Tag: 2022

The Class of 2022, as always, is making big moves and embarking on sensational adventures.

First up, we’ve got some wonderful news in the arts world from one of our class members!

This year, Esmé Maria Ng began a new position as the company management fellow at Wicked Broadway. They also brought Area D, a Palestinian pop musical, to Ars Nova for the 2025 ANT Fest, where it played to a sold-out house. You can stream the show here: https://supra.arsnovanyc.com/. They’ve also continued their playwriting practice and were selected for the Moxie Incubator this year, which culminated in a public presentation of their play, i know why iris chang died, at IRT Theater in September. Their short play, THE JADE RABBIT IS CRASHING OUT OVER EL*N M*SK, was also featured in two LGBTQ+ centered festivals—Cosmic Cherry Festival and T4T Theater Fest. Later this year, Esmé will return to Breaking the Binary Theatre Company in a new position as line producer at the fourth annual Breaking the Binary Theater Festival. You can always find out more about what Esmé’s up to by checking their website: https://www.esmemariang.com/ or their Instagram: @esmemariang.

Next up, we’ve got an exciting move coming up for a member of Wesleyan’s most phenomenal class.

After three years in New York working in mergers and acquisitions consulting for NERA, Thompson Knuth will be moving to Stockholm! He’ll be looking to continue his career in data analytics across a wide range of fields and reports already receiving some great advice from Wes alums in Sweden.

Last, but not least, we’ve got some stellar academia-related updates!

After completing three years of educational advocacy work for students in foster care at the New York Foundling nonprofit, Sela Adegbile will be pursuing her JD at the University of Michigan Law School this fall and is excited to move to Ann Arbor, where she aims to further develop her advocacy skills on behalf of young people.

Keanu Bryan will be starting graduate school this coming spring, pursuing her master’s in public health with a concentration in community health sciences.

And while William Woodhams “regrets not going to more Sunday Argus meetings,” he reports “that everything has a way of working out,” as he will be starting his second year at Berkeley Journalism School this fall.

Hyped to be y’all’s new class secretary and can’t wait to hear more updates on what everyone’s up to! A bit of info about me: I was an English and government major at Wesleyan with a REES minor, and I’m now working as a paralegal in Washington, D.C.

And while we are all extremely fortunate to be moving forward with our lives postgraduation, I’m very sorry to report the devastating news that Belle Brown died by suicide in March of this year. If you knew Belle and would like to send in a remembrance for our next class note, reach out. Also, if you or a loved one is in need of support, call or text 988. You can find more resources at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention.

Last summer, Amy Guaman-Dumancela was a summer associate for the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) in Alexandria, Virginia. She worked in the Operational Evaluation Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center. Amy graduated with a psychology degree from Wes and is currently working toward her master’s in clinical psychology at Columbia.

Please write to your class secretary.

Please write to your class secretary.

“My name is Mohammed Ullah and I have been at Northwestern University for graduate school. I am on track of getting my master’s degree in chemistry by March 2024, and for the past year and a half, I have been working on electrochemical and photochemical C–H functionalization. Aside from being a chemist, I have been attending protests for the millions of displaced Palestinians and calling representatives with the hopes of a permanent ceasefire. What is taking place in Gaza and the West Bank is a genocide where thousands of children and women have been murdered. I am hoping there is more advocacy for the Palestinian people.” 

Nabiha Syed writes: “I have been out working in the ‘real world’ for over a year now. With all of the atrocities happening in the world right now, and especially the current ongoing genocide in Gaza, I have been missing the community of like-minded students I had surrounded myself with at Wesleyan. I appreciate the spirit of activism that I experienced during my time at our school, and I am proud to see fellow alumni carrying that spirit with them at a time like this. As I am disheartened by the silence of those I see in the community around me, I am empowered by the unity and humanity I see being displayed around the world in support of the Palestinian people through protests and voices. While it is easy to feel overwhelmed, seeing awareness and activism from students and alumni sparks hope that the voices of our generation can create a better path to change in the future.”

Maya Gomberg writes: “Hello! This year I moved to Philly for law school at UPenn. In my free time I’ve been working toward a ceasefire in Gaza and encouraging other alumni to sign the divestment petition calling for Wesleyan to divest from companies profiting off of Israeli apartheid. ~Solidarity, Maya”

“As a graduate student, I often reflect on my choice to pursue a dual master’s degree in public health and social work. Recently, I’ve reaffirmed my commitment by applying my skills to advocate against the ongoing genocide in Palestine. In moments of doubt, Wesleyan’s community and our shared activism provide strength. Fellow Wesleyan grads inspire me with their ongoing advocacy, including an alumni petition for divestment supporting the demands of the current student coalition known as WesDivest. Witnessing the ongoing dedication of the Wesleyan community, both past and present, underscores the lasting connections forged during our time at the University. Knowing that I can always look to my fellow Wesleyan classmates for inspiration, reassures me that our shared commitment to positive change persists beyond our academic years.”~ Tashfia Jilu

We received this news about Connor Gregoire, who is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps: Connor Gregoire graduated from the Basic School at the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, on May 19, 2023. Connor will continue his training in his first choice of military occupational specialty as an infantry officer. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in August 2022 upon completion of Officer Candidate School as part of the USMC platoon leaders class program. Connor will continue onto the USMC Infantry Officer Course, also located in Quantico, with an anticipated graduation of October 2023. Upon completion of his professional training, he will be assigned to the fleet as a platoon commander.

Please send news to your class secretary.

Postgraduation, our classmates are doing some amazing things! Thank you to everyone who contributed and congratulations on all that you have been achieving!

Milton Espinoza Jr.: “I moved to Harlem in September and recently started at the Columbia University School of the Arts for my master’s in acting.”

Annie Yu: “I moved to Pennsylvania in August and recently started at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine for my MD. I’m enjoying exploring different areas of health care and also hike in my free time!”

Gabby Roberts: “I’m about to finish my first semester at Washington and Lee law school!”

Yongxi Tan: “I quit my corporate job after graduation to work on my own beauty start-up.”

Nabiha Syed: After realizing chemistry was not her real dream, Nabiha moved to LA to start her own band called Nasty Nabs. She is now a drummer, inspired by our very own Taiko drumming class at Wesleyan.

Julia Nacario: Julia is a community engagement coordinator at Friends of the Urban Forest and also a camera assistant for documentaries on the side. They are able to be their whole self while pursuing both passions of being a community member and storyteller. You can learn more about her career journey by watching this segment: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6994322128929988608/.

Dear Class of 2022,

Four years ago, we were Wesleyan frosh learning how to navigate college, both academically and socially, and just trying to find our groove. Today, we are Wesleyan alumni and all in different aspects of our lives trying to find our groove again. I hope that wherever you are, whatever you’re up to, everything is going well!

My name is Tashfia Jilu and I was your senior class secretary last year. I will now be coordinating the class notes for the alumni magazine for the Class of 2022! This means that I will be collecting notes about your life updates, achievements, and anything you’d like to share with other members of the class through the magazine. I can also take picture submissions for the online magazine as well.

A little update from me: I moved to Michigan in July and recently started at the University of Michigan School of Public Health for my master’s in public health in the Health Behavior and Health Education Department. I also work at Michigan Medicine as a patient care tech and am enjoying exploring the coffee shops in Ann Arbor! I’d love to hear about what you’ve all been up to since graduation, so please send over your updates!

I look forward to hearing from you all and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Best,

Tashfia Jilu