CLASS OF 1999 | 2024 | SUMMER ISSUE
There’s a chance you read about our classmate Eli Newell in The New York Times—in March, they covered his story of two weddings and avoiding a funeral in the same year. An incredible story. We’re thrilled that Eli has recovered from his heart surgery and is happily married to the fast-thinking Dr. Erika Amundson!
Hannah Sharpless Graff shared that she is “in one of those life shifts right now. I feel old saying my husband, John (an engineer at Metalenz, based in Boston), and I have lived in Swampscott for almost 20 years. My 16-year-old, Theo, attends a very small boarding school in Connecticut that has absolutely changed our family dynamic, as he is finally content and getting the support and structure he needs to thrive. He is showing an extraordinary aptitude, and, more importantly, enthusiasm for chemistry. My eldest, Tex, is off to college next year and has some exciting choices to make—wherever he goes, he wants to be close to mountains. I am preparing, with a tiny knot in my stomach that is surrounded by excited butterflies, to wonder why the house is so quiet. In addition to ‘momming’ and community work, I have an art practice that is based in natural colors and nature-based exploration. I collaborate with local artists, teach occasional workshops, organize a local artisan festival, and design logos, tees, and more for my local town conservancy and other nonprofits. I am definitely most interested in the process, and my ADHD is sated by the infinite paths of learning that occur when working with and within nature. All in all, I’m a lucky human existing in a hard world and I find my peace walking my dogs in the woods and along the beaches of Swampscott. In a time where everything seems to devolve into the binary, I love that I can have rich, meaningful, and silly conversations with my Wes people online or, more rarely, in person.”
Liz Garcia shared that our 25th was her first reunion EVER. “I’ve been back for film department occasions over the years, (such as teaching a writing workshop to the razor-sharp students this past fall) but the time has come to see as many folks as possible! Life in Brooklyn is much better now that the sun has come out and the flowers are blooming. My son and I have been loving every minute of Dan Shotz‘s Disney+ show, Percy Jackson (I highly recommend it to parents like me who have a hard time tearing their kids away from YouTube). My feature comedy, Space Cadet (which I wrote and directed), starring Emma Roberts and Gabrielle Union, comes out on Amazon Prime video this July (also family viewing material). My life is richer because I get to see Elizabeth LeSure Epstein and Jim Epstein, Carly Detterman, and Sarah Schorr on the regular. My kids and Joann Kamuf’s ’00 kids are school pals.