Class Notes

Hello friends!

I’m happy to report the following updates from the Class of 2016.

Kota Uno moved to the fertile Aizu region in Fukushima three years ago and joined the largest traditional, regenerative organic farm in Japan. They grow the rice as incredibly nourishing superfood and do the ecoservice at the same time. From Kota: “Swing by when you are in Japan!”

Also in Japan, Kotaro Aoki founded a nonprofit educational organization, KOTOWARI. He has been inspired by his undergraduate studies of philosophy at Wesleyan University, as well as his three years studying yoga and meditation in the Himalayas, to bring unique and powerful methods of exploring the self and the world to today’s Japanese youth. KOTOWARI provides transformative educational experiences for high school, university, and graduate students as well as young professionals in Japan. Since 2021, KOTOWARI has been offering programs annually. Last year KOTOWARI was recognized as a pioneer in the field of education and was awarded a grant from the Mitsubishi Mirai Foundation.

Olivia Glick will be receiving her MBA from USC Marshall School of Business along with fellow Wes alum Danielle Pruitt ’15. Olivia was student body president at USC Marshall and will be heading off to Ernst and Young after she graduates to do management consulting. Danielle was the Business of Entertainment president and will be going to YouTube on the marketing team after she graduates.

Gla aka Gla4 aka Lena Meyerson is living in Providence and Central Connecticut, working on their of arts in teaching and on various film projects. They are hoping to reinvigorate clo$et, master’s their band with G. Foley. They invite you to say hi to them on Instagram, @kissytunnel.

Tahreem Wasti (née Khalied) has settled back in Middletown, Connecticut, with her husband and two children. She works at Yale as a program coordinator and is also in the process of getting her MBA in business analytics. Since she is in Middletown, she keeps in touch with some of her Wesleyan professors. From Tahreem: “My daughters and I regularly pass by the campus and they know this is where mama went to school . . . maybe (hopefully) they choose the same when their time comes!”

Dropping at the end of March (March 31) under his artist moniker, ENYE, Christian Nuñez’s third rap project RAPSTARTAPEZ is an exploration and experimentation of different genres and sounds. Inspired by the uptown, New York City soundscapes that raised him, this Spanglish mixtape breaks away from traditional hip-hop/reggaeton, entering a more underground, experimental subgenre.

Follow ENYE’s creative journey via his Instagram, @newyorkenye. All music streaming links included in his bio.

Sarah Mi and Taran Carr are living in San Diego and soaking up the sun. They have a guest room for Wes peeps to come through!

I recently visited Sarah and Taran and we had a great time eating our way through San Diego. I am still dreaming of the burritos. . . .  I came back to Atlanta in time to catch the Wesleyan Spirits concert and alumni event, which brought me right back to my time at Wes and how I would never miss one of their shows. Incredible to think it’s been over five years since we graduated. I am hoping this period of medical school can also pass by as quickly because it’s been the hardest yet while I balance clinical rotations, research, studying for the boards, and thinking about applying to residency! I do appreciate all my Wes friends who’ve gone through the process and have helped me immensely along the way. <3

Stay well,

Mariam

Evan Bieder is teaching fourth grade and coaching cross country and track at Greens Farms Academy. He and his wife Britney have a one-year-old son named Zen. Evan had a few beers at Foxwoods with Eric Arsenault ’17 over the winter.

Sara Warnock and Brent Packer had their auras cleansed during a Denver sound bath.

A few life updates from ’14ers:

Following eight years working in book publishing at Simon & Schuster and Hachette Book Group in NYC, Haley Weaver moved across the country to Seattle where she is now working as a freelance editor.

After several years of working as a chef, Rehan Mehta recently opened a New York–style pizza and sandwich shop in his hometown of Mumbai. It’s called East 7th Pizza & Deli. He says, “Come visit!”

Kallan Benjamin and Elliot Meyerson welcomed their daughter Elowah at the end of December. They live in Madison, Wisconsin.

Julia “Jay” Benedith is a second-year doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. Jay said, “My research focus is wellness coaching in the education space.” After moving to Washington, D.C., last year, “I purchased a condo near the waterfront, and became the associate director of talent development at KIPP DC. I continue to run my business, J. Benedith Coaching Services! It’s been a pleasant whirlwind of a year!”

Henry Cheung wrote, “I find myself reminiscing about the good old days on Foss, 14C Warren ragers, and even late nights studying at Exley or in the lab at Hall-Atwater. One of my greatest joys at Wes was being the founder of WesCompliments . . .  seeing all of the unsolicited compliments come through the [Facebook] page not only for their friends but also complete strangers . . .  just so much love and care. Perhaps send a compliment to someone just for the heck of it? Can’t hurt. Hope everyone is taking care. :)”

The Class of 2013 is getting ready for our 10-year reunion later this spring! Thanks to my classmates who sent updates in and best wishes to all.

Anna Swartz writes “Happy 10 year! Hard to believe it has already been a decade since we graduated, and yet also somehow hard to believe how just how much has happened in the world since we left Wesleyan. I’m still in Boston, looking forward to the warm spring weather— although, somewhat alarmingly, we’ve barely gotten snow this winter.”

After graduating from dermatology residency, Taryn Murray moved to Houston, Texas, for a prestigious cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery fellowship. Upon completion of the program, she will be joining the Dermatology Department at the Cleveland Clinic. Vivianne and Benjamin Swerdlow (né Abravanel) moved to Lake Forest, Illinois, as of July 2022 so Benjamin could join the Lake Forest College faculty as an assistant professor of psychology. Vivianne is completing her master’s of social work at Simmons University in May and accepted a postgraduate role as a clinician for the Chicago DBT Institute. They live with their three-year- old Husky rescue, Sonic, and their eight-year-old chinchilla rescue, Cashew. Vivianne and Benjamin will be celebrating 10 years of marriage in June!

Ross Gormley is finishing up his first year at Boston College’s School of Social Work, focusing on clinical work. He is sad to report that he missed his annual ski trip in Utah with Henry Robertson this year. But the two of them adopted an old Goldendoodle together this winter and split custody over Zoom. Ross is grateful, as well, for the $30 Chipotle birthday e-gift card from Frank Fineis this year. He looks forward to splitting burrito bowls come fall once Jacob Eichengreen moves to Boston. But hold the hot sauce.

After receiving an MBA from Yale School of Management, Evan Okun now works as an impact investor at the Working Capital Fund—a venture capital firm improving conditions for vulnerable workers across global supply chains. The firm invests in early-stage technology start-ups. Outside of work, he’s gotten quite good at volleyball/pickleball and continues to freestyle rap and write spoken word. Katie Schad recently celebrated her bachelorette party in Tulum with Faye Phillips, Laura Volgenau, Jeanne McPhee, Ashley Palmieri, Michelle Kravets ’14, Claire Larson ’15, Brenna Tharnstrom ’16, plus the spouses of Max Rosenman and Jeff Tanenbaum ’12. A real Wesleyan affair!

After several years overseas in China and the UK pursuing career and educational opportunities, Jocelyn Spencer is now back in New York working in regulatory compliance and training for her third marathon. Matt Motta started a new job as an assistant professor of health law, policy, and management at the Boston University School of Public Health. If you’re living in the Boston area, he’d love to meet up for coffee or drinks!

Marjorie Romeyn-Sanabria shared: “I’m finishing up my second year of law school at Syracuse College of Law. I’m mostly enjoying it, and I kind of wish I had done it sooner, but better late than never.”

Michaela B. Swee finished her predoctoral training and postdoctoral fellowship in clinical psychology at McLean Hospital last year. She now works as a staff psychologist in the Trauma Continuum of McLean Hospital and is an instructor in psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Michaela was the recent recipient of two prestigious awards, the 2022–2023 Adam Corneel Fellowship and the 2023–2024 McLean Presidential Award, for her research and clinical work in compassion-focused therapy. She cohosts the Compassion Collective podcast, a freely available podcast developed to help laypeople and professionals in the field of mental health alike learn more about self-compassion and cultivate greater compassion in their lives.

Tasmiha Khan wrote: “I’m wrapping up a fellowship at Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri to create a Muslim media tool kit.”

Raghu Appasani contributed: “I’ve been living in San Francisco. I have a concierge private psychiatric practice, engaged in psychedelic research, and working with a number of mental health start-ups! Still running The MINDS Foundation, which I founded while at Wesleyan! Looking forward to attending the weddings of fellow Wesleyan 2012s—Blake Dubois’s in San Luis Obisbo, and Geoff Mucha’s in the Outer Banks.”

Kamar Thomas said he “had a book come out called the Artist’s Creative Vision.” Published in January 2023, the “book aims to eliminate the phrase ‘starving artist’ by helping people create more interesting art, more sustainably, regardless of location.”

Katherine Mullins married Omar Hunter Craighill ’09 in Brooklyn, New York, in September. Many Wesleyan friends were by their sides, including Amani Sampson ’12, Marie Scarles ’12, and Jesse (Greenblatt) Walker ’12 in the bridal party; and Will Runge ’09, Yale Yng-Wong ’09, Derek Silverman ’09, Louis Langlois ’08, and Zach Fried ’08 as groomsmen. The after-party featured live music from additional alumni, including Keenan Mitchell ’09, Lucas Carrico ’09, Jake Aron ’08, and Sam Ubl ’08.

Class of 2011,

It’s that time of year again! Thanks for everyone’s contributions. Read below to see what our classmates are up to.

Becky Eidelman contributes, “Todd Rosenthal ’10 and I welcomed our son Felix Rosenthal to the world almost a year ago. He was born March 25, 2022.”

Cheryl Chitty Tan is fundraising for The Monster in the Mirror, a musical she wrote lyrics for that gets staged this May in Singapore. She’s thinking about trying out a bigger acting market. She was in the first episode of season three of Westworld and wants to hang out with the Wes mafia.

Allison Klion said that Kapish Singla forecasted she would close her art gallery and become a housewife. She is now raising a one-year-old in the suburbs but is not in New Jersey as predicted—her husband is from Morris County though. She awaits the oracle’s next prophecy.

Phoebe (née Stonebraker) Kilmoon was recently hired as a features contributor at The Onion. Also here’s an update on her previous update: She didn’t move to LA. Instead, she and her husband, James (né McCarthy) Kilmoon, bought a house in Jersey. But they currently live in Atlanta where they are filming James’s movie. Phoebe is expecting another baby in May and is very happy and tired.

Devon Hopkins writes, “I’m starting a new job as the chief marketing officer for Raftr, a private online community platform for higher education and nonprofits. I’ve been spending my time between Santa Monica, California, and Lake Arrowhead, California, where my partner and I have a little cabin in the mountains that we Airbnb to friends and family. I’ve also been enjoyed playing League of Legends: Wild Rift with fellow alumni Seth Halpern ’09, Christian Hoyos, and Anthony Smith.”

Thanks everyone!

Best,

Allie

Greetings Wesleyan community! Please enjoy the following updates from the Class of 2010:

In our first of three baby updates: Woody Redpath and Eliza Newman welcomed baby number two this past October, this time a little girl: Bayley!

Kait Halibozek’s small company is turning four in June! Based in Los Angeles, she works with independent filmmakers to develop and execute social impact and grassroots marketing campaigns. Her recent clients include the award-winning Lyme disease documentary, The Quiet Epidemic (codirected/produced by Lindsay Keys ’11 and produced by Daria Lombroso ’11), [a] narrative-musical romance film, The Brink Of (directed by Patrick Meaney ’07), and the streaming educational program Brain Info Live, which she codeveloped at the start of the pandemic with her clients at BrightFocus Foundation. You can learn more by visiting her website: www.khalibozekconsulting.com.

Michael Pernick reports: “I’m overjoyed to share that on February 10, my wife Elizabeth Phillips and I welcomed our daughter Annette (‘Annie’) June Pernick. Annie is already proudly rocking some great Wesleyan onesies.”

Sam Schilit completed her laboratory genetics and genomics fellowship at Harvard last June. Since then, she has focused on reproductive genetic testing including preconception carrier screening and noninvasive prenatal screening in her current position as assistant laboratory director of women’s health at Myriad Genetics. In November, Sam and husband Jeremy Rosenweig welcomed their daughter, Reese Schilit Rosenweig. Sam adds that “life as a family of four (with big brother Henry) is exhausting and wonderful!” 

Phil Singleton shares that “I’ve written and published my debut novel! Daybreaker follows the crew of the titular spaceship as it uses the gravity of a man-made black hole to ‘tow’ the Earth to a new star after our sun unexpectedly went supernova.” Phil’s book is available for purchase as an eBook or paperback at Barnes & Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daybreaker-phil-singleton/1142936745?ean=9798823184458) or on Kindle at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/DAYBREAKER-Book-1-Phil-Singleton-ebook/dp/B0BX4SBBZK/).

Evan Perkoski contributes: “I recently published my first book with Oxford University Press titled Divided Not Conquered: How Rebels Fracture and Splinters Behave. It looks at how armed groups like Al-Qaeda, the IRA, and the Islamic State sometimes break apart and form new organizations. It’s available at all major bookstores, but since it’s written mainly for researchers and policymakers, don’t expect any sort of Tom Clancy intrigue.”

Finally, it is with great sadness that I report the September 2022 passing of our classmate Miguel Ramirez. Miguel was a proud Wesleyan alum and dear friend to many of us. A wonderful digital memorial can be found here: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/new-york-ny/miguel-ramirez-10942106.

Thanks as always to those who contributed and, as always, feel free to pass along notes anytime to DavidALayne@gmail.com.

Ally writes for this issue.

Where in the world is Ben Roberts? He writes, “I’ve been residing in Stamford, Connecticut, the last two years but will be moving back to Tampa, Florida, with my youngest brother Graham in May. I’ve been leading the road warrior life, splitting my time between the USA, Philippines, Colombia, and India, while building and scaling outsourced offshore/nearshore teams. I’m in the Philippines as we speak and headed to Africa next month to begin scouting locations for the next new business in Nairobi, Kenya. When I’m not working, I’m training for the Head of the Charles Regatta WeScrew alumni event this fall. Look forward to reconnecting with fellow Wes alums at the 15-year reunion!”

Speaking of globe-trotting, guten Tag from Alex Footman.Alex is living in Berlin with his wife, daughter, dog, and two self-proclaimed “bad knees.” You can tune into world news for Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle if you want to see our classmate in action.

“Hello!” from Sophie Reagan, who will always be Sophie PC in my heart. She writes, “I am still living in Washington, D.C., with my husband, daughter, and dog. I am loving life at Deloitte— not something I would have ever seen for myself as an English major—all the more so since making the change to be a chief of staff as part of our Government & Public Service Practice. In TV-watching news, I am still recovering from last week’s Vanderpump Rules scandal, and I have truly appreciated everyone’s well wishes during this fraught time.”

Happy second wedding anniversary to Kate Gavriel!She was married during the pandemic in 2021 and asked whether celebrating her second anniversary was newsworthy. I think so!!!

Christian Skorik writes,“I currently live in the Boston area with my partner and I manage a small sales team for a Canadian biotech company called STEMCELL Technologies. My days are pretty routine and I would welcome a chance to connect with any Wes alums that happen to be close by/in town for a visit. So, let this be a beacon to such folks! Reach out and I will give you a tour of my city’s excellent breweries.”

Bryan Wieland and wife Nicole welcomed their second child, the beautiful Scarlett Wieland, in mid-March. Welcome to the world, Scarlett!

Evan Coleman has a new position as a litigation attorney with U.S. Department of the Interior. He and his wife and their 2-year-old son, Reece, are getting ready to welcome a little girl next month. She will be named Robyn.

Effective September 2022, Arielle Linsky, PhD,accepted a position as assistant professor of psychology at Weill Cornell Medicine. She works as a clinical psychologist providing treatment for children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety and related disorders (among other things).

Ben Smyser has been elected to counsel at Finn Dixon & Herling LLP, focusing on corporate finance. He currently lives in Pelham, New York with his lovely wife Elanor and two wonderful daughters, Naomi and Hazel.

Nicole Gray is living her “best” (i.e., best given some unfortunate circumstances in 2022) life in Los Angeles. She is currently working as a social scientist for the FDA Center for Tobacco Products. She will soon be adopting two cats.

Emma Komlos-Hrobsky writes, “I had a baby! My husband and I welcomed our daughter, Paloma Lyra Hicks, in July. She charms us with her passion for her toes, acrobatic rolling, and what may be the world’s most perfect belly button. I returned to my job as senior editor at Poets & Writers Magazine in January and do my best to not ask my coworkers if they’re getting cranky and need a nap.”

Sally Rosen Phillips is working as a vice president of creative at This Machine Filmworks, a production company founded by director R. J. Cutler. Her work focuses on development of documentaries. In September, Sally and her husband Eric welcomed their first baby, Hope. Along with their Lagotto Romagnolo, Enzo, the family resides in Los Angeles and enjoys weekly Thai food delivery from Pa Ord Noodles. Thanks to Thai Gardens’ introduction many years ago, pad see ew remains a staple of the order.

It has been an amazing 12 months for Patrick and Andrea Senat. They got married in New York City and gave birth to Malcolm Barack Senat.

Correction: In the last issue I wrote that  “Maya (Bass) Bery” welcomed her first child. Maya Bass and Maya Bery are two different individuals. My apology to them both and a hearty congratulations to Maya Bery on her first child!

Greetings classmates! Megan Kretz Harrington here with your 2007 class update. As I write, I’m looking at two feet of snow, but hopefully by the time you read this you’re enjoying warmer temperatures and a good start to your summer.

A bit of news from our classmates:

Himanshu “Heems” Suri is working on a new album! Patrick Meaney is also making moves in the music and art world. He wrote and directed the indie music romance film The Brink Of, which will be released by 1091 this summer. Recent Wes grad Olivia Crowell ’21 acted in the film and worked as a PA on set.

Dawid Wiacek writes, “I’ve been tending to my ailing dog who recently turned 13. He’s still got his pep and obsession with treats, so that’s a good sign. Also, I’m going to be a first-time uncle, so that’s exciting. On the work front, this spring I’m celebrating my fourth anniversary of formal ‘solopreneurship’ as the founder of Career Fixer LLC, and 16 total years as a career and executive coach of helping folks navigate career pivots, layoffs, difficult conversations at work, and everything in between. I don’t want to sound like I’m selling anything, and if any fellow Wes grads want to casually chat, I’m always happy to lend an ear, gratis. I got off Instagram some years ago and I’m resisting TikTok, but you can find me on LinkedIn. I continue to volunteer as an occasional mentor and career advisor for Wesleyan students, and I encourage my fellow alums to do the same—your experience and even just you lending an ear once or twice a year carries more weight and impact than you know!”

As always, if you have news (big or small!), please send it to your class secretaries.