CLASS OF 2001 | 2023 | SUMMER ISSUE

It’s strange, the class notes that came in just happen to be only from good friends. It’s almost as if I forgot to do any outreach whatsoever and sent a pleading SOS out to them the night before the notes were due. If that were the case, I’d be very grateful. Maybe someday I’ll have the opportunity to thank them for some situation like that, but probably not since it would never happen!

Ben Stanko has spent the last 15 years working for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation as an arborist and is currently managing the Street Tree Management Division of the department. He is very excited to help with the implementation of the new Philly Tree Plan, the city’s first strategic urban forestry plan (https://www.phila.gov/programs/philly-tree-plan/). He lives in the neighborhood of Mount Airy with his wife Kim and their two sons, Theo (10) and Louis (5). He is always happy to see other Wesleyan folks at the schoolyard of the local public elementary school.

Jesse Kudler has been active in political organizing in Philadelphia, currently volunteering with progressive candidates for city council and mayor. He has been enjoying returning to live musical performance and has been a part of the Balinese gamelan ensemble the last few years. He’s recently taken up a bit of rock climbing as well.

Joey Conover has moved on from building houses to helping others buy and sell houses, currently including a couple of Wes alums who have a cute, two-bedroom renovated and centrally located house with a dependency out back coming on the market this spring. She is at Nest Realty. Give her a call if Charlottesville is tempting you!

Here in Boston, I’m still recovering from the intense effort of baking a (kind of weird looking) cake in the shape of a giant Lego head for my son’s seventh birthday. The things we do for love.

Sending my best wishes to everyone,

Mara