year of our lives has finally come to a close. Some of us have changed jobs, moved cities, adopted pets, or completed other various life milestones. Despite all of the different things we have been up to we all have one thing in common, resilience. This year brought a lot of challenges and things we weren’t prepared for, but hopefully from this experience, you’ve found something positive. Perhaps you picked up a new skill or rediscovered an old hobby. Maybe you used this time to connect with an old friend or reflect on your current job or living situation. Whatever that may be, we’re hoping you’ve come out on the other side of this stronger and more aware of who you are and where you want to be.

Perhaps this sounds corny but many of us, three years post-graduation, are still working through what’s next. It is normal to question what we are supposed to do with our lives or who we are supposed to be. All this free time spent inside our homes has allowed us more space to question these things. Wherever you are in your life right now we hope you find clarity and peace.

The College has announced plans for this summer’s Alumni Weekend. 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

Given our climate and state of things as your Class Agents, we did not want to push too hard for life updates this cycle. We hope that you and your family are safe and healthy. As a reminder, the Class of 2018 has a Facebook group you can use to be updated on all things Ripon College. If you’d like to be added please reach out to one of us. You can also send us updates on your life any time of the year. We will make sure they’re included in the next letter.
Sincerely,

LAUREN HINCE ’18
(763) 706-7473

HOLLY ERICKSON ’18
(262) 497-7796

ELEANORE MUELLER WOOD ’18
(920) 539-2935

Submitted by: Class Agents: Lauren Hince, Holly Erickson, and Eleanore Mueller Wood

Greetings, Class of 2017!

We hope everyone is thriving and that 2021 has brought a fresh start to your lives! Ripon College is starting 2021 off strong with an on-time start to the semester. They have also implemented a COVID-19 surveillance program in which they will frequently test students to find cases before they have any ability to gain a foothold. The college was lucky in the fall semester to have a limited number of cases. They limited cases by quarantining COVID-positive students on one floor of Anderson Hall until the infection cleared and those students could be released. Best of luck to the College for the rest of the spring semester in limiting the spread of COVID-19!

Although it may feel far away, our five-year Class Reunion will be here before we know it! Start marking those calendars for Alumni Weekend 2022 (June 23-26)! We can be hopeful that vaccines will open the world back up by 2022 such that we can have the Class Reunion of a lifetime! Until then, stay well and stay hopeful!

We have good news to share regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend. 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

Class Notes:

EMMA BRONSON ’17 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just purchased her first house in Bayview. She was also accepted into the U.S. Global Leaders Coalition Next Gen year-long mentor program. She is also still drinking beer and judging everyone.

KONNER FELDHUS ’17 of Des Moines, Iowa, is finishing up his third year of medical school and will begin applying for residency in the fall to general medicine programs.

NOELLE KORZENIEWSKI ’17 of Ripon, Wisconsin writes, “After receiving my Masters of Bible in Minnesota, my partner and I moved back to Ripon in 2017. I took a job at a plasma donation center in an attempt to learn something new and out of my comfort zone. Since starting a little over a year ago, I have been promoted twice and now am the Training Lead Tech, helping and teaching new and current employees learn phlebotomy! I love my job, and am so proud to be working in healthcare at this time. Our plasma center was one of the first to start taking plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients in order to create the life saving therapies for those struggling with COVID-19. If you are able to, please, go donate your plasma or blood. My significant other and I are now looking to buy our very first house in Ripon. (If you or someone you know is looking to sell their single-family home here in Ripon, Wisconsin, soon, please reach out [email protected]!) We absolutely love the community of Ripon and want to officially call it home.”

BRENDAN MCCOY ’17 and MADDIE VANDENHOUTEN MCCOY ’17 are both still working at Ripon College in the Office of Advancement and Office of Admission, respectively. They celebrated their two-year wedding anniversary last fall and are looking forward to spending time outside this summer with their dog, Finn.

JORGE GUTIERREZ ’17 of Ripon, Wisconsin, is the new academic support specialist for the fine arts department at Ripon College. He hopes all of you will be able to attend future fine arts events at Ripon College in the future and if you do, please say hello. His bearded dragon, Cheezit, and his many plants are keeping him company as he social distances and stays safe. He does hope to see many of you at next summer’s 5-year Class Reunion!

Sincerely,

KONNER FELDHUS ’17
303-280-5835

WINONA HOLMES ROBBINS ’17
650-274-9231

ERIN CANON ’17
414-469-5945
Your 2017 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Konner Feldhus, Winona Holmes Robbins, and Erin Canon

Greetings, Class of 2016!

I was so happy to touch base with you for this Class Letter, and I can’t wait to share some exciting news about Ripon with you as well.

 Students and staff are back on campus for the spring semester, with in-person, online, and hybrid learning models with plenty of testing to keep everyone as safe as possible. We, of course, have a lot to hope for with Alumni Weekend – it has been FIVE whole years – and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible attend our Reunion. If you’d like to join the efforts to plan our Class Reunion or help with outreach, please reach out to us!

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 JJ GRINDE ’16, a 2021 Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our 5th Class Reunion, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.

• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

I am thankful for the friendships we have grown and continue to develop for these five years after graduation! Please do not take these connections for granted – especially in a time like this. Reach out to a friend, send some love, and do your best every day to find some light (even if it is just “Wow, that is a cool bird that I saw on my way to work!”).

Class Notes:

ALEXANDER MEHRE ’16 of Veazie, Maine, has decided to return to school to get a B.S. in mechanical engineering. He is enjoying living with his wife in their first house near the University of Maine.

ALYSSA KENNEDY ’16 of McHenry, Illinois, has graduated medical school and started her residency training at the Mayo Clinic in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the past year! Starting her new job in the middle of the pandemic has been challenging but rewarding. Additionally, she and JORDAN POLK ’16 got engaged!

ALYSSA NYCZ ’16 of West Hartford, Connecticut, has less than 500 days until residency graduation (not that she’s counting….). In the meantime, she is preparing to spend part of the summer practicing medicine in Alaska (assuming COVID-19 cooperates). She and her significant other are currently searching for a new place to call home in Connecticut AND jobs in exploring emergency medicine (him) and pediatrics (her) with the hope that their career search lands them in Wisconsin! When they are not attempting to be real adults, they are probably watching Survivor reruns.

BRANDON MASTALISH ’16 of Mayville, Wisconsin, is moving to California to be roommates with another fellow Ripon alumni in the coming months to start a career and try something new!

CARL MEISNER ’16 of Minnetonka, Minnesota, is coming up on his second year of putting his degree to use, working at a healthcare software company. He has spent the pandemic playing a pile of board games, and practicing smoking ribs and brisket.

COURTNEY BLOOMER ’16 of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, moved back to Wisconsin after graduating nursing school in April and is working as a nurse in the ICU in Berlin, Wisconsin!

ELIZABETH KONIECZNY YAMAT ’16, of Glendale, Wisconsin, her husband Brady, and their son, Theo, are enjoying lots of extra time at home with their two dogs. They are loving watching all the Disney movies – especially Theo’s favorite, Moana!

EMILY GARY WESTPHAL ’16 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was married to Derek Westphal in October of 2020 and is still spending a lot of time with their very hyper and spoiled Mini Goldendoodle, Maggie.

ERIKA RIEBE NELL ’16 of St. Paul, Minnesota, transitioned to Assistant Director of Admission at St. Catherine University in August! She is also working towards her MBA with a concentration in Integrated Marketing Communications and plans to graduate in 2022. She and ZAC NELL ’15 recently celebrated four years with their rescue pup, Rodgers, and are amazed/in denial about how white his face is already. They can’t wait until they can travel again and see people at our joint Class Reunions!

HALEY SORBO ’16 of Nekoosa, Wisconsin, has been with Visit Rome for two years as of May of this year and is happy to know that Rome is rapidly growing with Sand Valley!

JAMES-MARK OOKO-OMBAKA ’16 of Mount Vernon, New York, is a Project Manager at Code for Africa (CfA) – which is partnered and founded by Google News Labs, World Bank Group, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CfA is the continent’s largest network of open data and civic technology labs! James continues to be passionate about social justice and economic empowerment. James also recently did an interview with the BBC on strategies that young/busy professionals should employ to deal with insomnia that recently aired! He was wearing some Ripon swag in the interview. For a sneak peek, check out BBCAfrica on Instagram!

JENNIFER KELLER ’16 of Mequon, Wisconsin, had a new career move! She said goodbye to the awesome team she worked with for four years in Richfield, Wisconsin, and began her role as Village Administrator in the Village of Jackson, Wisconsin, in January. She is looking forward to also being a back-to-back annual Wisconsin state parks pass holder. Any fellow alums with park recommendations, feel free to pass them along!

JENNIFER NIGGEMEIER ’16 of Germantown, Wisconsin, has been COVID-19-free since ’94.

JORDAN POLK ’16 of Greenwood, Indiana, has moved back to Wisconsin and recently started working as an admission counselor for Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He is the head varsity boys’ basketball coach for Hillsboro High School. Finally, he and ALYSSA KENNEDY ’16 got engaged!

KARI BROWN ’16 of De Pere, Wisconsin, has been working at Associated Bank for a year-and-a-half now and has definitely found her career! In June 2020, she was fortunate enough to marry her best friend – though their original May wedding was scheduled, they opted for a smaller ceremony as soon as they could. She and Chris love spending time with their families and goofing around with their 75-pound lap dog. She is certainly looking forward to what 2021 brings!

KATIE TREDINNICK ’16 of Madison, Wisconsin, has spent the last few months finding ways to incorporate the outdoors into her daily routine of sitting and looking at her computer all day. Sometimes she goes on walks around the neighborhood or sits on the porch in the sun or goes cross-country skiing with her beau, PAUL MEUER ’16. The computer is teaching her things, though!

KAY LULING SENGLAUB ’16 of West Allis, Wisconsin, has been surviving one day at a time. She’s been taking the dogs hiking when she can, and is in training mode for some events coming up! She tries to celebrate life through food and indoor activities on the weekends.

KELLI WALSH MYERS ’16 of Ripon, Wisconsin, married JOHN MYERS ’20 and they are looking forward to the first spring in their new home!!

LIZZIE PETERS ’16 of Appleton, Wisconsin, is still teaching 4K and 3rd grade at St. Edward School and is loving it! With COVID-19 causing pools to close or only open minimally, she hasn’t been able to be a lifeguard or teach swim lessons for almost a year. However, she has taken on being a Dog Trainer’s Assistant!! With this job, she helps the dog trainer and the clients train their puppies and answers their questions. She says, “It has been really fun learning how to train and work with puppies…a new way to use her educational skills!”

MCCAYLA THOE ’16 moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, and works for the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget as a Project Coordinator. In her free time, she is an independent artist through her small business, Selcouth Artistry at selcouthartistry.com.

MINH DO ’16 of Hanoi, Vietnam, changed his job and is currently working as a business analyst for a bank in Vietnam.

NICHOLAS LUEDTKE ’16 of Appleton, Wisconsin, completed a successful internship at Integrated DNA Technologies in Coralville, Iowa, where he progressed the prediction algorithms of CRISPR gene editing tools. He is finishing his Ph.D. in chemistry and is trying to answer the question of why enzymes are so big. He has been keeping himself sane with copious amounts of cycling and running and even took the opportunity to complete the rim-to-rim-to-rim at the Grand Canyon nonstop.

RACHEL ROKUSEK ’16 of Chesapeake, Virginia, was engaged over Labor Day weekend while in the Outer Banks and is currently planning their wedding for November 2021 when they can hopefully have a mask-free and safe celebration with their friends and family. She and her new coworker, Larry the cat, have finally figured out how to successfully work from home with very little interruptions to his catnap schedule.

RACHELLA BENNETT ’16 of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, bought a house in Menomonee Falls, got promoted, and is pregnant!

RAEANN BRIXIUS-FAHNRICH ’16 of Alexandria, Virginia, is wearing her mask, social distancing, and anxiously awaiting COVID-19 vaccination!

SIDNEY BLODGETT DEMASTER ’16 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, has had a crazy year! Her daughter Eliza is growing like crazy. She just started to walk, so they are starting to babyproof everything. Sidney is currently working as an all virtual second-grade teacher for North Fond du Lac and is loving it (thanks COVID-19)!! She and her husband decided to put their house up for sale and moved in May. They then had a house fire in their new home in June. It was very scary, but they are all okay. Everything in the entire house had to be redone, but they were finally able to move back in November. It has been so nice to be home and settled. Sidney’s husband, Aaron, started Centerpoint Church in September and it has been going really well! They are growing and it’s been super fun to meet so many new people. They have services in the Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac every Sunday at nine a.m.

SAM CANNING ’16 of Wheaton, Illinois, is living the dream of working from home with her dog.

SARA DRIEBEL ’16 of New Berlin, Wisconsin, is still working as a Human Resources Generalist and spends a lot of time working on growing an indoor jungle! She is anxiously awaiting the day she can get back to work at the zoo and misses seeing the critters and teaching the kiddos there a ton. Sara would also like to shout out JENNIFER NIGGEMEIER ’16 of Germantown, Wisconsin, for helping with this edition of the Class Letter!

SAMANTHA DEY ’16 of Union Center, Wisconsin, and ALEX SNELL ’16 of Brooklyn, Wisconsin, are engaged, expecting a baby, and buying a house!

TY KETZ ’16 of Clayton, Wisconsin, moved back to Ripon this past summer. He is coaching men’s basketball at Ripon College, bartending at Roadhouse, and is a caregiver for Comfort Keepers.

LUCERO PENA ’16 of Platteville, Wisconsin, is the Accounting Specialist for the City of Platteville.

Sincerely,

SARA DRIEBEL ’16
(262) 347-1484 / (262) 439-8124

ELIZABETH KONIECZNY YAMAT ’16
(414) 369-7430
Your 2016 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agent: Sara Driebel

Greetings, Class of 2015!

What will 2021’s story be?

We’re all looking for solutions, but the thing is… we don’t know.

And that not knowing what’s next is okay. Sometimes, not knowing results in not doing anything. We hold onto old experiences, relationships, stuff, or ideas of what we were “before” the pandemic (or any situation, for that matter). We hold onto what we know because it is known, even if it’s not particularly comfortable. Because even a little uncomfortable feels better than unknown, right?

But I urge you to consider change, for yourself and for society. The unfamiliar is scary, absolutely. The lack of control of how you or others will feel is a very real feeling. Sometimes not knowing the results can result in peace. This year, COVID-19 forced many changes to my routine. From attempting to sit still with meditation to daily exercise, I focused on personal change. I try to give positive energy. Life is breath, after all.

For society, we have to get better at change. The Zoom routine feels like an inescapable vortex where days are dripping from one to the next. We’re all in this vortex. Once we acknowledge this shared experience, we can examine the truths of this era: it’s been scary for pretty much everyone. Regardless of who is doing well and who is not, which we should always keep in mind if we don’t start embracing change, we’re not going to get anywhere.

We still have so many choices. There’s the intentional choice of letting go of the pandemic. There’s the choice of showing up, too, to make a change.
We have good news regarding Alumni Weekend and our 5th Class 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our 5th 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.

Class Notes:

RAYMOND ALLEN ’15 of Durham, North Carolina, writes, “I am excited to announce that I was awarded one of the inaugural 2020-21 Race and the Professions Fellowships! This is a new Duke fellowship created to “explore [the] challenges of racial inequities and the work of anti-racism in the professions.” My Tribal community has taught me to always bring my Native perspective to everything I do, and to be proud of it. I’ve been talking about race inequities in science and academia for a long time now, and it’s refreshing to have the work I’ve been doing for it be recognized! I’m also delighted to bring a Queer Indigenous perspective to the cohort!” RAYMOND is also featured in an article in the 2021 winter edition of the Ripon Magazine.

ZACH BEEK ’15 and NIKKI WEICHBROD BEEK ’12 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, welcomed a baby girl, McKinli, to the world on September 16, 2020.

CAT CARBAJAL OLIVER ’15 and AUSTIN OLIVER ’14 moved to Crested Butte, Colorado, in November and were married in January.

ANDREW CARBALLO ’15 of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is engaged to the woman who will mother his and her children. They will be married in Milwaukee in 2022. Throughout the pandemic, Andrew has not improved at Call of Duty War Zone.

ZACH CONNERS ’15 of Madison, Wisconsin, works as recruitment coordinator at Raven Software which is part of Activision Blizzard studio. He recently celebrated the release of Call of Duty: Cold War in November. Zach has taken on recruiting for another studio called Vicarious Visions. He hopes to plant a garden this spring!

KORRINE PETERSON COVALT ’15 and STEPHEN COVALT ’17 and of Crystal Lake, Illinois, welcomed their son, Carson, into the world on February 24, 2021.

CHRISTIAN ERTEL ’15 of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, got a new job at Chicago Title as an account executive focusing on residential real estate transactions.

WYLIE GAHART ’15 of Kenosha, Wisconsin, is currently working as an Elementary School Counselor in the Elkhorn Area School District and obsessing over her golden retriever puppy, Wren.

CHELSEA GRAHN ANDREWS ’15 of Maryville, Illinois, completed her Ph.D. in Psychology from UW-Madison in May 2020. Chelsea and her husband, Callon, rebooked their Alaska vacation for May, in hopes of finally celebrating her graduation.

TEAGAN FORD ’15 moved to Jackson, Minnesota, in October 2020. She has been working for Daktronics as the North Central Live Events Project Coordinator. The company manufactures large LED/scoreboards, so she helps the coordination of getting large displays installed at venues, colleges, sports, arenas, etc. She’s currently getting the Kansas City Royals an LED Live Video scoreboard. Ripon is in her region!

PETER HAYES ’15 of Chicago, Illinois, is working as an investment product manager at Envestnet. He is currently in a part-time MBA program at DePaul. Peter loves to take his pup Mac on long walks.

SAMANTHA KAY ’15 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, continues to work as the Global Outreach and Advocacy Manager for the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy. She manages programs focused on increasing access to potentially curative gene therapies in low and middle-income countries such as India, Brazil, and South Africa. Sam volunteers as an election worker because it’s the last line of defense against voter suppression. She was vaccinated in February and March and would highly recommend it.

ANDREW KLINE ’15 of Chicago, Illinois, has been working as an Account Executive at Copado, which is a Salesforce Developer Operations platform for the past two years. During the pandemic, he has been binge-watching TV and doing a puzzle here and there with his girlfriend. Andrew is planning to travel to Europe once that is safe.

CHRISTIAN KRUEGER ’15 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is plugging away on her Ph.D. at Marquette!

SAMMY LARSON ’15 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, got another promotion, to “QRC Project Coordinator” at Kimberly-Clark, and it appears she’ll be moving back to Wisconsin. In addition, she’s also pursuing a sustainable management master’s degree, and plans to pursue a Ph.D. afterward in green plastic science and development!

ARIEL LEE ’15 moved to San Antonio, Texas. She currently works as an author’s assistant with her own brand/business where each day is different.

EMILY FISHER LENSMIRE ’15 of Reedsville, Wisconsin, is living her best hermit life with her husband and two children. She knows there is a God out there as Disney Plus has been a blessing to preoccupy the munchkins as VHS’s are starting to get a bit obsolete and crackers in the old VHS player aren’t exactly good for it even if the girls insisted it was hungry. As if raising two children, working full time at Lakeland University, and farming with her husband wasn’t enough, she decided to start a photography business as well. Shameless plug for that. Overall life is good!

KAYLIE LONGLEY ’15 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is writing a book on the opportunity cost of behavior change. If you’ve committed and omitted habits, reach out to her! She’s still working at Bardon Bowling Centers and Ebenezer Stone Ministries, a southeastern Wisconsin food pantry. Food insecurity is real, but there is help! Call 211 to get help finding food, paying bills, and locating other resources near you.

EMILY MENGERT ’15 of Maricopa, Arizona, adopted a corgi named Luna and got a promotion from payroll to Case Resolution Associate.

NATE SIUDAK ’15 and BRI MILROY SIUDAK ’15 got married in December 2020 in Michigan. Bri is working as a school counselor in West Allis, and Nate is working at Titus Talent Strategies as a recruiter.

CHELSEA MOLDENHAUER ’15 of Ripon, Wisconsin, graduated from the National University of Health Sciences in Chiropractic Medicine.

NICOLE MALLI ’15 of Washington, D.C., has been exploring her hobbies during the pandemic: painting, cooking, crying in the shower. Nicole also got a Discover + subscription to watch 90-day fiancé and murder shows.

ALEXANDRA PATZA PAULSON ’15 and BEN PAULSON ’14 of Ripon, Wisconsin, celebrated their son, Theodore’s, first birthday recently.

CHLOE PIEPHO COREY ’15 and her husband, Luke, of Rochester, Minnesota, welcomed their daughter, Ava Rae Corey, on October 10, 2020.

MADDIE POULLETTE ’15 moved to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and is the proud aunt to a fifth generation Ripon legacy, baby Owen Poullette (son of SAM POULLETTE ’13 and MARA JENSEN POULLETTE ’14). She is working from home in HR consulting.

JESSICA SKIBA MORGAN ’15 of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, got a new job. She is working as a social media manager for Alliance Bible Church and The Student Union. LUKE MORGAN ’15 and Jessica bought a new house and are really excited. They are close to the Kettle Moraine and have upcoming summer plans to go backpacking and camping!

BRISTOLE RYFF ’15 of Orland Park, Illinois, moved into her first apartment with her boyfriend, Mike, and his son, Leo. She will be graduating in May 2021 with a Master’s in Special Education from Purdue University. She is currently completing her student teaching rotation in eighth grade during a pandemic, who would have thought? But all is well, and she is excited to graduate and finally have her own classroom!

LAURA SHIVELY ’15 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, left Premier Real Estate Management LLC in November to join the Client Concierge team at Accunet Mortgage. She continues to try a new recipe every week. Laura enjoys sharing the spoils, so that her boyfriend doesn’t feel obligated to eat an entire cake every week. She has been able to continue doing yoga at home and will be participating in a virtual 5K run this spring. Her weekends continue to have time dedicated to exploring take-out from local restaurants. This spring, she hopes to expand her plant family to have a small vegetable and herb garden on her balcony.

BRIAN SCHUMACHER ’15 and KATIE DREW SCHUMACHER ’14 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are enjoying watching their son, Mason, grow up and develop new skills. They are looking forward to warmer weather so they can all spend more time outside.

ANTHONY TAUSIG ’15 of Chicago, Illinois, celebrated three years at Broadspire. He was the best man in TIM SINKOVITZ ’13’s wedding in 2020. Anthony has entered into the world of homeownership and paying Chicago property taxes and now spends a lot of time at Home Depot and Menards. He and ALLISON MACKNICK ’17 have been together for six years this April.

CASEY VERCAUTEREN ’15 of Chicago, Illinois, married Allison in October 2020.

ROB WATERS ’15 and KAMELLE VAN DER LEEST WATERS ’15 of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, have been enjoying working from home with their Weimaraner, Jake. Kamelle celebrated five years at Dean Health Plan in February. Her current work, as a Grievance & Appeals Specialist, is in the office every other day. Rob spent a large part of 2020 renovating their home. He is starting a new job in the green industry in March. They are both very excited to take a week off and celebrate Rob’s sister’s wedding in August in Gulf Shores, Alabama. They have been thankful for many video happy hours spent with fellow alumni and look forward to the day we can all visit with friends again in person.

KAITLYN WELZEN ’15 of Kenmore, Washington, got promoted to ‘Sustainability and Purchasing Manager’ at the zoo, so she now runs two departments and gets to focus on general sustainability and waste.

CETONIA WESTON ’15 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is planning to open Niche Book Bar in May 2021 in the historically Black neighborhood of Bronzeville in Milwaukee. The business will offer Black literature in all genres, wine, tea, and coffee service, cozy spots for reading, and a place to sponsor book clubs, author events, and storytimes. More information on this news note can be found in the 2021 winter edition of the Ripon Magazine.

Cheers, classmates! Hope you to see you at our 5th Class Reunion celebration this summer!

SAMANTHA KAY ’15
(414) 587-5958

KAYLIE LONGLEY ’15
(262) 212-7394
Your 2015 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agent: Samantha Kay

Greetings, Class of 2014!

As we approach the one-year mark of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m finding myself reflecting a lot on change. The transition into spring tends to get me thinking about this topic each year anyway, but this year is different. Usually when I think about change, it’s in a much more gradual sense, but I’m finding it amazing to reflect on just how quickly our world was turned upside down as a result of the pandemic at this time last year.
A student of mine last week likened it to Thanos snapping his fingers in Avengers: Endgame, and it feels like the most accurate description of how we were all forced to process this life-altering change. What’s been really amazing, though, is seeing how the typical changes on the micro level of our personal lives continue to occur despite what sometimes felt like the real-life “end game.” As is evidenced by the below class updates, positive things were still happening this year! Our classmates have been buying houses, having babies, getting promotions, completing graduate programs, and a whole slew of other impressive and inspiring things. It’s comforting knowing that even a global pandemic can’t completely snuff out the joy of these life changes.

Class Notes:

RACHEL ZEMAN ADREANI ’14 of Northbrook, Illinois, writes, “I am still working at Northwestern Memorial Hospital as a labor and delivery nurse (what a time to be a nurse, whew). I got married this past summer to Peter Adreani in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. We now have a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog puppy named Luna. She’s keeping us pretty busy during this crazy time.”

BRITTANY LAHAIE BARTLETT ’14 of Campbellsport, Wisconsin, and her husband, Nathan, welcomed their first child on January 6, 2021. They are so excited to be new parents to their daughter, Vivian Rose.

ALLY BRETL ’14 of Door County, Wisconsin, writes, “Within the last six months, I sold my home in Milwaukee and moved to Door County. I started a new job at Door County Medical Center as a Behavioral Health Therapist working in two different outpatient clinics through the hospital. I’m very happy to be back home and closer to family!”

SAMANTHA ANGELL EASTBERG ’14 of Marshfield, Wisconsin, graduated from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln with her Ph.D. in School Psychology in August 2020. She and her husband currently live in Marshfield, Wisconsin, where she is completing a post-doctoral fellowship at the Marshfield Clinic.

JAY FISH ’14 of Columbus, Wisconsin, bought a house in May of 2020 where he now lives with his daughter, Nevaeh. He continues to work at American Family Insurance and just finished his third year coaching freshmen boys’ basketball for Sun Prairie.

SAMANTHA GOODWIN ’14 of Dover, New Hampshire, moved from Wisconsin to New Hampshire in early November 2020. She is currently living with her grandparents and looking for work in her new city.

AMANDA FINN HAGGERTY ’14 of Chicago, Illinois, is still doing travel and arts journalism but because of COVID-19 is also doing communications work with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin since September 2020.

MADELINE SOCKNESS HERRMANN ’14 and MAX HERRMANN ’13 of Appleton, Wisconsin, welcomed a baby boy, Fitzgerald, to their family on January 13, 2021.

SPENCER HOFFMAN ’14 and KATHLEEN WENDEL HOFFMAN ’14 of Carol Stream, Illinois, were married on August 16, 2020. Shortly thereafter they purchased their first home. They just recently welcomed their first child, Isaac, on January 27, 2021.

DANIEL MIKESELL ’14 of Bologna, Italy, taught English across China, Japan, Italy, and the U.S. for five years after graduation and is currently working toward his master’s in international affairs with a concentration in energy, resources and environment at Hopkins Nanjing Center in Nanjing, China. You can access a feature story on Ripon College’s website here.

ALI NEMECEK ’14 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writes, “My boyfriend Mike and I moved a mile across town to the Third Ward in Milwaukee on the coldest weekend of the year with the help of JOHN SPADONI ’15 and KRISTY OGLESBY SPADONI ’15. I will be graduating in May with my Juris Doctor from Marquette University, and I am currently working as a law clerk for a local employment attorney, as well as a research assistant for a professor. My mom, BETH PALMBACH NEMECEK ’79, is still seeking a kidney after she had COVID-19 in October – reach out if you are interested in learning more on how to help!”

RICHARD NOGAL ’14 of Palos Park, Illinois, is a veterinary assistant at Banfield Pet Hospital.

MARA JENSEN POULLETTE ’14 and SAM POULLETTE ’13 of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, welcomed their son, Owen Samuel, to the world in September of 2020. Parenthood has proven to be simultaneously the most rewarding and exhausting experience for both of them, but they’re figuring it out together and are living for all the baby smiles and snuggles. They both continue to work at Lakeland University – Sam as the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Mara as the Director of Cooperative Education. Mara also continues to teach additional courses in professional development to Lakeland students. She has also continued to serve as a volunteer advisor for Ripon’s chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and has enjoyed being able to stay connected to the College through this role.

LIZ WALSH ’14 of Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada had the one year anniversary of her move to Northern Alberta on February 21. She still loves her postdoc working with honey bees and the diseases that plague them. Her Texan dog, Stella, vehemently disapproves of Canadian winters, but has learned to live with it.

NIKKI GLASHEEN WEAVER ’14 married CHRIS WEAVER ’16 in November 2020. They are currently living in Lisle, Illinois, with their dog, Zeus.

As the world slowly creeps towards feeling “normal” again, I look forward to hearing about even more of these personal changes and successes and being able to celebrate them together! Don’t hesitate to send us your updates at any time.
We have good news regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend. 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

Stay well, friends.

MARA JENSEN POULLETTE ’14
(920)-946-8498

TIM HOLME ’14
(608) 333-9526
Your 2014 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Mara Jensen Poullette and Time Holme

Greetings, Class of 2013!

What a year it has been. I (CHARLOTTE LEE WAHLE ’13) can’t even quite believe it’s been a year – wasn’t it just March 2020? Then I realize that my quiet, just walking, one-year-old is now a two-year-old who is tearing around the house and shouting. What a year it has been. But here you all are! Somehow, life has gone on. New jobs and new homes; Quarantine babies and pandemic weddings; Graduations and so many Zoom meetings!

For myself, the excitement of the past year has been purchasing a robot vacuum and our very first big-kid couch! That fact that I’m even writing about those things here is how I know I’ve gotten old. Well, that and the fact that Tik Tok says my side part and skinny jeans are out of fashion. I’ve also completed my graduate program and will be graduating this May with a master’s in higher education administration!

I hope you are all safe, well, and hopeful. I look forward to when we can all catch up again in person! In the meantime, enjoy these life updates from our classmates. And if we haven’t heard from you in a while, please reach out! We want to hear how you are.

Good news regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend. 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

Class Notes:

ELLIE HEDBERG BEERS ’13 of Minneapolis, Minnesota writes, “Let’s see…January 4th of 2020 I had my wedding in Edina, MN followed by a honeymoon to the southern Caribbean. At the end of February 2020 I took my NCLEX, passed, and have been working as an RN in a long-term care community since then and have worked my way up to working as charge nurse. I am currently pregnant with my first child (EDD April 30th). My husband and I are currently house hunting…hoping to put an offer in soon! I am also currently working on my BSN degree and will be graduating at the end of the year. It has been a busy past year or so for me!”

AMY BROWENDER ’13 of Saint Paul, Minnesota, writes, “I’m attempting new things during quarantine including knitting my first sweater and taking a (virtual) watercolor class! This spring, I look forward to volunteering with the Minnesota State Arts Board again to inform public funding for organizations across the state. I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe.”

ABBY MILBRATH DEBBINK ’13 of McFarland, Wisconsin, writes, “I started my 5th year as a school counselor and have been in between working virtually and in-person. I have two kids: Miles-2.5 years and Murphy Mae-9 months (as of Feb ‘21).”

KAYLYN FREEMAN ’13 of Beaufort, South Carolina, writes, “I am getting married on April 10th, 2021, Covid willing!”

EMILY MILES HAHN ’13 of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, writes, “In Dec 2019 I got engaged and successfully defended my dissertation for a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from North Carolina State. I then moved to the Madison area in January 2020 and I am thankful to have found a job during the pandemic. I now work for the USDA at UW Madison researching cranberries. My husband, Corey, and I were able to pull off a mini-wedding in September (with AMANDA VIRTUE ’13 and RACHEL STAEDT ’13 by my side) and wrapped up 2020 by purchasing a home in Cottage Grove”.

JOHANNA BURTON LANPHIER ’13 of Lincoln, Nebraska, writes, “MICHAEL ’15 and I bought our first home in the spring of 2020 in Lincoln, NE! Also, ALEXANDRA MARTIN ’13 and I now live in the same city, so we can reminisce about our good old Ripon days in person now!”

JESSIE LILLIS ’13 of Staunton, Virginia, writes, “My newly formed theatre company, Starling Shakespeare Company, is producing their first festival on Mackinac Island in August! If you’re in the area, come see a show!”

SARAH MOEHRKE ’13 of Florence, Oregon, writes, “I got a promotion at work in August, so my new job title is “Economic Development Catalyst” for the City of Florence on the Oregon Coast. I’ve been able to support businesses through the COVID-19 connecting them with needed resources like funding and PPE. Recently, I’ve distributed over $55,000 of PPE to local businesses, secured a $35,000 grant for the local Boys and Girls Club, and secured another $40,000 grant for the local Community College”.

CHRISTINA MOONEY ’13 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writes, “I bought a house in Milwaukee and am learning how to use a screwdriver”.

LAUREN OTT ’13 of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, writes, “I got engaged to KYLE GREENE ’15! We have moved to a house on the Mississippi and I am taking any and all gardening tips. We also got a COVID puppy named Gus!”

ALI PELTIER ’13 of Polk City, Iowa, writes, “I have begun tackling my MBA at the University of Iowa with an expected graduation date of 2023, while continuing my career with Meredith Corporation in Des Moines. I live with my fiancé, Jonathan. We will be married in September 2022.”

MEGHAN RAEBEL ’13 of Appleton, Wisconsin, writes, “I am starting a new job as an Assistant Laboratory Supervisor at Lawrence University!”

STEPHANIE RHYNER ’13 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writes, “My fiancé and I bought a house in Milwaukee and I am teaching art history at UW Milwaukee, UW Eau Claire, and at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD).”

AMANDA VIRTUE ’13 of Lake Mills, Wisconsin, writes, “I was the maid of honor in my best friend’s wedding (EMILY HAHN ’13)!”

ZACHARY WIELAND ’13 of Appleton, Wisconsin, writes, “My oldest son became Picasso and used our entire house as his canvas, while our youngest son decided to go all “Rampage” on the house. Also, we adopted a dog.”

Stay safe and stay well, classmates!

CHARLOTTE LEE WAHLE ’13
(971) 222-5905

LAUREN OTT ’13
(651) 399-4363

ALI PELTIER ’13
(608) 228-0733
Your 2013 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agent: Charlotte Lee Wahle

Greetings, Class of 2012!

Hello, Class of 2012, and Happy Spring!

I always enjoy reading your updates, and this year it seems especially optimistic to see many of you doing well despite all the extra challenges to overcome. Thank you to everyone who contributed to these updates, as well as to those who have contributed financially to Ripon College over the past year. I’ve really appreciated seeing how our alma mater has adapted to our weird reality and wish all the current students and faculty well! I encourage you to visit http://www.ripon.edu/news to learn about what’s happening and to participate in the life of the college. They have been offering tons of virtual programming on a variety of subjects, too. Additionally, please save the date for #OneDayRally, Ripon’s annual giving day, on Wednesday, April 28!

We have good news regarding Alumni Weekend. 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; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.

• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Here’s what our group has been up to:

JESSICA BRUNGARDT LARSON ’12 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, added another dog to her zoo, leaving them with two dogs, three cats, and a toddler. She also got promoted to Assistant County Attorney III and still works in child protection. She loves her job even though it’s been a trying year.

ARIEL DICKINSON ’12 of Madison, Wisconsin, adopted a second dog, Cookie Monster, in February of 2020. She likes to sleep with her feet near her face. Ariel celebrated working at her company for five years and they’re expecting their first baby – due in July!

HEATHER GAIE SCHULTZ ’12 of Appleton, Wisconsin, and husband Kory welcomed their little girl, Kelsey, on August 20! She left her job at St. Elizabeth Hospital in November and is now working at Primary Care Associates of Appleton. She is still working as a medical laboratory scientist, but now gets to enjoy clinic hours and no longer has to work weekends and holidays!
STACEY HAMILTON ’12 of Groton, New York, is about to celebrate her three-year anniversary as an Assistant Director in the Financial Aid Office at Cornell University. This year will also be her five-year wedding anniversary!

KATE HAMM ’12 of West Allis, Wisconsin, is welcoming two babies in May 2021!

LISA HILLEREN ’12 of Chicago, Illinois, co-founded a women’s bike racing team and they’re now sponsored by Schwinn.

BRANDON KASUBASKI ’12 of Olympia, Washington, and his wife, Sarah, welcomed their second son, Everett, in October. The Army moved them to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington in April. He also earned his Masters of Science in Space Studies from American Military University in April.

SHARON KLAPPERICH DOLL ’12 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, welcomed a new fish into her family. This little guy gets his own tank, away from the other three fish, to keep her company while she’s teaching from home for now. She is still teaching English Language Arts (ELA) at Preble in Green Bay. She finally conquered knitting with double-pointed needles.

KATLYN LEE SCHUMACHER ’12 of Monroe, Wisconsin, welcomed her first child, Isaac, in May of 2020–he’s the happiest boy! She switched her career over to the web side of merchandising in August.

JEFF MARQUARDT ’12 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just celebrated his second wedding anniversary, started a handmade dumpling business with his wife, and is working as a Private Chef for the Milwaukee Bucks. #FearTheDeer
MEGAN MCGEE NORRIS ’12 of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and husband, Adam, had their second baby in April. Their son, Colton, is two and keeps them on their toes. They made it through 2020. Adam’s still with the post office and she’s loving her job as a solo practitioner doing juvenile and family law. Her office building survived the riots with just a few broken windows. Like most of downtown, we are still boarded up. #blacklivesmatter #kenoshastrong

ALAINA NESBITT BENNETT ’12 and AJ BENNETT ’12 of Greenville, Wisconsin, are living in the Appleton area and are still running and trying to keep up with their daughter, Madison, who is a year and a half and full of sass!

EMMA ROBINSON ’12 of Madison, Wisconsin, adopted a hedgehog in 2020. Her name is Mabel and she helps Emma grade papers when she’s not too busy sleeping or eating bugs.

ERIN SCHAICK ’12 of Concord, New Hampshire, is the Assistant Vice President, Director of Development and Community Relations at CATCH Neighborhood Housing. She misses her friends and family in Wisconsin terribly and she hopes to safely visit soon!

KATRINA SCHAULAND WATKINS ’12 of Kodiak, Alaska, is still in Alaska where her husband is stationed with the Coast Guard. They added to their Alaskan adventure on January 16 with the birth of their daughter, Rosalee.
KATHARINE SHADLE GAILS ’12 just got promoted to office manager of a newly opened Aspen Dental office in her hometown!

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12 of San Francisco, California, started a new job at a consulting firm after taking some time off from his previous employer. He purchased a house with his fiancée in February 2020, just before lockdown, and got his puppy, “Waffle”, shortly thereafter. They are currently debating new dates for their wedding that was originally planned for this summer.

BRY TUDOR GAWLIK ’12 and JUSTIN GAWLIK ’12 of De Pere, Wisconsin are enjoying living in the Green Bay Area. Justin still works in athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) and BRY is a deputy with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.

BRYANT VANDE KOLK ’12 of Baltimore, Maryland, completed a one-year fellowship with the National Nuclear Security Administration, took a position with Northrop Grumman, and moved to Baltimore – all in June last year. Lockdown inspired him to fill a few planters on his patio with herbs, start a paint-by-numbers project, and hike a bit more. Plus, he’ll be an uncle this February!

NIKKI WEICHBROD BEEK ’12 and ZACH BEEK ’15 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, welcomed a baby girl, McKinli, to the world on September 16, 2020.

SARAH WEINBERG UNDERHILL ’12 and JORDAN UNDERHILL ’11 of Minneapolis, Minnesota, got married on Halloween with just their parents and siblings. Sarah started her graduate program for a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She also learned to roller skate and can’t wait until the snow melts so she can get back out there!

Thank you again to everyone who shared their updates! Please stay safe and healthy and we hope to see you at a reunion soon!

Erin Schaick ’12
(920) 312-3825

Brandon Taylor ’12
(406) 274-4708

Katlyn Lee Schumacher ’12
(608) 558-9073

Submitted by: Class Agents: Erin Schaick, Brandon Taylor, and Katlyn Lee Schumacher

Greetings, Class of 2011!

I hope this letter finds you all well and healthy. Looking back a year ago, I don’t think any of us thought we’d be in the position we’re in today. I think I can safely speak for everyone when I say that I’m over it. I also want to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to those of you who are working in healthcare, as first responders, in retail, or any other profession where you’re interacting with the general public daily. Thank you for your time and effort and the risk you’re taking to keep the world running.

Some updates from campus: classes started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid formats. Ripon is currently doing random weekly surveillance testing where about 25% of the College community is being tested for COVID-19 in order to keep everyone as safe as possible.

As you are probably aware, our 10-year Class Reunion is this summer – we will be celebrating together with the class of 2010 who had to postpone their celebration due to COVID-19. All classes who would have celebrated their Reunion last year will also be on campus celebrating their belated Class Reunions during this year’s Alumni Weekend. 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 including for our very own NICK BEAMAN ’11 and SCOTT GILLESPIE ’11.

• 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 SAMUEL SONDALLE ’11; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our 10th Class Reunion, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.

• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

As highlighted above, during Alumni Weekend, Outstanding Young Alumni and Athletic Hall of Fame awards will be given out. SAMUEL SONDALLE ’11 will be receiving the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. NICK BEAMAN ’11 and SCOTT GILLESPIE ’11 will both be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Please join me in extending our classmates who are award recipients our congratulations. Hopefully, we can have a great showing at our Reunion, and let me know if you have ideas for how to specifically reach out to encourage our classmates to attend. I plan to get our Ripon College Class of 2011 Facebook page going again so please check that out.

Finally, #OneDayRally will be held on April 28, 2021. Mark your calendars and, if you can, please support the College and the Ripon Fund.

Attached are updates that were provided to me by our classmates. As always, please feel free to connect with me on any of the main social media platforms.

Class Notes:

HOLLY DEVORE ’11: Holly, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in December 2020 and recently passed the NCLEX. She now works as a Registered Nurse. In her spare time, Holly enjoys going to various Best Buys and camping in their parking lots. When an employee tells her there’s no need to camp and she can go inside any time she wants, Holly usually responds with “I know” and offers the employee a s’more.

MATT INGISH ’11: Matt, of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, is in his second year working at Pius XI High School in Milwaukee. He started a powerlifting program at the school last year and had a state champion in their first year. He and ASHLEY KIRST INGISH ’11, also of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, have two children (three and nine months old). Ashley is working at Waterford Union High School and coaching volleyball.

CALLEN MARX ’11: Callen lives in Salem, Oregon and does Oregon things almost every day. He and his roommate recently adopted a dog who is a big fan of David Hasselhoff. He reminds us not to Hassel the Hoff.

NICK OSENBERG ’11: Nick, of Royal Oak, Michigan, is currently wondering how he messed up saying the “A-train” so badly and why it was so funny at the time. He was also too busy doing this to provide a real update.

ABIGAIL RICHESON ILIEV ’11: Abby and her husband, of Lansing, Michigan, are both working as physicians in Michigan. They have a three-and-a-half year old daughter and a six-month-old daughter that they welcomed to their family in August 2020.

JORDAN SALZER O’BRIEN ’11 and BRENDAN O’BRIEN ’11: Jordan and Brendan, of Appleton, Wisconsin, recently welcomed their second daughter, Saoirse, to the world on November 4, 2020.

SARAH HOPKINS STANSBERRY ’11: Sarah currently lives Blue Springs, Missouri, which in the Kansas City area. She has been married to Jacob Stansberry for close to six years and they welcomed their first son this year. She manages a public library branch and just finished her Master’s degree in December 2020. Sarah recently took up the hobby of ant-farming. She manages the largest ant farm in the greater Kansas City area and has a couple of books in the works, all expected to be released in 2023. Her first book will be titled “Ant You Glad You Know Me.”

TIFFANY SEERING WATERS ’11: Tiffany, of Ormond Beach, Florida, married her dearest friend, Mike Waters, last March. They currently live near Daytona Beach, Florida, and are loving life there. She recently started teaching Environmental Science at the local high school and can’t wait to spend all summer on the beach with her bonus kids Lylah and Weston. Coincidentally, the family has befriended a pod of manatees led by a Lylah and a Weston. The Waters and Hallmark are currently in negotiations for a movie titled “Pod of Love – the Story of Lylah and Weston and Lylah and Weston.”

ROBYN ZAJAC-ELSBECKER ’11 and CHASE ZAJAC-ELSBECKER ’11: The Zajac-Elsbeckers of Pulaski, Wisconsin, spend their days with their newly-minted toddler and small family pod. Not to be confused with TIFFANY SEERING WATERS ’11’s pod of manatees. They very often reminisce about the time NICK OSENBERG ’11 said the “Uh-train” instead of the “A-train.” Further, they make a semi-annual offering to the raccoons in their backyard to sate their voracious appetites for baby carrots.

CASSANDRA FRANZ ZUMMALLEN ’11: Cassandra and JAKE ZUMMALLEN ’12 of Neenah, Wisconsin, just welcomed their second child, Hazel, in January. Hazel joins her big brother Graham. They live in Neenah and Cassandra is working as a Pediatric Hospitalist for Children’s Wisconsin.

Cheers,

SHANE ROEBER ’11
M: (262) 617-7707 / H: (262) 695-0555
Your 2011 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Shane Roeber

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

Submitted by: Class Agents: Nick Baker and Tomissa Porath Freisleben

Greetings, Class of 2009!

We hope this letter finds you, your family, and your friends healthy and safe. We’re excited to bring you some updates (and non-updates) from our classmates later in this letter. Class Letter time always reminds us of the awesome people we all had the opportunity to meet while at Ripon, and how some of those people have gone on to be integral members of our inner circles, and some we still keep in touch with occasionally. Once you read this Class Letter, we would like to challenge everyone to reach out to three classmates (or other Ripon connections) whom you haven’t been in touch with in a while. Say hello and take some time to catch up. Reminisce about the good times and the challenging times you went through together. Talk about what you miss most about Ripon, and what you’d love to be able to do again (maybe you can at the next Alumni Weekend, which will be this summer!)
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 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

JOSH LEGREVE ’09 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, has been busy continuing to teach Spanish in Green Lake, Wisconsin. As we finish this Class Letter, he is attending an IB (International Baccalaureate) training “in” Singapore from the convenience of his dining room table.

EMILY MEYER ’09 of Fargo, North Dakota, has become a Hockey Mom, shuttling her five-year-old daughter to games and practices on the weekends. We’re truly embracing the North Dakota lifestyle!

Watch out for info on #OneDayRally, which will be on Wednesday, April 28. We understand this still may be a hard time for some, but if you are in a position to give we encourage you to give what you can, even if it is a little.

We cannot wait until we can all join together again at Alumni Weekend or other Ripon College event. Until then, stay safe and keep us updated about all the exciting celebrations and news in your lives.

Class Notes:

CHRISTINE ANHALT-DEPIES ’09 of Oregon, Wisconsin, is the DNR Snapshot Wisconsin Project Coordinator, which reached an impressive milestone in November: volunteers have collected 50 million photos since its launch in 2016. Snapshot Wisconsin is a citizen-science program that gets the public involved to help monitor wildlife. Volunteers host a network of trail cameras that take “snapshots” of wildlife as they pass by. Volunteers then classify the species from their trail cameras with help from the public using the Zooniverse crowdsourcing platform. The data helps the DNR understand where certain animal populations are around the state and make important wildlife management decisions.

PERFECTO DIAZ ’09 of Chicago, Illinois, shares that he is starting a new position as a Manager in a new department at the mortgage company he works for. Perfecto would like to credit his theatre professors for helping him pretend he knows what he is doing. Cheers!

MORGAN FLOM ’09 of Barcelona, Spain, is an entrepreneur at Pivot Analysis.

AMANDA KNUTSON ’09 of Gay Mills, Wisconsin, shares that she bought a house and finished her Master’s in Education.

CHRISSY SKODACHEK KORN ’09 and her husband, Ryan, of Ottawa, Illinois, welcomed their Rainbow baby, Bruce, in May of 2020.

ZAC MANS ’09 of Minneapolis, Minnesota, shares that in the last year, he has completed his teaching certification and is currently teaching 6th and 7th grade social studies at DaVinci Academy for the Arts and Sciences.

ALYSSA WRIGHT WOODS ’09 and ADAM WOODS ’08 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, welcomed a baby boy, William Bennett Woods, on October 17, 2020.

Be well,

EMILY MEYER ’09
(920) 369-8707

JOSH LEGREVE ’09
(414) 839-7222
Your 2009 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Emily Meyer and Josh LeGreve

Greetings, Class of 2008!

It’s hard to believe that it is spring already. 2020 is in the rear-view mirror and it feels good to know that some are getting back to some normalcy. We wanted to share a few updates about our Alma Mater as well as a few exciting updates from our fellow classmates.

As of January 25th, students are back on campus. The college held campus-wide testing for COVID-19. The results came back with less than 1% being positive cases! It is hard to imagine Ripon without being on campus.

One important date that everyone should put in their calendars is April 28th as this will be the 4th annual One Day Rally! This year the theme is going to revolve around nostalgia and Ripon throughout the years. The goal this year is 2021 donors in 20 hours and 21 minutes. This class really stepped-up last year and put up some amazing numbers as a group to help the cause. Everyone should be receiving save the dates soon from the college. Let’s have another great turnout, and remember every little bit helps.

So many of us have enjoyed Alumni Weekend since we graduated, so I wanted to mention that the College has announced plans for this summer’s Alumni Weekend. 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

We would like to congratulate those below on their exciting updates. After such an unprecedented year it was great seeing such fantastic news, and blessings. If you have an update please feel free to share it on the Class of 2008 Facebook page, or reach out to one of the Class Agents.

Here are our Class Notes:

AMANDA BEERS WOJTANOWSKI ’08: I spent the last year in Germany for the U.S. Army with Regional Health Command Europe as the Chief of Current Operations. I spent my time leading a team through navigating operations in a COVID-19 environment, while directing COVID-19 testing, restrictions, and vaccinations for the U.S. Army throughout Europe and Northern Africa.

KEN LEIVISKA ’08: ELIZABETH KUNDE LEIVISKA ’09 and I welcomed our first child, Mason, into the world in October 2020. Our happy family of three lives in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

TYLOR LOEST ’07: Katie and I expanded our family with a baby boy, Quincy Charles, born on October 15, 2020.

ERIN MAGUIRE ’08 of Hot Springs, Arkansas, is employed as a licensed master social worker for LHC Group/Elite Hospice and is prayerfully considering international adoption.

ALISON KRINGS OTTO ’08: I was diagnosed with stage one triple-positive breast cancer on December 16, 2019, at the age of 32. Treatment included a bilateral mastectomy, a year of chemo, and hormone blockers. It has been a long and difficult year, but we made it. I had my last chemo on January 23, 2021, and am now a cancer survivor.

MAC SHUMANN ’08: My wife Stephanie and I welcomed our second child, Rory, on October, 31, 2020, and our son Jack is three-and-a-half years old. I am currently working at JJ Keller in Neenah as a Sr. Sales Manager and coaching baseball at Neenah High School.

ADAM SONNTAG ’08: After serving as the city of Hillsboro, Wisconsin, city administrator since 2011, Adam has been named the new city administrator for the city of Ripon, Wisconsin. He and his spouse, Cari, and their young daughter will be moving to Ripon. (Welcome back home to Ripon, Adam!)

ARLENE TORRES ’08: I’m now a Senior Regional Admissions Counselor for UW-Green Bay serving my seventh year with them. I am a new member of the Education Equity Action Team through the Hispanic Collaborative Network. I have been assisting with local initiatives impacting women and children as a Community Impact Leader.

CARL VEENENDAAL ’08: My wife Ashley and I moved to Franklin, Tennessee, last fall and had twins on October 2nd! They are Cade Knox, 3 pounds, 5 ounces and 16 inches long, and Cruz Jaxson, 3 pounds, 0 ounces and 15.4 inches long.

We hope everyone enjoys their spring and summer, and as always Go Red Hawks.

Leah Hover-Preiss ’08
(608) 432-2399

Zac Schwandt ’08
(414) 312-3531

Stephanie Sommer Faulds ’08

Submitted by: Class Agents: Leah Hover-Preiss, Zac Schwandt, Stephanie Sommer Faulds

Greetings, Class of 2007!

What a year it has been! We hope you and your families are staying safe during this pandemic. Even with COVID-19, Ripon continues to excel by holding hybrid classes and testing students. Congrats to the faculty and staff for being incredibly flexible and ingenious so that students could continue to thrive.

In mid-February you should have received the Ripon Magazine and if you look at page twelve and 15, you will see two of our classmates, NASIF ROGER ’07 and ASHLEY NUTER RUSS ’07, featured for their work. Way to represent Ripon and the Class of 2007! You can always stay up today on Ripon-related news by visiting ripon.edu/news.

If you haven’t done so already, please consider making a donation to Ripon College. Any amount is impactful and our overall participation percentage is vital in so many ways for Ripon. In 2020 our class participation rate was 19.05%. Let’s all work together to get this above 25% in 2021. Ripon’s annual giving day, known as #OneDayRally, will be held on Wednesday, April 28.

Now it is time for some exciting updates from your classmates:

JODI RABAS BURNS ’07 is are expecting baby #2 in May! She also just built an addition on to her office to be able to hire another doctor and take on an intern this fall. Jodi misses getting an “easy riser” for breakfast from The Pub!

MARA EVANS ’07 of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) at SpectrumHealth.

AMANDA LIETHEN GLASS ’07 of Random Lake, Wisconsin, and her husband Michael are expecting an addition to their family in August, joining big brothers Matthew (14) and Theodore (2). To the disappointment of the boys, this addition is not expected to be either a puppy or a pirate. Amanda is the Associate Director of Advancement Services and Data Analyst at Ripon College and has been working remotely since March 2020. While grateful to not have a nearly three hour commute to the office, she misses seeing people outside of Zoom meetings.

KATIE BRAUN JOHNSTON ’07 was the president of the Racine Lighthouse Brigade Band Boosters where she enjoyed over 100 kids flourishing in the marching band and competitions. She recently got out of social services and found a love for residential painting and furniture refurbishing. Also, she recently started selling cars at Frank Boucher and is hoping to help them study consumer psychology to better their training program. In 2013 she was bilaterally implanted with cochlear implants as she lost her hearing altogether. Her daughters will be 17 this coming July. Both have part-time jobs and are straight-A students. One wants to go into biomedical engineering and the other has a love for music but may go into law. Katie’s husband continues to work into his 12th year as a sous chef for Benchmark Hospitality contracted with the Johnson Foundation. In her spare time, Katie and her family foster mastiffs and she volunteers with the dog rescue. Katie is beyond proud of her daughters!

PATRICK KERSTEIN ’07 of Portland, Oregon, is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Vollum Institute at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. His recent research has identified a new cell type involved in vision and was published in the journal Cell Reports.

BEN KONECNY ’07 of Greeley, Colorado, transitioned to the head of staff role in December of 2020 at First Congregational Church in Greeley, Colorado.

ADAM KRUEGER ’07 of Providence, Rhode Island, recently transitioned from Uber to Grubhub where he oversees logistics and restaurant operations. He still works with students and faculty at Harvard Business School. Besides work, Adam enjoys spoiling his niece and nephew, gardening, traveling, and theatre marathon weekends in NYC.

TRACY ENGELMANN LACANNE ’07 started her own dental office in May of 2018. She started out only working two days per week but in three short years, she has gotten so busy that she is in the process of buying and remodeling a building to be able to continue expanding the practice.

TYLOR LOEST ’07 and wife Katie added to their family with the birth of their son, Quincy Charles on October 15, 2020.

LIZ LEACH MORRELL ’07 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was a recipient of the Fond du Lac Young Professional’s 2020 Future 5 Award. She is currently the Executive Director of The Arc Fond du Lac, a human service organization that empowers adults and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities to become independent and integrated into the community through advocacy, education, training, and support.

MEGAN PIOTROWSKI MANIS ’07 of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is the Chief Customer Officer at Roydan Enterprises and has been working hard with her husband RYAN MANIS ’08 to transition the business into an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) company this spring. Other than working hard on the business, Megan and Ryan enjoy traveling with both kids for their competitive swim meets and spending more time at their cabin with a flexible work-from-home schedule.

TRACY MATTHIAS ’07 of Green Lake, Wisconsin, is the owner of Lotus Root Yoga LLC (based in Ripon) and is approaching its fifth year! They are now offering online classes in addition to studio classes, special events, and retreats. Navigating the pandemic has been interesting and she is grateful that her small business is located in a tight-knit and supportive community like Ripon! Maintaining or developing a personal wellness practice like yoga has never felt more relevant.

ZACH NORTON ’07 started a new position with Raymond James in November 2019 and Associates as a Senior Registered Client Service Associate. He also passed the FINRA supervisory level Series 9 and 10 examinations late last year. Zach is hoping to purchase a home and resume traveling in earnest later in the year.

CHRIS REED-WADDELL ’07 and spouse, Yuliya, are finishing their tour of service in Shenyang, China in July with the U.S. State Department. They will then be returning to the U.S. for training before their next assignment in Moscow, Russia this fall.

ASHLEY NUTER RUSS ’07 was featured in September on the photoblog Humans of New York and shared on social media. A snippet from a Ripon College news story states, “Russ shared her experience of growing up deaf and the isolation and rejection that she felt. She met her husband, STUART ’07, at Ripon, and in her interview, she tells the poignant story of how they met and communicated by writing notes to each other.”

JORDYN RUSH ’07 of East Norriton, Pennsylvania, left the 9-5 world and now runs The Fussy Cutting Quilt Shop where she creates custom quilts and other sewn creations. Jordyn also serves as Operations Coordinator for Gateway Horseworks, a non-profit organization that provides Equine Assisted Psychotherapy services. She lives outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her partner, Nick, and their puppy, Arlo.

JOLENE RUEDEN SCHATZINGER ’07 of Ripon, Wisconsin, continues to work at the best College with the best alums, which of course is our alma mater, Ripon College, where she is the associate director of engagement. Since this past April, she has been serving on Ripon’s City Council helping to strengthen town-gown relations. She is looking forward to our 15-year Class Reunion next summer, where she hopes as many of you as possible will make it back home to Ripon to celebrate together. Lastly, she is happy to have recently celebrated her spouse, Henrik’s, American citizenship.

HILARY SMITH UYHELJI ’07 is the co-author on the following publication: Davis, J.T. and H.A. Uyhelji. 2020. Aviation and the Microbiome. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance 91: 651–661.

LINDSAY SPINDLER ANDERSON ’07 of Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin, recently took a position teaching 6th-grade math and public speaking at St. Croix Falls Middle School in St. Croix Falls, WI. She also coaches Forensics and is the director of the middle school plays/musicals.

We are not sure where the time has gone, but it is time to start planning our 15-year Class Reunion! After all, kids born in 2000 can now legally drink. YIKES! If you are interested in volunteering or have ideas for activities, please reach out to one of us. We are forming a Reunion Volunteer Committee, and we would love to have all interested classmates involved! Please contact one of us, your Class Agents, if you want to be involved. More information will be coming, but get excited for our Class Reunion in June 2022!

Good news regarding Alumni Weekend! 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

Thank you for all the updates, classmates! Please keep sending them to one of us at any time throughout the year. We are now very sad to share the news of the passing of one of our classmates who was taken from us much too soon.

MATTHEW R. “NIGEL” KENNY ’07 of Orland Park, Illinois, died Jan. 29, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in politics and government and participated in Student Senate, football, and as president of Phi Delta Theta. He worked at Xtra Lease in Chicago and was a White Sox fan. He enjoyed political debates, yard work, and motorcycles. Survivors include his wife, Kate; one son and one daughter.

This sobering news helps us to realize how important keeping our connections strong really is. We do hope you can join us for next summer’s 15th Class Reunion.

Be well, and we look forward to seeing you all very soon!

ADAM KRUEGER ’07
(857) 389-8617

LINDSEY KREYE HEIL ’07
(952) 944-7528

STACY KRUSA TEACHOUT ’07
(920) 345-1048

LIZ LEACH MORRELL ’07
(920) 279-0779

Submitted by: Class Agents: Adam Krueger, Lindsay Kreye Heil, Stacy Krusa Teachout, and Liz Leach Morrell

Greetings, Class of 2006!

Fifteen years? Is that math correct? Technically, yes. It has been 15 years since we all graduated from Ripon on that rainy afternoon in 2006. (Of course, 2020 often felt like it could have accounted for approximately six of those 15 years).

We’ve all faced unique challenges over the past twelve months, and Ripon College has been no different. The College is happy to report though, that Ripon has come through the past year and is in a great position! The incoming freshman class looks to be larger than anticipated, and, against the odds, Ripon has been able to maintain in-person classes throughout the pandemic. For many of us, the small class-environment was one of the most important reasons why we chose Ripon, and not only have they been able to maintain in-person classes, but they’ve done so while avoiding any virus outbreaks, reporting an approximately one percent positivity rate among its population. This is no small feat, but it was accomplished in great part due to the support it has received from alumni like yourself!

There are a few unique ways (in addition to the Ripon Fund) that you can support the College right now, including the virtual #OneDayRally on April 28th, and we are also working to put together a class gift in honor of our Fifteen-Year Class Reunion. Be on the lookout for updates regarding #OneDayRally.
Speaking of updates, we’ve come to the realization that solely using Facebook to collect class updates from you all seems a little dated…how 2011, right? Feel free to continue sharing your updates with us via social media, of course, but we’ve also implemented a shared document that we can all add to whenever the mood strikes us in real-time! We’re looking forward to hearing from you, and we are especially looking forward to seeing you, whether virtually or in-person, for what is sure to be a memorable 15-year Class Reunion celebration during Alumni Weekend.

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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

Class Notes:

JILLIAN BURRIS BLAZIEWSKE ’06‘s little peanut turned one in February. Worth celebrating ☺.
POOJA CHAWDA ’06 is a project manager at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Her role is focused on analyzing regulatory landscapes to support the development of policies and strategies mandated by the Climate Law and Community Protection Act, and driving engagement for emerging efficiency, electrification, and carbon valuation policies. As part of her role, she is advancing the New York State decarbonization agenda by contributing to the state’s roadmap to electrification in the built space, a critical element of which is ensuring that low- and moderate-income/disadvantaged communities in New York have access to clean and affordable energy.
JEFFREY DODSON ’06 of Ripon, Wisconsin, is the Pastor of First Congregational UCC Church of Ripon, Wisconsin, as of July of 2019. He bought a home in Ripon in August of 2020.
HAYLEY DOYLE ’06 of Minneapolis, Minnesota, got a second dog and a fish! She also began taking piano lessons.

JEN MILLEN EVEN ’06 of Dubuque, Iowa, won her second 100-mile race in October. Let’s just take a moment to think about how ridiculous of an athletic feat that truly is.
ED HANSEN ’06 of Tallahassee, Florida, and his wife, Megan, welcomed their second child, Nathan Brooks Hansen, into the world in January. It’s been a wild year, but one terrific silver lining has been being able to spend more time at home with the boys and observe their frequent developmental milestones. Here’s hoping that things calm down enough to bring the boys on their first trip to Ripon soon.
VICTOR MAGNUS ’06 of Wautoma, Wisconsin, writes “I returned last August from a deployment to Ukraine where I served as an operations sergeant’s major advisor. I was recognized for my efforts and received a medal from the Ukrainian Land Forces Cross of the Land Forces Commander for my contribution to the development of military cooperation between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the U.S. Armed Forces. It was an interesting mobilization and it allowed me to see parts of Europe and experience a multitude of amazing cultures. You can find more information on the mission by looking up JMTGU on Facebook. I am approaching 21 years in military service and unsure if I am ready for retirement. Civilian profession – I am preparing to start a hiring process for part-time help in my insurance agency! So that means I will grow from having only myself in the office to having additional help which is exciting and a bit scary all at once. JACKI WEISS MAGNUS ’05 and I keep busy with the children’s schedules and our own. This year we will be celebrating our 16th year of marriage!”
TOM HANLON ’06 of Planet Earth says, “After three years in Austria, I moved back to the U.S. in July. Then, I turned around and started a Navy Reserve deployment in October – currently enjoying life under COVID-19 lockdown in Jordan.”
AMBRE NEUSER-GAJEWSKI ’06 of Appleton, Wisconsin, got a new job this year and was promoted after a couple of months to a trainer position. She moved to a larger (beautiful) apartment, got a new car, and is excited that she gets to spend three weeks in Florida for her company to train a new class. 2020 has been good for her!
ALISON NOWAK RISSE ’06 of Slinger, Wisconsin, writes “It has been a crazy year for us all, but one wonderful thing to celebrate and share is that we’re expecting our second child this fall. Also, we will be celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary this summer. I am still happily employed at Amcor in the Fox Valley as a Raw Material Procurement Supervisor where I will be celebrating my eighth year with the company this fall.”
ANDY SHILT ’06 of Appleton, Wisconsin, was envious of TIM PETERS ’06 of Eagle, Wisconsin, and joined the minivan club. He went all-in for the dual TV upgrade.
JAKE VANDAALWYK ’06 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, currently works at Associated Bank as the Director of Enterprise Risk Management and is happily married to ROZ KORF VANDAALWYK ’04 with two children, Beckett and Kinley.

COLLIN WEST ’06 of Deforest, Wisconsin, and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed a new addition to the family in November! Looks like someone is enjoying life as a big sister ☺
Take care, be well, and go Red Hawks!

NICOLE KLAAS HANDS ’06

ED HANSEN ’06

ANDY KITSLAAR ’06

Submitted by: Class Agents: Nicole Klaas Hands, Ed Hansen, and Andy Kitslaar

Greetings, Class of 2005!

I (AMANDA ZAHN PRZYBYL ’05) just re-read my Class Letter to you all from last year and it was so clearly pre-COVID-19 that I’m blown away by its simplicity. There was no talk of masking up, schooling from home, working from home, restaurant pick up only, quarantine, sourdough starters, Zooming, being scared, missing the family that you can’t see, travel/concerts/everything being cancelled, being tested, testing positive, or any of the other things that came with the last year.
This past year has been different for all of us – so many gains and losses that it’s hard to know where we stand a year later. Did our lives change? Do we feel like we lost a year of our life with nothing to show for it? Did we lose so much more than we were prepared for? Did we gain a deeper appreciation for what we have? Did we sharpen our goals for our future? Did we make significant gains towards our life goals? Did we realize we’ve been doing too much? Not enough? Did we start new adventures in our lives? No matter which of these fits you, I hope you realize that simply surviving the last year is enough. It’s enough to know you can survive the next year because you survived the last one. I truly believe in ten years you’ll look back at this time in your life and realize just how strong you were to survive.

My last year has been a roller coaster of emotions that have rocked me to my very core. I spent the first few months of lockdown in flight or fight mode. I went to work (hard to sort mail/packages from home), my husband went to work (hard to fix cars and tools from home), and my kids went to the sitter (hard to leave an eight and four-year-old home by themselves). Not having a lot of information made it hard to leave everyday not knowing if I was putting myself and my family at risk. Or if my husband was. Or if my kids were. I’m here to tell that we are not meant to stay in flight or fight mode for long, and months at a time is too long. It took a toll on me that I’m still feeling the effects of. *HONESTY ALERT* I’ve suffered from depression/anxiety for many years and have been treated with an anti-depressant for the last seven years. Any emotional and mental reserves that I had stored were completely drained during my extended stay in flight or fight mode. When I finally found some measure of peace in the fact that we all left the house each day and came home safely, I realized I could no longer do the things I used to do to build those reserves up. So, for me, every day is a struggle to look towards the good, find the positives and participate in my life, but I know, because I did actually survive the last year (and all those hard ones before it), that I can survive the next one.

Good news regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend as well as our 15th Class Reunion, which will be celebrated along with the Class of 2006! 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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our 15th 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.

#OneDayRally, Ripon’s day of giving, is scheduled for April 28! Get your best memory and a few pennies ready to share! ☺

Here is what is going on with your classmates:

REBECCA SNITILY ELMENDORF ’05 of El Segundo, California, writes, “My new skill was apparently learning how to get pregnant without IVF. My baby girl is due July 2021.”

JACOB GRAF ’05 of Hortonville, Wisconsin, writes, “In January of 2020, I took a new position as Director of Engineering for a mattress company based out of Florida called GhostBed. I oversee all of the e-commerce for the company. The owner of the company, Marc Werner’s grandfather, started Werner Ladder in the early 1900s and is credited with the original patents on both aluminum and fiberglass ladders! Marc went on to develop and patent some pretty innovative sleep products. They’ve been around for 20+ years and are a great company to work with!”

JUANITA BAATZ GUTBROD ’05 of Sussex, Wisconsin, writes, “I hope everyone is happy and healthy!”

CHARLES JOHNSON ’05 of Minneapolis, Minnesota, writes, “I’m still living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with my fiancé, Raven, and our Daughter, Charli. I am still the owner and operator of my used car financing company here in the suburbs. I recently went from managing partner to CEO and majority shareholder. I was also able to get my daughter involved as a minority silent shareholder in my business as well. We are creeping our way back into the rental housing market, so it looks like landlord may be a job title for me once again, too. Other than that, we are just focused on making it through this pandemic safely and hoping everyone else is able to do so as well!”

PAUL LARSON ’05 and SARAH MCGILL LARSON ’05 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, write, “The kids are doing great and Sarah is teaching at Bay Port High School in Northwest Green Bay. Paul has been an actuary for Humana since March 2020 and is now working from home but hoping to get back in the office.  We have some small trips planned for the summer, but nothing more than one state away.”
RENEA VORPAHL MERTENS ’05 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, writes, “Greetings from Green Bay! Like everyone, staying in and virtual learning has been our life for the last year. We are fortunate to work during this time, and I had to get creative doing my corporate training job virtually. We camped this summer to have some social distanced fun with our kids, Georgia (6) and Sterling (4). We also recently welcomed our son, Reynold (Rex), this past November. Stay safe everyone!”

ASHLEIGH SMITH ’05 of Hohenwald, Tennessee, writes, “I started a new job in December and adopted two rescue ferrets, Kricket and Jaffe.”

A few more thoughts from me: Survival was my theme for this Class Letter and I have to say, your Alma Mater has done more than survive – it has thrived during this last year. Our faculty and staff pulled together to bring our students back to campus in the safest way we could. Our students rallied together to stay on campus for the entire first semester and the second semester is going even better. We’ve found new ways to program, new ways to teach and new ways to learn. I couldn’t be more proud of what Ripon has accomplished, and you should be proud of your Alma Mater too! However, we can’t do all these things without the donations from our alumni. I would encourage you to donate whatever you can to help us not only survive but to thrive. The website is simple: https://www.ripon.edu/give and is open 24/7.

All the best!

AMANDA ZAHN PRZYBYL ’05
W2743 Cherry Lane, Green Lake, WI 54941
(920) 299-1081

DAPHNE MEYERS LEIGH ’05
3620 S. Loretta Lane, New Berlin, WI 53151
(414) 841-7210
Your 2005 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agent: Amanda Zahn Przybyl

Greetings, Class of 2004!

Writing this to you a week shy of the one-year anniversary of things shutting down leaves me feeling optimistic for the future. Vaccines are rolling, the Brewers are welcoming fans back to games, and the snow is melting, so let’s focus on the positives! As you’ll see below, some of our classmates have continued to thrive through the insanity of this past year.

A special thanks to AMY GABRIEL GERRETSEN ’04, director of constituent engagement at Ripon College, whose update below provides some excellent insights into how our old home is doing. Given my work, I’ve been intimately aware of how colleges and universities have responded and adapted over this past year. You should be proud of your alma mater; few institutions have managed this all as well as Ripon. There is no playbook for this. It’s messy and controversial. But through my lens, the College is headed in the right direction. Challenges remain, no doubt, but with our continued support, I’m very confident in Ripon’s future.

Class Notes:

JENNY FITZGERALD ’04: I made a career change into the government accounting world and accepted a position as accounting supervisor at the Village of Mount Prospect in October 2019. Shortly after in April 2020 I was promoted to Assistant Director of Finance. It has been really interesting to see how a city operates and learn about property taxes and budgeting.

AMY GABRIEL GERRETSEN ’04: Life is good here is Ripon. We are lucky that the girls (Kenzie -10 and Piper – 9) go to school in person daily – a joy of living in a small town and attending a small school district! Although we were unable to visit family over the holidays, we took a leap of faith and took a family vacation to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico in early December. We were super impressed by all of the safety and cleaning procedures put in place for air travel, and the resort was on top of it too. Plus, we spent most of our time outdoors and away from people, so that helps. I highly recommend getting away!

I continue to work at the College overseeing all alumni, parent and friends communications, programming and volunteers (like Nick!). It is hard to believe that I am coordinating my 15th commencement on campus, one like any other, to say the least. Overall, the College is doing really well given the pandemic. Students are on campus for a mix of in-person, virtual, and hybrid learning options. Although they are Zoomed out (aren’t we all), they are finding unique and creative ways to stay connected and involved with athletics, orgs and Greek life, creating their own unique Ripon experiences. Recruitment remains strong and we are optimistic that when the Class of 2025 (that’s wild) joins us in the fall, they’ll be one of the largest in history.

That isn’t to say that the College doesn’t need our financial support as alumni. Gifts (of all sizes) to the College go a long way, and those before us provided our scholarships, financial aid, and experiences (although I don’t know that we understood that then). I would encourage you all to join me in being a donor to Ripon, so please mark your calendar for April 28, our fourth #OneDayRallly giving day, where your gift can help us reach our goal of 2021 donors in 20 hours and 21 minutes. Even if you’ve already given this fiscal year, making a small gift on #ODR can help move the Class of 2004 up the leaderboard on April 28, while making my co-workers jealous of how great we are!

I truly miss seeing so many of you at regional events or on campus for Alumni Weekend, and I hope to be able to catch up in person later this year!
In fact, 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; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

KATE HERSEY ’04: Quarantine has meant spending lots of time together as a family. We took full advantage of summer at the cabin and a backyard playset which made our COVID’19 bubble easily bearable until the snow and cold hit. This winter, the girls have channeled Craig and become very familiar with every game system known to man. Our eldest (6) is already a master at procrastination via games, and it’s become painfully clear why I taught college versus elementary students : )

I can most often be found hiding with a novel as the luddite of the house; but even I binged Animal Crossing in an ode to sophomore year.

Work has been super busy for both CRAIG THALACKER ’03 and I. He continues to do the computer thing and ask people whether or not it’s plugged in and if they’ve tried turning it on/off. I’ve been busy engaging volunteers to build desks for distance learners and generally loving my job as Executive Director of the MN Tool Library.

TAMMY JOHNSON ’04: I married my best friend, Rebecca Havens (Busseyville, WI), on July 16, 2020, in a small ceremony here in Antioch, IL with our parents in attendance. We’re also excited to announce that we’ll be parents again with the addition of baby boy Johnson due May 3rd. Big brothers Ryan (8) and Reed (6) cannot wait to meet him and I cannot wait to see my toes again!

BETH WILLIAMS KOEHLER ’04: My family built a house in Chaska, Minnesota, and we moved in January. I am still teaching math – this year at both of the high schools in my district (Chanhassen HS and Chaska HS).

LINDSEY GORSKE MICHELS ’04: A new position was created within our police department. The position is that of a School Resource Officer/Community Liaison Officer, and I officially started in this position in January. I am in the schools during the school year and will be doing community outreach during the summer. It’s been a great change 🙂

SARAH MILLER ’04: I am working as a medical assistant/scribe in Milwaukee and I survived COVID-19!! I spend my free time painting, reading, creating collages and taking photographs, studying healthcare communications, billing, and coding.

RACHEL SCHMIDT PUFALL ’04: In October, I started a new position as a Statewide Coach for the Wisconsin Center for Resilient Schools. The Center uses coaching to help schools and districts build their capacity to implement and sustain trauma-sensitive social-emotional learning and school-based mental health. I am honored to serve all public, private, and charter schools in the state alongside eight other talented educators.
MISSY SKURZEWSKI-SERVANT ’04: My husband, Joe, and I welcomed our first child into the world, a baby girl, Jennifer Jocelyn “JJ” Servant, on January 13, 2021.

ROZ KORF VANDAALWYK ’04: I work as a dental hygienist in Green Bay. My husband JAKE VANDAALWYK ‘06 and I have two children, Beckett (5) and Kinley (2).

ELLEN VOSSEKUIL ’04: I’m finishing up my fourth and final year of serving on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Zoo Keepers. I am the board oversight for Education, which oversees our Resource Committee and our International Outreach Committee (IOC). IOC works with zoos and zookeepers in Mexico and Central America to elevate animal care in developing countries.

Zookeepers have had to work through the pandemic, with the added stresses of making sure we are protecting our animals from COVID-19 as well as our colleagues and guests. It’s been a challenge, but it has also been rewarding to find new ways to connect virtually with visitors while facilities are closed!

Be sure to send updates to [email protected], and as always, be safe and be well.

NICK SPAETH ’04
W173N8462 Robert Ave. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
(262) 227-6097

Submitted by: Class Agent: Nick Spaeth

Greetings, Class of 2003!

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, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, 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.

Campus Updates 

•  COVID-19 Updates

  • Classes officially started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) were required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in Great Hall resulting in a less than one percent positivity rate.

  • Beginning on February 1, the College began random weekly surveillance testing where approximately a quarter of the College community will be tested.

  • Those who are interested in following the plans and procedures this semester, as well as tracking our COVID-19 positivity rate, can visit www.ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/ for more information.

• For additional Campus news, you can visit www.ripon.edu/news/.

#OneDayRally and Ripon Fund Updates

Ripon’s annual giving day, known as #OneDayRally, will be held on Wednesday, April 28! Remember to save-the-date for this exciting day of supporting the Ripon Fund and sharing their Ripon spirit! This event has grown to be one of the most active days of virtual engagement for our entire Ripon College family, which means prospective students are taking note of this day, too. All alumni are encouraged to sport their Ripon College attire and post it on their social media platforms!

Would you like to become a Social Media Advocate for our #OneDayRally to help us spread the word and reach our goal? All those who are interested should email [email protected] to receive a toolkit with resources in the days leading up to #OneDayRally!

Thank you to all who have supported the College this past year, especially those who supported the Ripon Fund, as well as #OneDayRally!

Class of 2003 Updates! 

APRIL MARLEWSKI-HUDZISKI ’03 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, says “Now that we’re all ‘grown-ups,’ it’s important that we take responsibility for the grown-up things.” At least April thought so. She’s navigated her share of grown-up scenarios the past few years: starting businesses, having babies, loss of life, partnerships, and doing a whole lot of growth and personal development. Recently she realized people close to her, similar to our age, didn’t have an estate plan. Being someone who witnessed first hand the tragedy of unexpected loss and the impacts it could have when there’s no plan in place, especially when a parent of young kids dies (explosion of 2018), she decided to take action and offer a friendly and gentle nudge to anyone who hasn’t created an estate plan. She collaborated with an estate plan attorney, insurance expert, and financial advisor to create an online course to take the fear, overwhelm, and confusion out of estate planning and offer guidance from the comfort of your home. If you haven’t created your estate plan, now’s the time! In other news, April and her husband built a real estate team serving Wisconsin and multiple other states. She became an accredited investor, has a podcast, three kids, two beehives, and a yellow lab, and likes to dabble in the CBD/weed industry from the lens of investing in biotech & teaching about genetics.

ROB LENNOX ’03 writes “Big year last year! In January 2020, we welcomed Archer Lennox. In July, 2020 we purchased a house on ten acres of woods in Indianapolis. Also in July, I started a new job with enVista as the Manager of Operations. At the end of October, my wife and I moved down to Indianapolis (with the kid, obviously) from Chicago. We are currently in the process of renovating and adding on to the house we purchased.”

ELAYNE MONNENS NORWEB ’03 of Coral Gables, Florida, welcomed her third child – a baby boy, Holden, in September of 2020. His big sisters love having a real-life baby doll to play with!

Thank you again to everyone who continues to send updates.

LIZ MATELSKI ’03
(920) 475-7415

ELAYNE MONNENS NORWEB ’03
(917) 509-4826
Your 2003 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Liz Matelski and Elayne Monnens Norweb