Tag: 2006

Please write to your class secretary.

 For this edition, I’m changing it up by placing births first! Steven Wengrovitz and his husband Dan welcomed their daughter, Elise Lucca Wengrovitz-Freeman, to the world on July 20, 2020. They can’t wait to show her around campus someday soon! 

Please be sure to pick up Drew Berkowitz’s first book Framing School Violence and Bullying in Young Adult Manga: Fictional Perspectives on a Pedagogical Problem, released in November 2020 via Palgrave Macmillan. This title analyzes the ways in which young adult Japanese manga has influenced patterns of violence and 

bullying in K–12 schools.

Kyle Gardner finished his PhD in South Asian history at the University of Chicago in 2018 and moved to D.C. to work for a consulting firm. Keep an eye out for his forthcoming book, The Frontier Complex: Geopolitics and the Making of the India–China Border, 1846–1962, which will be available in January 2021 via Cambridge University Press.

Amanda Thieroff is single and childless but she does not live with her parents (writer’s note: huge congratulations on that end)! Her small vegan ice cream company Fiddlehead Creamery, based out of Port Townsend, Washington, is weathering the COVID-19 storm and she is happy to be providing a small amount of joy in these wild times. She also adopted the most wonderful puppy in the world: Finlay. When she and Finlay are not hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, they enjoy growing and cooking food, and trying to stay positive through the power of human connection.

Be sure to add the letters “M.D.” after Stephanie Diana Garcia’s name. Diana is happily thriving in Los Angeles and works as a family medicine resident at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. She recently had her research published in a prestigious journal. 

Also on the West Coast is Alix Sleight, who just survived a wild pandemic cross-country move with her family. She started a new job as an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she’ll be developing a new health behavior counseling program for underserved cancer survivors. She’s living in Malibu now and looking forward to reconnecting with all her old Wesleyan friends in SoCal.

Natalie Finegood Goldberg is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a private practice in Beverly Hills, California. While she has been an AASECT certified sex therapist since 2015, she’s now also an AASECT certified sex therapy supervisor. Although the move to online counseling was daunting, her practice has been running smoothly.

The U.S. Department of State announced the selection of Juan Sebastian Moreno for a virtual fellowship engaging with English language learners online in Panama at Education USA. Moreno is among the first to be selected for the Virtual English Language Fellow Program, a new program created for the 2020–2021 academic year. 

Hayley Stokar relocated to Washington, D.C. with her husband and two-year-old daughter to join the Social Work Department faculty at Gallaudet University.

Maggie Elliott Martin moved to Nashville this summer with her husband for his job at Vanderbilt. Post-pandemic, they’re looking forward to exploring the city and spending some time with Jessie Morris, Brian Adams ’04, and Brent Taylor ’07.

Pia Silva has launched her podcast Show Your Business Who’s Boss. The podcast seeks to educate service business owners and consultants about what it really takes to be the boss of their businesses, instead of at the mercy of clients. She also recently did a TEDx talk titled “Taking Leaps Is The Only Way To Bank True Confidence.”

And here’s a quick mention of a Wesleyan alum abroad. Smith Louis moved to Berlin, Germany in February 2020, where he works as a product manager at a tech company in the content management space.

And now I’ll be stepping into the third person role. Calvin Cato has remained in high spirits by keeping in touch with friends Sophie Karp, Mariana Brewer, Gabrielle Tynes-Labonte, and Alana Liskov (who recently completed her counseling psychology doctoral program at the University of Denver). Beginning in September 2020, he is currently co-hosting and producing an outdoor, socially-distant comedy and music variety show in the northwest end of Prospect Park called Disco Tree Variety Show. If you live in NYC and can travel safely and own a picnic blanket, feel free to come by! The show accepts donations where proceeds have gone to support mental health charities as well as BIPOC and LGBTQ organizations. 

Finally, Fazal Yameen is currently the vice president of Product at Stash, a financial technology and financial services start-up in NYC. He sends his best regards and hopes that everyone is all well, healthy, safe, and staying close to their loved ones, whether in person or virtually.

Calvin Cato | catocals@gmail.com

Hello, Class of 2006! At the time of this writing, I know we’re all going through various stressors considering the current climate, so I hope these notes will be a good palate cleanser.

Since so many of us are stuck indoors, you should consider picking up some books written by our fellow classmates. Sam Han is the author of (Inter)Facing Death: Life in Global Uncertainty, a work that analyzes the nexus of death and digital culture in the contemporary moment in the context of recent developments in social, cultural, and political theory. The book analyzes diverse phenomena, including the mourning of celebrity deaths and online suicide pacts. Sam currently works as a senior lecturer at the School of the Social Sciences/Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Western Australia in Perth.

For another interesting read, seek out The Race Card: From Gaming Technologies to Model Minorities by Tara Fickle. This work discusses how gaming and game theory has played a role in our understanding of racial identity and marginalization. Tara is an assistant professor of English at the University of Oregon and an affiliated faculty in ethnic studies, the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, and the New Media and Culture Certificate program.

In January 2020, Jesse Young completed his master’s degree in international policy at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C. He works on climate change advocacy at the international nonprofit Oxfam America.

Daniel Dykes is very grateful for family as he quarantines with his parents and his sister’s family in Connecticut. He is working remotely as an investment funds associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s Manhattan office.

Jenevive Nykolak joined the faculty of California State University, Los Angeles, as an assistant professor of modern and contemporary art history this past fall. After a brief stint in San Francisco, she is very happy to be in LA!

Kristy Elliott graduated grad school from Sacred Heart University. She earned her master of education and certification simultaneously and now teaches computer science and technology.

In the fall, Mel McCrea will start work on her master’s degree in counseling psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is open to housing leads, odd jobs, and dating setups (women, nonbinary, and genderqueer) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Alex Pfeiffer Reynolds successfully manages to stay connected with her classmates. She’s had happy hour Zoom calls with Adam Maxwell in Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Anthony Gray in Minneapolis, Minn.; Mike Walsh in Palm Springs; Morgan Blum in Boston; Matt Smith ’06, MALS ’11 and Reid Jewett Smith in Vermont; and Jordan Funt in Florida. These happy hours have helped them share many laughs and memories.

Alex Altman is celebrating the launch of her private therapy practice, Alex Altman Therapy LLC, in Bethesda, Maryland. Congratulations to Alex as she also celebrates her recent engagement to her fiancé, Nicholas Sherman.

Rachel Berger is living in Brooklyn with her husband, Ari Jankelowitz, and two children, Colin and Sadie. In October 2019, she became the director of nutrition at the NYC Department for the Aging.

Congratulations to Eleanor Rodriguez (formerly Eleanor Conger-Milnes), who had her son, Cosme Jeremias Rodriguez, on April 12. She and her husband, Jesus Rodriguez, are delighted with Cosme, who weighed an impressive 10 pounds, three ounces. She is eternally grateful to Emily Mulqueen, who has been an amazing support into motherhood.

Sophie Karp and Evan Katin-Borland, along with 3-year-old Lucy, welcomed Clara May Borland in January. Despite the current lockdown in Brooklyn, they are grateful to have their health and each other.

Emily Frost and Nick Bullard welcomed Phoebe Frost Bullard into the world in June 2019—perfect timing to join Wesleyan class of 2041 alongside Neva Peck, daughter of Shaine Truscott and Stacy Peck. Shaine currently works for the health care workers union SEIU in Seattle. Emily, Nick, Phoebe, and Phoebe’s older brother Henry (4 years old) moved to Concord, Mass. over the winter. Emily works as a producer for the podcast company Wondery. Nick continues to do strategy work for Deloitte.

Alexandra Loh is happy to have it all! In 2019, she and her husband welcomed baby Evelyn into the world. And in 2020, they purchased a beautiful house that they’ve made into a happy home.

I hope you are all staying safe and sane in these times!

Calvin Cato | catocals@gmail.com

Jennifer Low is celebrating a well-earned victory after being declared the winner on an episode of Netflix’s cake decorating show, Sugar Rush. Jennifer is the owner and lead pastry chef of The Frosted Fox Cake Shop. Based in Philadelphia, this delightful store is best known for creating wedding and specialty cakes. Definitely check out Frosted Fox Cake Shop for your confectionary needs.

Kristy Elliott is going back to work now that her four children are old enough to be in school. She teaches third grade in Connecticut and is enrolled in the MAT program at Sacred Heart University, where she is working towards her teacher certification.

Rebecca Morse graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2016. She spent a year clerking in Houston, during which she visited Amelia Long in Austin, before moving to Los Angeles, where she lives with her partner, Tim, and works for the city attorney’s office.

Anna Moench enrolled at the University of California San Diego, where she completed her MFA in playwriting. She got married, had a baby, and she resides in Los Angeles, where she is adapting a novel to the screen for Universal and Michael DeLuca Productions. Her new play, Man of God, had its world premiere at East West Players on Jan. 31.

Joseph McElligott supported alumni development for the Trinity Pawling School in 2018 by endowing the Joseph B. McElligott IV Scholarship. The scholarship’s sole purpose is to provide financial aid for students attending the school. Kate Angell was awarded tenure and an associate professorship at Long Island University Brooklyn. Devin Ludwig completed an intensive course in web development. He is seeking full-time programming work. Get in touch with Devin for your programming needs!

Jenny Weinar got married in December. In attendance were Alex Altman, Adam Rizzo, and Jane Morley ’05. Congrats and best wishes!

Congratulations to Luke and Jessica Basta, who welcomed their third child into their family. Baby Heidi joins her siblings, Jonah and Theo. Another round of congrats are in order for Hayley Stokar and her husband, Alexander, who welcomed their first child, Clarissa, in May.

Noah and Elizabeth Isaacs ’05 welcomed their second child, Jonah Hudson Isaacs, into the world on Nov. 20. Jonah is studying ceiling fans in Brooklyn while his 3-year-old sister, Vivienne Langston Isaacs, tries to affectionately eat his toes. Noah works as a director of behavioral health at NYC Health and Hospitals, helping the public hospital system combat the opioid epidemic. Elizabeth works as a supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Appeals Bureau.

Calvin Cato | catocals@gmail.com

Amelia Geggel passed away in April 2016 after a long battle with cancer. Her family has established the Amelia Geggel Environmental Scholarship in her memory. At Wesleyan, Amelia was a religion major. During her junior year, she studied abroad in Chile and she graduated with honors a year later.

Amelia was hearing impaired from birth, yet this never stopped her from pursuing her passions. She discovered her love for animals and the environment at an early age and, by the fifth grade, was a “moral vegetarian.” At the age of 26, she was diagnosed with sarcoma, but still she persisted. In the following six years, she got married (to a carnivore who shared her dry sense of humor), completed a master’s degree in public health, and worked full-time as an environmentalist.

The Amelia Geggel Environmental Scholarship will exist in perpetuity in Amelia’s memory to provide financial aid for students, with demonstrated financial need who are interested in environmental science or environmental studies. If you’d like to contribute to this fund, please go to give.wesleyan.edu and indicate that you would like to give to the Amelia Geggel Environmental Scholarship.

Calvin Cato | catocals@gmail.com