Class Notes | 2020s

“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

Hi everyone! I hope you are doing well and staying warm this winter.

Here are some updates from the Class of 2021:

Langston Morrison writes: “After a trying time in the middle of the pandemic, I graduated from Wes and secured a position in Chicago, Illinois, working as a diversity and inclusion coordinator at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. While working there, I applied to about a dozen law schools and decided to attend Fordham University School of Law. After my first year at Fordham, I was afforded the opportunity to work at the New York State Supreme Court as a judicial intern (where I work again this fall as a judicial extern) writing a bench memo on a defamation claim, and at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila as a summer associate writing research memos on trade secrets, inevitable disclosures, federal preemption, and 1983 motions in limine. Over the summer, I also was selected to be a Crowley Scholar (a highly competitive international human rights program), a member of moot court, and a member of the International Law Journal, where I hope to expand my cultural awareness, practice my languages, and contribute scholarship to the greater international legal community.”

Bryan Chong has been advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza, and recently signed the alumni petition demanding that Wesleyan divest from companies profiting off Israeli occupation and apartheid.

Thank you everyone for submitting a note. Please feel free to send me updates throughout the year and look out for new submission requests.

Mariel Klimasmith (née Baitenmann-Middlebrook) is in her second year of teaching and is a bilingual history teacher. Isaac Klimasmith will be graduating with a PhD in environmental science from the University of Illinois and in January will begin a job as a professor of statistics at the same university. Isaac and Mariel continue to acquire more rodents and will be staying in Champaign-Urbana permanently.

From Nick Ticali: “This semester I initiated my role as vice president of the NYIT PA Program SGA (Student Government Association). Hopefully I will be elected president next year, but we’ll see where life takes us. Most importantly, I’m excited to complete my second didactic year and initiate my clerkships at the end of this school year. I hope all my fellow 2020 grads are doing great out there!”

Lars Babbott’s lil update: “Things that have been bringing me joy lately is that I am starting a music curriculum at Excel Academy charter schools in East Boston, and I am coaching paraplegic rowing, high school rowing, and starting a team for the Deaf at Community Rowing Inc.”

Iman Sigman has been encouraging other alumni to sign the divestment petition calling on Wesleyan to divest from companies profiting off the Israeli occupation of Palestine and apartheid. Jules White ’22 has also been advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza, and recently signed the alumni petition.

From Grace Morenko: ​​“This year, I started working as a designer at a bio-architecture nonprofit organization called Terreform One. We are experimenting with new building materials, such as mycelium, algae, and 3D print clay, as well as researching how to actively ‘design against extinction.’ Recently we finished a large pavilion that guides the grafting of willows together to research how we can incorporate living trees into our structures and demonstrate the possibility of cohabitation with other species. It’s so exciting to be a part of such a new field trying to address the issues of modern urban development and biodiversity loss. Stay tuned.” 🙂

Thanks to everyone who submitted updates! As always, it’s so great to hear from you. Recently, my energy is going toward supporting my mom, Susie Greenberg, in her campaign for the Georgia House of Representatives District 53 in the 2024 election cycle. Susie’s campaign is based on reproductive freedom, community safety, and economic prosperity in our Atlanta-area community and across Georgia. I am so grateful for all of the support my mom has received from the Wesleyan community so far. If you’re interested

To the Class of ’23:

Hey!! My name is Isha Jha and I’m one of the class secretaries for our year! I hope everyone’s first months as a recent grad have been going well, whether that has involved traveling, spending time with friends and family, working, or all the above. I’ve been working in New York postgrad and have been having a ton of fun! 

Going forward, we’ll be emailing you all a couple times a year to check in and get some updates about what everyone is up to. Can’t wait to stay in touch and see what incredible things everyone accomplishes!

—Isha

Hi All,

My name is Go Uemura and I will be serving as a co-secretary for the Class of 2023 along with Isha. We will be keeping everyone in the loop by reporting updates and submitting news to be included in the Wesleyan Alumni Magazine.

At Wes, I studied economics with minors in data analysis and the College of East Asian Studies and played on the men’s hockey team. Since graduating, I have been working at an investment bank in NYC and live in the East Village with two of my former teammates. I had such an amazing experience at Wes and it would be awesome if we can keep this class as connected as possible, so please keep an eye out for future emails from us to help keep the chatter going. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of you at the Homecoming game in Middletown.

In the Bonds,

—Go

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.

Greetings from your new Class Secretary! My name is Jane Zhang, a BA ’21, MA ’22 graduate from Wesleyan and a 2L at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. I double majored in philosophy and physics at Wesleyan. As a law student, I continue to explore the intersection of law, business, and technology. This summer I completed an internship with the Legal & Compliance Department at Lindsay Goldberg LLC in New York. In my free time, I love taking ballet classes (a hobby that I started by taking classes with Professor Patricia Beaman), visiting museums, and traveling to different countries. I deeply cherish the people that I got to know during my Wesleyan years. By taking up this volunteer position with Class Notes, I hope to foster new connections within the Wesleyan community. Please feel free to email me with notes and updates that you wish to share.

Here are some updates from the Class of 2021:

Xinyue Zhang has lived in New Haven, Connecticut, for the past two years where she completed a master’s degree in East Asian studies at Yale University. One of the perks of living in Connecticut is staying close to the Wesleyan campus and being able to reconnect with Wes friends whenever they come back to visit! This summer she spent two months in Japan attending a language program in Yokohama and also traveling around the country. She greatly enjoyed eating Japanese hot pots, petting capybaras, and relaxing at local onsen (Japanese hot spring). In the fall she will be starting her PhD in history at Yale, focusing on modern Chinese history as well as the history of science and environmental history. She first discovered her passion for historical research while writing a senior thesis at Wesleyan.

Congratulations to Bryan Chong for starting a new position! Bryan officially joined the labor movement in Connecticut as staff of AFSCME Council 4—the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees is the largest public sector union in the country and represents 30,000 public service workers in Connecticut.

Fengbeiling Wang shared with us her new home, recent career shift, and passions in life: “A lot of changes are happening this bright summer! I just relocated to a hot and easy-living place where crepe myrtle are blooming under the sun—Dallas, it is! While not fully understanding my early career shift from consulting to finance, I am really enjoying the fast pace and data intensity of my job at Goldman Sachs. It is a company with full momentum, efficiency, and diversity. New things happen every day. Meanwhile, I don’t forget about my English literature major at Wesleyan and try to read more and write every week. I also keep learning Japanese with a new teacher twice a week. I cook three meals a day . . .  but I am still not a fan [of] or pro at baking and need more tips on how to make cookies not crumble easily.”

Sarah Lucente wrote: “I am psyched to say that I completed my first year at the Bread Loaf School of English in Vermont this summer! Lots of Wes alumni to find there. :)” Congrats to Sarah!

I appreciate everyone who submitted a note. Please feel free to send me updates throughout the year and look out for new submission requests.

See you next time.

From Clara Babbot-Ward: “I weaseled my way in to creating and running a music curriculum for a school that has never had music before! It turns out sometimes asking for what you want and advocating for what you know could enhance community can work out. I start in the fall— wish me luck!”

From Kush Patel: “I am a few months away from graduating from the Tufts PA program with plans to start a job in dermatology! I hope to travel a bit after I take my boards in January.”

From Lau Maquedano: “It’s been a year since I moved from LA to Madrid and started life from scratch. It was difficult to get my foot in the film industry here at first, and be far from my Wes friends, but I have recently started working at a post house and am loving it. In the meantime, I’m working on an indie short. I’m grateful it was selected in two labs and have attached a production company to help fund it. Looking forward to hopefully shoot it next year!”

From Gabby Bennett: “I’m doing the Chicago Wes Alumni spotlight feature for the Wes Alumni Instagram page.”

From Livia Wallick: “I’ve just accepted a new position at Wesleyan as a major gifts officer! If anyone in our class is ever on campus, please let me know!”

Nikhil Ghosh is switching coasts to pursue graduate studies in NYC at Columbia after working in the software industry in the San Francisco Bay Area.

From Sonja English: “Hey all! Just adopted my first rescue puppy, Moo Moo, who’s already my work-from-home companion. Also, I’ve just started a new role as chief of staff at Ameelio, where we’re providing communications and education technology for incarcerated people and their loved ones—all for free.”

Aysha Khan, Jonathan D. Harber ’86, and Rick Segal ’75 have embarked on a mission to revolutionize education in New York City through a visionary initiative, Runway Green at Floyd Bennett Field. Nestled within the heart of Brooklyn, Floyd Bennett Field is a national park, holding unique historical significance as New York City’s inaugural airport. Today, Runway Green is poised to transform it into an immersive, experiential learning campus. Harber is also the founding chairman of Launch, an expeditionary learning middle school in Brooklyn, and Aysha recently joined to help manage special projects, including the opening of a Launch high school on the Floyd Bennett Field campus.

As for me, I spent most of the summer enjoying all the sunshine and lake water the Midwest has to offer! I was so lucky to spend some time with my senior house roommates at the beach in Massachusetts and with so many other Wes friends during a quick stop in NYC this summer as well! I hope everyone had a great summer and keep an eye out for more emails from me later in fall and winter.

Please send news to your class secretary.

A few updates from classmates:

Bryan Chong works for the Greater New Haven Labor History Association, and worked on Cap the Rent CT, the first sustained campaign for rent stabilization in Connecticut in almost 40 years. Bryan continues to train workers, including student workers, across the country to engage in labor organizing.

Isis Gaddy wrote: “Over the past 18 months, I have lived in two different continents, held five jobs, and started my own business. After graduating from Wesleyan in 2021, I worked as an SEO intern for Zillow. Upon completion I moved to France to participate in the TAPIF program as a teacher’s assistant. During this time, I enjoyed indulging in all things French, including cheese, croissants, and the slower pace of life. However, my time in France was cut short when I received an offer from Bloomberg to join their Planning and Campaign Management Team. Working with the head of business administration, I helped develop new initiatives that were implemented throughout the company and focused on finance management. After my contract was complete, I left Bloomberg to pursue my career in the luxury travel industry.

“Starting with Erina Pindar, the COO of SmartFlyer, I worked to rebuild and launch the EQTR (Equity in Travel) scholarship and internship programs. After completing the internship, I was offered a position in SmartFlyer’s takeoff mentorship program, which provides new travel agents with structure and support as they begin to build their own business in the industry. In less than a year, I have had the opportunity to create an internship and scholarship program for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals, plan domestic and international events for the company, and build my own brand.

“Overall, I am grateful I had the opportunity to continue my passion for languages at Wesleyan, as it has helped me develop professional fluency in in my day-to-day work.”

Taylor Goodman-Leong said: “I have been living in Boston for the past two years and will be graduating this spring from Boston College with my master’s in social work! After graduation, I will be working at the Baker Center for Children and Families as their post-master’s fellow, providing therapy and services for children and adolescents.”

Gayon Yang lives in Irvine, California, and wants to connect with Wesleyan alums in the area! She visits Los Angeles every week, and she’d love to catch up with an alum!

From Saki Ohashi: “I’ll be publishing a book in March of this year, under my pen name Kaki Okumura (secret’s revealed ha ha). It’s called Wa: The Art of Balance because ‘wa’— the Japanese word used to describe Japanese things—also means harmony and represents the value of seeking balance to live a well-rounded life. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and I’m very excited!”

Lucine Poturyan is running for re-election for her position as District 1 representative of East Hollywood in Los Angeles. She currently serves as the chair of the Outreach and Youth and Education Committees on the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council and looks forward to continuing leadership of the free produce box distribution and community outreach around resources for low-income families.

Isaac Klimasmith and Mariel Baitenmann-Middlebrook got married in July 2022 (don’t worry, we didn’t hyphenate!), with many wonderful Wesleyan folks in attendance. Mariel graduated with a master’s of education from the University of Illinois and is currently teaching bilingual social studies. The Klimasmith pet rat herd continues to grow, reaching a height of eight rats in 2022.

From Sarah Hutcheon: “I started a new position at Abbott as a product transfer scientist. I help facilitate new lateral-flow product development and troubleshoot our current products.”

From Jake Multer: “I’m down in D.C. working as an advocate in the food policy world. Still doing a lot of brewing, ceramics, baking, and Frisbee!”

From Nick Ticali: “I’m still in school to become a PA at the New York Institute of Technology. Softball season is coming up though, so I’m excited to hit some home runs and hopefully secure another championship win. I’m also planning a trip to travel to Italy for a month over the summer, so all good things!”

Maya Layne is still working her way to stardom, currently as an assistant at Vogue. She not only recently celebrated a move to the Bushwick/Williamsburg area but also went on a much- deserved beach vacation.

Jackie Duckett is currently based out of New York and enjoys her job developing greenfield solar projects at EDP Renewables, reporting to a fantastic boss, and fellow Wesleyan alum, David Kane ’92. In her spare time, she’s been training for a half marathon, taking a printmaking class with a friend, and discovering other new hobbies in the city.

As for me, I made my storytelling stage debut earlier this year and read my fourth grade diary in Mortified Chicago’s Doomed Valentine’s Day show that you can watch on YouTube. Now, I’m focusing on defrosting underneath the Midwestern summer sun, eating local Wisconsin cheese, and still working on accepting that I’m no longer a “recent grad.”

Thanks to everyone who submitted an update! As always, feel free to send me updates throughout the year and look out for my submission requests!