CLASS OF 1998 | 2023 | FALL ISSUE

Anthony Veneziale wrote in to say he saw a LOT of our classmates as he went to the 25th Reunion at Wes and it was awesome. He saw soooo many amazing humans—too many to name! Since last he wrote, his show Freestyle Love Supreme (which he created along with Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, Hon. ’15 and Thomas Kail ’99) won a special Tony Award and then did a national tour, which reopened many of the national regional theaters after COVID. The tour included nine major cities and fellow Wes alum Andrew Bancroft ’00. Sadia Shepard ’97 (now professor of film at Wes), Ashley Knaysi, and Anthony organized a Gag Reflex reunion show for the 25th Reunion along with current Gag Reflex members in the World Music Hall. They had an absolute blast performing and doing a talk back afterward about improv in our lives.

Sachita Shah is enjoying the Seattle summer, working as an ER doctor in both Seattle and Anchorage, and loving taking care of her two daughters and pup Cookie. She’s been in contact with Caleb Langsam ’99, who has an awesome dog named Max and lives in Portland, Oregon; and Matt Downes, who, with wife Kim, just had a second kiddo, and lives in Geneva, Switzerland!

Rev. Dr. Yolanda Denson-Byers has been called as the senior pastor of Shepherd of the Hills (SOTH) Lutheran Church in Edina, Minnesota (sothchurch.com).  She will be formally installed in September 2023.

And Dana M. Peterson was so very honored to receive the prestigious Wesleyan Distinguished Alumna Award in Recognition of Outstanding Achievements and Service at the May 2023 Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association.