Class of 2010 | 2014 | Issue 1
Although most cardinalis cardinalis in fact do not migrate south for the winter, several of our classmates are making big moves and here is what they report:
Alice Maggio reports the following: “After making pie in Brooklyn, teaching English in the Alps, and cooking Basque food in Manhattan, Alice Maggio (Sociology and French, 2010) has found herself back at home in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, working on the region’s local currency, BerkShares. Much to her surprise, her role at the Schumacher Center for a New Economics has had her traveling around the world (and even back to Wesleyan) to speak about the potential of local currency to create more democratic and sustainable local economies.” Alice even had time to make an appearance on PBS News Hour to discuss the benefits of local currency!
Jory Kahan has moved to Boston to start medical school at Tufts University. Jory is happily living in downtown Boston and is excited to hang out with any Wes Alums in the area.
Jeffrey Rovinelli wrote in with perhaps the coolest note of the year: “Razor (formerly Ray) Edwards ’10 and myself just got married in a quiet ceremony in Bushwick, only partially for tax reasons. Jeff is a recently accredited non-denominational minister running a small animal therapy outreach program in Williamsburg and Razor has a side project as a vegan taxidermist. (For real! This is a thing that people want!)”
On Oct. 15th, Grace Kredell welcomed her first child—a healthy baby girl named Maine—into the world with her partner Alex. For the last two years, Grace has been building up a successful tarot card reading practice in Los Angeles.
Katherine Rodriguez-Perez Colone checks in to report that she was married in 2012, has moved to Atlanta, and is now working as a technical editor contracting for an aeronautics company.
Raphaelle Brochet writes in from India, where she is teaching music in a recent school that offers jazz, contemporary world and Carnatic music; the first school of its kind in India!
Katherine Kitfield Bascom “is taking to the air. In 2014, she will be joining the dance company ‘Human Architecture’ as an aerialist, and will be featured in a major public work in NYC’s Central Park (theoneshow.com). Lately, she can’t get enough of the Sufi poet Hafiz, or cooking with goose fat from the farm project she’s running with her brother up in Vermont (Want local organic goose for the holidays? getyourgoose.com)”
Caitlin McHugh is finishing her second to last quarter at Western Washington University where she is working toward an M.Ed. in Environmental Education and a certificate in Non-profit Administration through Western Washington and the North Cascades Institute M.Ed. program. Caitlin spent a full year living, working, and taking classes in North Cascades National Park on Lake Diablo in Washington State and just moved back to Bellingham, WA in September to finish her coursework. Caitlin adds this awesome description of her work: “As part of my studies this summer, I coordinated curriculum and volunteers for a community-based environmental education, literacy, and nutrition program in Concrete, WA. It was a collaborative effort between the National Park Service, United General Hospital’s Community Health Outreach Program, and the Concrete School District. Basically, we pulled together the funds to provide a free, 6 week summer camp for Concrete Elementary school children– most of whom would not have the resources to go to camp otherwise. The camp focused on improving the literacy levels as well as nutrition; we provided breakfast and lunch every day because many of the students receive free and reduced lunches during the school year. We also focused on exploring and enjoying the local outdoors both in Concrete and the neighboring national park (North Cascades National Park). This summer was its pilot season, but our efforts were successful enough that the Concrete Summer Learning Adventure is set to go again next summer!”
A quick update from Seth Rosen: “I moved to Vancouver in September to work for Klei Entertainment as a game designer. I’m enjoying exploring the city and am loving my job: so far I’ve made a short horror game, ‘The Screecher,’ and now I’m working on a second title, ‘Don’t Starve.'”
Ian Pylvainen had the thrill of attending the recent wedding of Kacey Wochna and Samuel Kachuck in Ithaca, N.Y., along with good friends and fellow Class of 2010 classmates Justin Bohn, Ted Nichols, Liza Litvina, Jason Bitterman, Alex Holachek, Greg Storch, Jake Litke, and Anna Mageras, and Ethan Hoffman ’14. It was a beautiful wedding, quaint, lively and full of laughs!
The boys at Lua continue to do big things. If you haven’t heard of Lua either here or elsewhere before, Lua is the company started and run by Michael Keoni DeFranco, Eli Bronner, and Jason Krigsfeld. Lua provides mobile workforce technology to customers with mostly out-of-office employees. Their product makes communication and connection between distant employees simple and efficient. Two years after launching their product, Lua recently announced plans to offer self-service public availability by 2014 (finally opening the product to the public). This is a major step for the company and more can be read by searching for Lua on TechCrunch.com. The guys are also excited to announce that their software will be powering the Superbowl this coming year, and they currently work with such clients as eBayNow, various international airports, hotels, and the Department of Defense. Congratulations to the whole Lua team and keep it up!
Jesse Bordwin recently passed his comps, receiving an M.A. on the way to a Ph.D. in English literature, here at the University of Virginia. Jesse also reported that he “donated to Wesleyan for the first time…the nostalgia is only just kicking in.” Indeed, Jesse.
Thanks again for everyone’s contributions, and, if you have an update to share, feel free to post anytime on WesConnect, or send me a blurb directly at my Wes address. Happy 2014 everyone!
David Layne
DLAYNE@WESLEYAN.EDU