cal and startup-savvy skills to work well in a fast-paced working environment. Jenna will work on real-life projects for the institute’s partner companies to build experience and portfolios. Upon completion of this immersive program in August 2015, Jenna hoped to work at a mission-driven organization as a UX/UI researcher and designer. Sean Guo proposed to Halley Goldman on the 13th of June while visiting Colgate. The couple lives in the Boston area where Halley is a registrar assistant at the Fletcher School, Tufts University, and Sean is a PhD candidate at Brandeis U. Sean and Halley will be getting married in September 2016. Fun fact: Halley and I were the only 2 environmental geology majors for the Class of 2013. I’m so happy for Halley and Sean! The final update to share is an engagement announcement from Ilona Haidvogel: “My fiancé, Anthony Giangreco-Marotta, and I met first year of high school in Buffalo, NY. After becoming close friends, we began dating during our senior year. Tony attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, just outside of Albany, where he majored in math. We drove the 2 1/2 hours between Colgate and RPI quite frequently. When I graduated, I joined him in central Massachusetts and we bought a house, which we share with a dog and 2 cats. Tony is an actuary and I teach pre-kindergarten. He proposed in February of 2015 during a much-needed Caribbean vacation. Our wedding will be here in Massachusetts on our 8-year anniversary in October of 2016.” Congratulations, Ilona and Tony! All the best, Molly Molly: mkagilligan@gmail.com
201 4 Joshua Riefler (Editor’s note: This column begins with Josh’s summer write-up, which was accidentally left out of the last issue.) Year 1 is done! Hi, everyone. It’s hard to believe that last year we took the big stage to shake President Herbst’s hand and receive our diplomas. I got some great feedback from what some of us “young professionals” have been up to, but be sure to respond to my next e-mail blast (Andy, below, had to travel on an hour-long bus ride to access the Internet and reply). Ashley Morris completed a 5th year at Colgate; however, this time around, as an intern and teaching assistant for the psychology department. She notes that as much as she loved being taught by Colgate professors, it is more gratifying to be among them as colleagues. In the spring, Ashley and Ashlee Eve backpacked through Europe, where they stopped (among other places) in Manchester, where they went abroad with the Colgate Study Group in fall 2012. Annie Gaburo has been working at Match Public Charter in Boston as a high school tutor and special education teaching assistant, while also being enrolled at Charles Sposato Graduate School of Education. Annie joined a co-ed a cappella group called Collective Measures, though she adds that nothing can replace her time in the Colgate Dischords! Annie was to start her new position as an 8th grade English teacher at UP Academy Oliver this fall. Elizabeth Evans spent last year teaching 1st grade at an all-boys independent school in San Francisco and then spent the summer in DC teaching ESL to international students. Andy Philipson closed out on a year of serving in the Peace Corps, volunteering in rural El Salvador, where he has adjusted to fully
Leslie Kessinger ’11 has successfully started a franchise of Three Dog Bakery just outside of Nashville, TN. The store bakes natural treats for dogs and was recently written about in the Tennessean. speaking Spanish and waking up at 5 am with the roosters. Andy has worked to improve the community in various ways, including teaching English, coaching a youth soccer team, and working with local government to coordinate petitions for external aid from nonprofit organizations. Andy was able to take a furlough and spend a week in Costa Rica with Peter Debartolo, Kevin Hoercher ’13, Andrew Rouse ’11, and Ali McMurtrie ’11. In addition, Andy periodically receives “pasta de dientes?” (toothpaste) questions whenever he wears his Colgate swag. Some things don’t change! Chris Krieg checked in with an update of his past year and shared: “While in Miami, FL, working on a research project funded by Colgate (NASC summer research fellowship), I was offered a research job at Florida International U. So as soon as I graduated, I went to work for a professor at FIU who recognized the Colgate name and quality of students it produces. I am currently still working for him, but not always at FIU! This plant research has taken me to UC Davis, Ethiopia, and Turkey. Of most recent, I was accepted into the U of Florida’s PhD program of botany, and will be starting this fall.” Catherine Stecyk, in a follow-up to last summer’s update that she was entering Tufts Veterinary School, received the Academic Excellence Award for earning a 4.0 during her first semester. Monica White, who was captain of the women’s lacrosse team her senior year at Colgate, has transitioned her passion for the sport to be a local development officer in Liverpool, UK, where she is working with the English Lacrosse Association to raise the international profile of the sport. Monica coaches people of all age and skill levels. She writes: “I coach a large variety of ages, my youngest starting at 8 years old and my oldest ending at 56. I coach the Youth and Junior Boys and Girls Teams, Liverpool Ladies Team, North Regional England Academy Team, Lancashire County Teams as well as 2 universities, Liverpool John Moores U and U of Liverpool. My U of Liverpool’s First Team went undefeated in their premiership. During the school days, I serve as a physical education teacher promoting lacrosse to primary school students. I am also fortunate enough to still have the opportunity to play; I play for the Liverpool Ladies Team that I coach for, as well as the North of England Regional First Team. My time in the UK has been an unbelievable experience, has given me a ton of opportunities to travel, and has taught me a wealth of knowledge in becoming a coach and the English culture.” (Editor’s note: The following is Josh’s autumn column.) Life continues to bring new and exciting things for the class. Pablo Sasso spent the summer working with the Mayhew Program, a nonprofit that provides a summer camp to at-risk youth in New Hampshire. The camp is different in the way that it promotes and seeks to challenge the boys in the program to go above and beyond by trying new things, creating a community of respect and responsibility, and really giving the power of choice to boys who might not otherwise have it. In his first public performance since beginning his training at the École Nationale de Cirque in Montreal, this past July 10, Evan Tomlinson Weintraub performed in front of 45,000 spectators at the Rogers Center, with millions more tuning into the live broadcast, for the opening
ceremonies at the Pan-American Games in Toronto. The opening ceremonies were directed by Cirque Du Soleil and are, to date, Cirque Du Soleil’s largest endeavor. Evan and 14 other classmates chosen from École Nationale de Cirque had been in rehearsal for 350+ hours with Cirque Du Soleil, working on new, innovative apparatuses created especially for the ceremonies. Juliana Reider has been working as an English teacher in Yamagata-ken, Japan, since March. Lauren Burton recently started med school at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson U. Jacob Freeman, Aidan Mosley, Neal Barber, Robbie Nicholas, Ryan Holliday, John Gabler, Michael Hendricks, Sean Bjornsson, Matt Bambach, Hondo Katz, Garrett Ley, Raman Malik, Ben Mandell, and James Speight converged in Austin on President’s Day weekend. The events consisted of boating on the Colorado River and eating Texas BBQ. Kathleen Tiley has started her master’s degree in the security studies program at Georgetown U’s Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service. She will be concentrating in intelligence. Ian Dwyer recently began Stony Brook U’s PhD program in marine science. James Speight graduated with his master’s in management from Wake Forest School of Business in May. Alanna Edwards and Jamari Hysaw both graduated from Columbia U School of Journalism with a master’s of science. Alanna received the school’s Peter Keller Prize for Editing and was featured on Humans of New York. Alanna is now working full-time as a copy editor at Bauer Media Group (In Touch, Life & Style, and Closer magazines) and is also doing some freelance work; in her first story, she interviewed Alan Rickman for the San Francisco Chronicle. There was a Colgate Day Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem held at the home of Rabbi Matt Berkowitz ’93. The guests included Caitlin Whittemore, AJ Farkas ’13, Adam Basciano ’16, and Lindsey Skerker. Ellie McGuire is back in Baltimore after her travels, working as a medical assistant at Planned Parenthood. Ellie will be looking to apply to grad school in the near future, but for now joined a trivia team and a kayaking club. Sydney Weinberg started an independent photography project with the goal of furthering the dialogue about mental illness. Website: letstalkaboutitnowposts.tumblr.com Sam Brenman is currently working as an account executive for a sales and marketing company in Bala Cynwyd, PA. He is involved in a management training program and hopes to own his own company by 2017. Keep those updates coming! Best. Josh: jriefler@colgate.edu
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cannot explain how privileged I feel to have traveled through Australia, let loose, made new friends, camped in the outback, and continued to learn!” After the trip, Emma was excited to start her master’s of public health at Columbia and is applying to medical school, while Hugo was happy to return to NYC and finally receive his diploma by mail! Austin Collier is working for GanQiShi, a growing Chinese company selling traditionally crafted steamed buns made from healthy ingredients. The company plans to open shop in the US, and Austin will assist in their expansion. “It’s a very unique position that calls upon the flexibility and critical thinking skills I learned at Colgate!” He will meet with real estate developers, help create marketing strategies, and even exercise his culinary skills by learning how to make the buns himself! Chelsea Wei is working as a production assistant at Fusion, a cable network owned by ABC News and Univision catered toward the millennial audience. She has the incredible opportunity to film interviews for the Good Morning America concert series, dress sets for sketch comedy shoots, and coordinate remote interviews with celebrities and various guests. This experience would not have been possible without the generosity of Colgate alumni working in entertainment, and Chelsea feel immensely fortunate to have this much hands-on production experience right out of college. Tyler Mark joined the Teach for America corps in New Orleans, LA, in late May. Teach for America places recent college graduates in low-income classrooms in an effort to eliminate educational inequality. He will teach 1st grade special education after receiving training in Atlanta. He is excited to embrace the challenges that lie ahead as he works with students, families, and the New Orleans community to help provide a great education to all his kids. It has been great hearing from so many of you! Please keep me updated with all of your new adventures. Until next time! Best, Elma elma.hajric@duke.edu or ehajric926@gmail.com
M a s t e r ’s
Please send any master’s-related news to Managing Editor Aleta Mayne: amayne@colgate.edu.
Marriages & Unions (2015 unless otherwise noted) Bob Connelly Jr ’84 and Bob Witeck, October 1 Susanne Stallkamp ’98 and Peter Russotto, July 25 William Crane ’03 and Alyssa Funk, July 17 Sally Mazzocchi ’05 and Matthew Lidinsky, March 7
Elma Hajric From the Atlantic to the Pacific, the Colgate Class of 2015 boasts an impressive range of work in the few short months since our graduation in May. Hugo Torres-Fetsco and Emma Krasovich took off halfway around the world to Australia to join Professors Ellen Kraly and Adam Burnett for an extended study. The focus of the trip was the Noongar people native to Southwestern Australia and climate change. Hugo shared that, “Words
Daniel Moisio ’07 and Elizabeth O’Keefe, January 10 Andrew Potter ’07 and Cliona Stack ’07, Sept 28, 2014 Steven R Butler ’09 and Susan Heinick, Dec 8, 2014 Evan Kramer ’09 and Jenna Weber ’10
News and views for the Colgate community
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