Tag: 2002

Lots of congratulations for babies and weddings:

Sharon Light welcomed a new baby—Pia Morgan Light—in July, joining her big sister Orit in the family! Nat Katin-Borland and Amy Strekas ’03 welcomed their first child, Dylan, this year. Matthew Seidner and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their fourth child, Elijah Zev Seidner, on Oct. 3. Big sisters Talia and Perla and big brother Jonah were all very excited. And Rachel Kriger and Nick Corso welcomed their new son, Maayan, on Aug. 13th. Rachel is returning to her acupuncture practice in Philadelphia, treating children and adults.

David Krieger and Alicia Feichtmeir ’03 welcomed the arrival of their son, Elliott Solomon Krieger, on Sept. 24. David and Alicia live in Seattle, where David is a strategy director at Expedia, and Alicia an employment and labor attorney at Foster Pepper. Sara Shandler Banks and Peter Banks ’01 are enjoying life in Brooklyn with their growing family—Hazel is a thriving 3-year-old superhero/warrior princess/mermaid and they welcomed daughter Rowan to the mix in February. And Lauren Geller Rascoff gave birth to her third child on Oct. 12, joining big brother Jonah and big sister Roselle. Lauren is working as an urogynecologist at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn.

Katie Fuller married the Australian love of her life, Louise Wilson, this past July in Chatham on Cape Cod. Katie also recently started working for both the French Government Economic Service and the French Mission to the UN in New York.

Lots of geographical and professional moves:

In September, Allison Kennedy moved to California to serve as the historic structures specialist at Joshua Tree National Park. She looks forward to preserving the cultural landscapes, including historic mines, homesteads, and ranches.

Jamie Wong relocated to Los Angeles, where she continues to run her startup, Vayable, and develops original travel content for television and the Web.

Julia Matsudaira is back in San Francisco and living close to her Wes roomie Leah Ralph. Having received her MBA last year, Julia is building on her years in the nonprofit sector with her work in private wealth management, where she is focusing on philanthropic and socially responsible investment strategies for individuals and families.

Ben Allen earned his PhD in political science at University of California, Berkeley, in May, taught economics there over the summer, and is moving to Washington, D.C., with his girlfriend to pursue a career in international public policy.

Ernest Hartner moved with his wife and two kids, Max (4) and Sam (2), from Miami, Fla., to Barcelona, Spain, in August, transferring from Banco Sabadell America to Banco Sabdell Spain. He is expecting a visit from Britton Boyd in early 2016. He is hoping to find some other Wesleyan alums living in the city.

Hagar Berlin is officially settled in her new home in Brookline, Mass. (after spending the last 10 years in San Francisco), with her husband, Jon Spack, and daughter Hana.

Suzanne Appel moved to Chicago, where she is now the director of external affairs for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She’s already run into Jesse Lava, director of policy at the Chicago Department of Public Health, on the El train and hopes to reconnect with all the Wes people in the Windy City. She recently saw Una LaMarche, who made it out to Illinois for a Young Adult literature conference (her humor memoir, UnaBrow, made the New York Times best seller list in June).

Sarah Krainin is on hiatus from LA theater and back on the East Coast, teaching scenic design as a visiting professor at Duke.

And in other news:

The Wesleyan night at Hamilton on Broadway was a veritable ’02 reunion, with star, composer, lyricist, and MacArthur “Genius” Lin Manuel Miranda, taking top billing. Theatergoers included Xan Young, Sarah Krainin, Owen Panetiere ’01, Suzanne Appel, Jocelyn Greene, Anne Macri, Christine Dejong, Jen Guarniani, Elena Weller, and Chessa Ring O’Grady. Krainin described the night as “unrivaled spectacularity.” Tickets purchased supported Wesleyan financial aid and two scholarships.

Will Gardner is celebrating the fifth year of Alma del Mar Charter School in New Bedford, Mass., where he is the founder and executive director. He has the great privilege of working alongside star teacher Taylor DeLoach ’13 and Capital Campaign Chair Jack Braitmayer ’57.

Registered architect Kristen Suzda celebrated her fifth wedding anniversary this summer. Kristen is working on deep green buildings and affordable housing (including a project in Meriden, Conn.). An avid bike rider, she completed her first two triathlons this summer.

Andrew Goldstein is the chief digital content officer of Phaidon and Artspace, leading an international team to cover contemporary art and culture.

For Emily Isaacs, the past two years have been big—she got married to her husband, Erik Greensfelder (they met working at Outward Bound in 2006), she started a private practice as a therapist in Boulder, Colo., and became the executive director of Women’s Wilderness, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women and girls develop courage and confidence through outdoor adventures.

Kasia Deuel lives north of Boston, where she chases after her toddler Emmett. She is working at The Pew Charitable Trusts as a senior associate on ocean conservation issues and finishing her master’s at Harvard Extension School in Sustainability and Environmental Management.

Jessica Angell lives in Cambridge, Mass., hard at work on her software start-up, Cabbige, a Web application that helps small, diversified farmers manage their business. Cabbige is a MassChallenge finalist and recent recipient of Reynders McVeigh 2015 Social Impact Entrepreneur Award.

Sasha Foppiano Martin published her debut book Life from Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness through National Geographic Books in March 2015.

As for me, by the time you read this, my daughter Scarlett will have just turned 1. I am still the vice president of original series for Spike; in 2015, I produced the scripted event series Tut starring Sir Ben Kingsley and 50 episodes of Bar Rescue. I am now working on our next scripted series (announcing soon), as well as a documentary series about cyber-security pioneer and presidential hopeful John McAfee.

JUSTIN LACOB | justinlacob@gmail.com

Oh, how I miss spring at Wesleyan, when the crisp air warmed up just enough to welcome all students to Foss Hill for the afternoon. But wherever we are in the world, we will always have these wonderful memories to remind us of our youth. Which brings me to my little bundle of great news—on Jan. 4, my wife Melanie gave birth to our baby daughter, Scarlett Lucy Lacob. Mom and baby are doing great!

Congratulations also to Dina Levi. Her wife gave birth to their daughter, Ezra Robbins Levi, in January. The couple resides in Chicago and Dina is the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at an independent school.

Lots of moving for our classmates… After three years living abroad, Josh Dankoff moved to Boston with his wife, 3-year-old daughter, and 3-month-old son. He welcomes connections with Wesleyan folk living in the city. Jesse Lava moved back to his hometown of Chicago after three years in Los Angeles. He is now director of legislative affairs at the Chicago Department of Public Health, where he works to pass laws to make residents healthier. Sara Miller, her husband, and 11-month-old son have moved to Bucks County, Pa. And Dani Rotstein moved to Palma, Mallorca, in Spain—where he used to live when he spent his junior year abroad and first fell in love with the country. He moved there to take a full-time line producer position for Palma Pictures, a production services company.

Out on the East Coast, Jody Avirgan left WNYC radio (the NPR station in New York City) after seven years and is now at ESPN’s FiveThirtyEight where he will be hosting and developing podcasts—talking sports, politics, culture, and more. He also hosts a live comedy/storytelling show called Ask Roulette and welcomes anyone to attend his regular gigs in NYC and beyond. Sarabeth Broder-Fingert started a new job as an assistant professor in the division of general pediatrics at Boston Medical Center. Katherine Gajewski lives in Philadelphia, where she serves as the city’s director of sustainability. She married Benjamin Warrington last summer in a Quaker wedding ceremony. Sallome Hralima says that “the last six months have been a blast!” She was on the 2014 CUSP Conference stage sharing about the design of the Dream Director, the Creative Mornings’ stage, talking about the Audacity of Purpose, and was featured on Travel Noire, sharing about her first time abroad and the impact it had on her. This summer, she will be hitched to Ibrahim Greenidge, an architect, in Brooklyn, N.Y.

On March 31, Una LaMarche’s comic essay collection, Unabrow, was published by Plume Books. From Penguin Books website: “As a girl, Una LaMarche was as smart as she was awkward. She was blessed with a precocious intellect, a love of all things pop culture, and eyebrows bushier than Frida Kahlo’s. Adversity made her stronger…and funnier. In Unabrow, Una shares the cringe-inducing lessons she’s learned from a life as a late bloomer, including the seven deadly sins of DIY bangs, how not to make your own jorts, and how to handle pregnancy, plucking, and the rites of passage during which your own body is your worst frenemy.”

Jennifer Lauder: “The last year has been full of incredible transitions, both planned and unexpected, for me and my family. I left my job as a teacher after almost a decade in progressive classrooms and started working as a consultant for schools and educational programs, mentoring teachers, designing and developing curriculum, and supporting students and families. At the same time, my husband, Chad Dean, and I launched a digital media company, WRK Group Media; we produce a review and lifestyle site, weekendreviewkit.com, and are shopping a book about the landscape of legal cannabis in the US and the changing public perception of cannabis consumption. We’re also engaged in an evolving homeschooling/unschooling practice with our 7-year-old daughter that we document at thelotusschool.blogspot.com; we hope to move the whole show to the Pacific Northwest in the springtime.”

Tiffany Williamson Kelly lives in Philly with her husband, Shawn, and daughter, Eva, 2. Tiffany is associate admission director at The Agnes Irwin School with Wigs Frank (Prof. Anne Greene’s brother). Shawn is also in education: head of school at St. Peter’s School in Center City. “If you’re an alum of either school, please stay in touch.”

And lastly, Tarsah Dale continues to reside in Austin, Texas, although she’s still not sure about identifying herself as a Texan despite six years of residency. However, she did become the co-owner and managing director of Inspire Behavior Therapy, a small business serving children and adults with developmental disabilities and challenging behaviors, so she’ll probably have several more years to adapt to her adopted state. And Jamie Wong continues to run Vayable, the travel start-up she founded in 2011, which connects travelers to locals for unique experiences. She’s writing a book, playing soccer, and splitting her time between New York, LA, and San Francisco.

Keep those class notes coming!

JUSTIN LACOB | justinlacob@gmail.com

Class of 2002! Another year down, only a few more to go until our 15th reunion!

I can personally attest to the fact that I’ve seen rave reviews EVERYWHERE – from the New York Times to Entertainment Weekly – for Una LaMarche’s new book, Like No Other, which was published in April. I’m paraphrasing the description from Amazon.com, but the novel is about what happens to an unlikely pair – a Hasidic good girl and a fun-loving book smart kid – after they get stuck in an elevator when a hurricane strikes. Una’s next book will be a collection of hilarious essays. Congrats!

Freelance writer and editor Cristina Moracho also has a book out. Her debut novel, Althea & Oliver, was published by Viking Press on October 9. According to Amazon.com, “Althea Carter and Oliver McKinley have been best friends since they were six. Now, as their junior year of high school comes to a close, Althea has begun to want something more than just best-friendship. Oliver, for his part, simply wants life to go back to normal, but when he wakes up one morning with no memory of the past three weeks, he can’t deny any longer that something is seriously wrong with him. And then Althea makes the worst bad decision ever, and her relationship with Oliver is shattered. He leaves town for a clinical study in New York, resolving to repair his brain, while she gets into her battered Camry and drives after him, determined to make up for what she’s done.” Cristina lives in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and is working on her second novel.

Also out in New York: Michelle Rabinowitz was promoted to vice president of production for TriBeCa enterprises. She oversaw production of the doc We Could Be King about the merging of two rival high schools in Philly and their first football season as a new team. It aired on ABC and ESPN and is now available on iTunes. Alex Horwitz edited the documentary, Whitey: The United State v. James J. Bulger, which premiered at Sundance and has been getting great reviews since its release. He is currently directing a documentary that will follow Lin-Manuel Miranda as he stages his new musical, Hamilton, which opens at the Public Theater in early 2015. Speaking of Lin, his improvised hip-hop comedy series Freestyle Love Supreme premiered in October on Pivot, in which he stars alongside Bill Sherman and Anthony Veneziale ’98 (who also produces the show).

Didn’t believe this one when Rich sent it to me in the first place but did some research and it’s pretty awesome! Rich Boatti’s, aka Roatti the White Tiger’s street ball video of his complete domination from behind the arc, “Streetballin so Hard M***erf***ers Wanna Find me (for three)” went viral, garnering a combined 2 million views on Youtube and World Star Hip Hop, leading to media coverage on multiple sports publications like Bleacher Report, Deadspin, and Ballislife. Shaquille O’Neal even tweeted that the NBA should “sign him up.”

Lauren Geller Rascoff lives in NYC with her husband, Sam, and their two beautiful children — Jonah (5) and Roselle (2.5). She is an urogynecologist working at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Jocelyn Greene is delightedly the mother of Nathaniel (age 2) and runs the children’s theater program, Child’s Play NY teaching dramatic play and directing kids in Brooklyn and Manhattan.  And Anthony Rosario is now the Director for the new Brooklyn Initiative Program for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC. He writes, “BBSNYC is looking or mentors for kids in Coney Island and Red Hook.” Anthony has also moved to Bushwick with his partner of two years and they have a puppy named Randy that is their “newest joy.”

 

Congratulations are in order to many of our fellow graduates:

Lexi Keeler and her wife Jenny Jackson welcomed twins Harper Mae Jackson and Will Roscoe Jackson this past January. Per Lexi, “they’re already irritating older brother Emmett, just like younger siblings should.” Lexi is now working at the Seattle chapter of Summer Search, a national youth development organization that helps low-income youth get to and through college.

Sara Miller is happy to report that she gave birth to her first so, Ezra Penn, in April 2014. She, her husband, and new baby have moved to Bucks County, PA.

Ben Goldstein and his wife Cheng Li welcomed their son Malcolm Li Goldstein on April 25th. Ben Allen and Sonya Abrams ’01 attended the Bris. They will be moving cross-country as Ben will be starting as Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at Duke University this Fall.

Ryan Akers’ son, Carl Joseph, was born at his home in the early morning of June 14th, 2014. Weighing in at 7lbs. 6oz., he’s a happy and healthy baby who “enjoys milk, naps and a good burp.”

Josh Gleich says “it’s been likely the most eventful summer I’ll ever have.” Between late June and early August, he became a father (his daughter’s name is Violet), a PhD., and a visiting professor of film and television studies at U. of Arizona.

Steve Scribner married Stacy Passmore in April. The wedding was in Austin TX, with fellow ’02 folks Bajir Cannon, John Gordon, Austin Zinsser, and Dina Levi in the wedding party.  Steve said, “we sang the fight song with gusto right after the ceremony, other wesleyanites there included (among others) Conor Gately, Josh Blumenstock, Nate Link, Ryan Huggins, Kathleen Jones, and John Guerry.”  Steve lives in Brooklyn and works for FXFOWLE Architects in the Cultural and Educational studio.

Eric Kushins married to Doreen Lee in April in Savannah, GA. An Duong ’03 served as Eric’s “best friend” in the wedding and provided a grooms-woman speech. While Eric completes his last year in his joint-PhD program in Organization Management and Sociology at Rutgers University, he will be working as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Stetson School of Business and Economics at Mercer University in Macon, GA. In August, Eric and his wife moved from Long Island City, Queens to Atlanta, GA.

Sonja Koppenwallner was excited to place 3rd in the 3k open water swimming at the FINA Masters Swimming World Championships in August. They were held in the Olympic Rowing basin in Montreal.  Reminded her of the good times she had with Wescrew, “except for this time she swam instead of being in a boat.”

And many of us on the move professionally or geographically:

Jesse Lava is now the director of legislative affairs for the Chicago Department of Public Health. Sarabeth Broder-Fingert is now the Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine. Rachael Slivka moved to Washington, DC, where she is in a fellowship in Extreme Environmental Medicine through George Washington University (it’s through the department of emergency medicine. Rachel also is engaged to Joel Schectman, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal.  And Rachel Kriger and her husband moved to Philadelphia. She practices acupuncture at The Cedars House. Check out her website at www.pointsofreturn.com.

Lastly, Allison Kennedy lives in Albuquerque and working for the state of New Mexico through the Main Street program, which focuses on the preservation and economic revitalization of historic downtowns.

As for me, as part of my job as Vice President of Original Series at Spike, I spent September in Morocco, overseeing production of our new scripted event series TUT, starring Ben Kingsley, which premieres in summer 2015. I also had a new show premiere this past summer, Hungry Investors, and in September, the fourth season of our #1 hit show Bar Rescue. And personally, I’ve enjoyed the first year of marriage to my wife!

JUSTIN LACOB | justinlacob@gmail.com

JUSTIN LACOB | justinlacob@gmail.com

Hey, Class of 2002! Happy 2014! The other morning I woke up with the Fight Song stuck in my head… and I realized that instead of trekking over Foss Hill in the snow to go to Mocon (RIP), 12 years have passed since our graduation from Wesleyan. It’s simply amazing how time flies by. We’ve fully entrenched in our 30s now. Engagements, weddings, babies, new houses and new jobs are the new norm. Never forget the great memories of the past as we make new memories for the future. Exciting times await!

Congratulations to the new parents of our class! Sarabeth Broder-Fingert and her wife Heidi Alexander welcomed daughter Zoey Alexander into the world in June! Thus far, she has enjoyed the company of many Wes grads! Allyson Miller and her husband, Michael Coppola ’03, welcomed their first child, Zachary, on July 5, 2013. He’s been to Wesleyan several times already and is looking forward to becoming a member of the Class of 2035! Dana Sirota, her husband Josh, and big sister Emma are happy to welcome Gabriel to their family, born Nov. 12th. And Sara Shandler Banks and husband Peter Banks ’01 are enjoying life with their 18-month-old daughter, Hazel, in Brooklyn.

Onto other news for the class:

Anna Johnson and her husband Jesse Brand are finally, after 16 years of graduate and post-graduate training between them, settled in Washington, D.C. Anna is an assistant professor at Georgetown University, and Jesse is a neuropsychologist in a group neurology practice. Their daughter Willa, who turned 2 in October, is considering a career in music. Anna and Jesse were thrilled to celebrate Ximena Sarango’s wedding to James Lensen-Callas in August in Portland, Ore., with lots of other Wes ’02-ers.”

Peter Mongillo left his job in Austin, Texas., as the music critic for the Austin American-Statesman and returned to New York, where he is working as a booking coordinator at MSG Entertainment. He and his wife, Rebecca D’Orsogna, welcomed their second child, Evan Reed, in June.

Angie Schiavoni is launching a new website in January 2014 that’s currently in private beta. It’s called Mamajamas, and it is a site to help expecting and new parents figure out what baby gear they really need by sharing lists with each other. Check it out at mamajamas.com.

Sallomé Hralima is chief dream director for The Future Project, with her work focused on hiring and training superheroes to work in America’s public high schools.

Ryan Akers is enjoying the first year of married life. He is still working at Anchor Brewing and happy to sneak any Wes Class of ’02 alums on the difficult-to-book brewery tour; just send him an e-mail! He’s looking forward to his annual ski trip with Daniel Winokur, Paul Kim, and Chris Lynch; this year makes it 10 in a row!

That’s it for this issue! Feel free to send notes throughout the year to me at my e-mail below:

JUSTIN LACOB
justinlacob@gmail.com