is now an associate business intelligence analyst at AOL. Samantha and Juan met in high school in Ecuador. Bard has an important place in their story because it is where they really established their relationship. | Madison Fletcher and Eli Sidman met in chemistry class during the second semester of their freshman year at Bard. Madison has been pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at Temple University in Philadelphia while Eli teaches middle and upper school science at Abington Friends School. They were married on June 26, 2016, with
Samantha Baca ’12 and Juan Felipe ’12 marry at New York City Hall. photo Elvira Kalviste
their friends and family in attendance (including a quorum of Bardians) in Brooklyn, New York. They are looking forward to moving to Irvine, California, this summer. | Kabren Levinson is the cofounder and managing director of a startup growth, fullstack marketing and product design agency, Levels Consulting Group. Levinson works with clients in finance, healthcare, and, most recently, an international manufacturer of juvenile products, among others. He focuses primarily on business development, go-to-market strategy, marketing technology, and UI/UX design. | Olivia Molineaux is a medical student at Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons. | Alexa Palmer was awarded the Marian Chace Prize in Journalism by the Marian Chace Foundation of the American Dance Therapy Association for advancing the field of dance/movement therapy and counseling. | Evan Seitchik and Sara Director ’11 were married in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, in December 2016. | Gabriella Spitz and Rachel Becker were married on December 28, 2016, in Brooklyn, New York. Gabriella is pursuing her Ph.D. in cell biology at Rockefeller University and Rachel is a violin maker and works at Reed Yeboah Fine Violins. The Spitz-Beckers celebrated with friends and family, including Gabriella’s mother, Erica Kiesewetter (visiting associate professor of music at Bard), and her brother Sebastian Spitz ’17. | Emiljana Ulaj is the communications director for New York State Assembly member Shelley Mayer. Emiljana was also elected to the state committee of the Working Families Party and serves on the steering committee for the Westchester-Putnam chapter. Emiljana would like to encourage all Bardians to get involved in local politics and volunteer with local community organizations. They need you.
’11 The Albany Symphony Orchestra performed the world premiere of Connor Brown’s work “Range Upon Range” on December 8, 2016. Connor holds a B.A. in dance and a B.M. in composition from Bard. | Violinist Luosha Fang was a featured soloist with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, performing Jean Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D Minor as part of the orchestra’s all-Sibelius program. Described as “the picture of elegance and keenness,” Luosha delivered a rhythmically compelling performance. She received a B.A. in Russian studies and a B.M. in violin performance from Bard. | Travis McGrath was elected to the board of DiscNY, running youth Ultimate programs. | Jessica Medenbach is a Simonds Fellow in Video and Media Design at Carnegie Mellon University. She recently collaborated with filmmaker Tal Yarden ’81 and musician/composer Guy Yarden ’84 on Counting Sheep.
’09 Emma Smith-Stevens earned an M.F.A. from the University of Florida in 2013. Her first novel, The Australian, will be published by Dzanc Books in May 2017 and her short story collection, Allies/Strangers, is slated for publication in 2018. In August 2016, she joined the faculty of the Bard Prison Initiative. She lives with her husband, Sebastian Boensch, and their two dogs in Hudson, New York.
’08 The World My Mama Raised, a play by Ariel Stess about the incarceration system and women’s reproductive rights, will have its world premiere on May 20 at the Wild Project in New York City.
Olivia Molineaux ’12 with her parents after her white coat ceremony.
Gabriella Spitz-Becker ’12 and Rachel Spitz-Becker ’12. photo Kathryn Greenbaum
36 class notes
Sara Director ’11 and Evan Seitchik ’12. Also pictured are Olivia Conti '10, Daisy Soderberg-Rivkin '13, Grisha Rudensky '13, Will Vitale '12, Ian Smedley '13, Nathan Smith '11, and Michael Allen '12. photo Fantail Photography