Class Notes

Author recognized for fiction work

a 2020 Lawyer of the Year for her work in family law mediation by U.S. News. on her poll worker experience during the April 7 election for the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County’s May-June issue. started Bobolin Media. She spent the past year editing and publishing her husband’s first book. Linda credits “sheer determination and much of my business background, which started at Mount Mary, for getting us to this point.” 1980-1989 mixed media fiber arts installation comprised of song lyrics to help her Tennessee community cope with the current pandemic. Kerri Lukasavitz ’12 has received several recognitions for her writing this year. She won the Lakefly Writers Flash Fiction genre and is currently a finalist in the WOW! (Women On Writing) Summer Flash Fiction contest. She was also a semifinalist in the Bethlehem Writers Short Story Award competition. She was offered a contract from HenchelHAUS Publishing (a small, traditional press) to publish her novels “Gray Horse at Oak Lane Stable” (released September 1) and “Mystery Horse at Oak Lane Stable” (to be re-released in

1970-1979

1972 Susan Hansen was named

1977 Eloisa Gomez wrote an essay

1978 Linda Zuern Nikcevich

1983 Bailey Earith created a November). 1983 Sue Richter Loesl received this year’s WAEA Outstanding Art Educator Award. She worked for over 30 years as an adaptive art specialist/art therapist in Milwaukee Public Schools and currently teaches as an adjunct instructor at Mount Mary.

1984 Brenda Schweder was featured in an episode of the Jewelry Artist podcast by Interweave.

1986 Susan Pillar Muenter was selected as the next legislative chair for the Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance. She works as the director of human resources for the Mukwonago Area School District.

1990-1999

1992 Laura Suess started as the senior labor investigator at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry in the MinneapolisSt. Paul area.

1992 Carol Anderson Wiertzema

started as a strategic client partner at Avesis, a Guardian Life Company, continuing her nearly 20-year career in Medicaid and Medicare benefit administration.

1993 Laura Schalk started as the director of interior design at JAKnetter Architects in Waukesha, Wis. She taught as an adjunct instructor at Mount Mary during the fall 2019 semester.

1995 Margie Wirth published a new edition of “The Carrot Monster’s Cookbook” featuring gluten-free and vegan recipes. She also created a yoga video series to help people maintain active lifestyles during this time of social distancing.

1996 & 2005 Amy Dedow presented a workshop, “Inspiring Volunteer Leadership,” at the Association of Volunteer Managers serving Southeastern Wisconsin. She moderated a panel discussion with the founding members of Tosa Together.

1996 Jo Kedrowski Maze now works as the assistant director of strategy and business operations at Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee.

1996 Jenny Schultz led a class for first-year undecided students during the Compass Year “Jump Start” orientation in August. She is the owner of Grey House Creative Market in Wauwatosa, Wis.

1998 Nilda Cintron-Cortez started as the chief human resources officer at Luther Manor in Wauwatosa, Wis. She earned her Ph.D. in Leadership for Advancement of Learning and Service from Cardinal Stritch University.

1999 & 2016 Priscilla Hernandez

Balderas started as the director of rehabilitation services at Adaptive Rehabilitation Services.

1999 Laura Weber Hutchison

now works as the senior director of distribution growth ventures at Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee. She was named a BizTimes Notable Women in Finance.

2000-2009

2000 Angie Rodakowski Holtski

started as a certified hand therapist at Ultra Physical Therapy and Hand Center and Orthopedic + Fracture Specialists in Beaverton, Oregon.

2001 Tiffany Wynn was named the new vice president of marketing and communications for Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis.

2005 Lisa Runge started as the training coordinator for the State of Wisconsin legislative human resources office. In her role, she will be responsible for designing and facilitating legislative-wide managerial, supervisory and employee development and training programs. She has spent the last 10 years developing creative and engaging training programs for businesses, most notably at Kohl’s Corporate and Johnson Controls, Inc.

A LUMNAE S URVEY

2006 Malynnda Campbell Johnson now works as the admissions and advising coordinator for the genetic counseling center at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.

2006 Angela Kimbrough Madlock

started as a care manager at My Choice Family Care in Milwaukee.

2007 Sarah L’Heureux started as a clinical therapist supervisor at Behavioral Treatment Services for Weld County, Colo.

2007 Susan Whitehead started as a licensed professional counselor at Willow Tree Therapy Services, LLC in Sparta, N.J.

2009 Rita Dziedzic Afonso started at Zumesac in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. She has been living in the Canary Islands for the past 4 years.

2010-Present

2010 Amber Jay started as the Strategic Brand Relationship Director at the Compass Group. She, her husband, and their two boys (ages 6 and 1) live in San Antonio, Texas.

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2011 Heather Tileston Franks now teaches math at Steyning Grammar Secondary and Sixth Form School in Steyning, England.

2011 Maureen Kasdorf published Children’s Stories We Never Outgrow.”

2011 Gina Bonan Morrow was promoted to replenishment manager at WR Group, Inc. – Consumer Health Brands in Scottsdale, Ariz. 2012 Diane Stahl Littel started as the lead victim of crime therapist at HIR Wellness Institute in Milwaukee and a behavioral health psychotherapist for the Menominee

a new book “Lessons for a Lifetime: County Health System.

2013 Mandy Webster published her latest novel, “Demons of the Night.”

2014 Leona Knobloch started as the development director at Ozaukee Washington Land Trust in West Bend, Wis.

Noted medical administrator retires

Gwenn Balling Rausch ’72 recently retired as CEO of the Chicago-area Heartland Health Centers. During her ten years there, she grew the patient base to provide an accredited primary care medical home for 28,000 people who would otherwise lack access to quality care. She also worked closely with several area behavioral health organizations to create integrated health homes for persons experiencing severe mental illness. In 2019, her organization received Joy in Medicine Awards from the American Medical Association for its exceptional efforts to reduce physician burnout. Rausch received a Madonna Medal from the Mount Mary Alumnae Association in 2016 for Professional Excellence.

2011 Natasha Padiachee Smet

published chapters in the 5th edition of “Pediatric Skills for Occupational Therapy Assistants” and the 8th edition of “Case-Smith’s Occupational Therapy for Children an assistant designer-women’s at

and Adolescents.”

2012 & 2017 Elizabeth Idzikowski

started as an English language arts teacher for the Oconomowoc Area

2014 Emily Goldstein Nolan

started as a professor of practice in art therapy for the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y.

2014 Jordan Weber now works as School District.

Kohl’s Corporation in Menomonee Falls, Wis. 2015 Lorelle Luckett started a fitness workout business, Bodied by Lo in Houston, Texas. She also works as a facilitator at Thrive, a human development company.

2015 Yasmin Henderson Tucker

launched a new app designed for creative therapists, ArtsXMeets.

2015 PaKou Vang was selected as a designer for the “Once Upon a Time: Fresh Traditions” fashion show.

2016 Catrina Duncan started as a clinical therapist for Waukesha County.

2016 Lauren Roskos Michael

started as a staff accountant at Crimson Renewable Energy, LLC. She and her husband relocated to Denver, Colo. this past spring.

2016 Anita Nathan started as an intake specialist at Rogers Behavioral Health.

2016 Brenda Reasby started as a transfer agent for investor services at UMB Fund Services in Milwaukee.

2017 Mary Andrus co-published an article in the Canadian Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy, titled “Prosocial behaviors in a creative arts day camp for children with and without special needs.” She wrote a chapter in the anthology “Art Therapy and Childbearing Issues: Birth, Death and Rebirth,” entitled “Infertility to Motherhood: Collective Voices in Art Therapy Challenge Social Constructs.”

2017 Tricia Hohnl Dobrient accepted a position at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota as the coordinator of new student orientation and academic success. She graduated from Marquette University with a master’s degree in education and received the Values Award from the Association of College Unions International.

2017 Cassandra Kaminski

now works as a business process excellence consultant at Northwestern Mutual in Franklin, Wis. She received her Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate last May.

2017 & 2018 Courtney Tarmann

Kowalczyk started as a clinical representative at Cranial Technologies, Inc. in Milwaukee.

2017 & 2020 Jamie Hollins Mast

started as an English instructor at Bryant and Stratton College in Wauwatosa, Wis. and an adjunct instructor of English for North Central University. She got married this past June.

2017 Sheniqua Norman was promoted to the senior accounts payable specialist at Milwaukee Tool.

2017 Shelia Suda graduated from Gonzaga University with a Master of Arts in organizational leadership with a concentration in change leadership.

2017 Brittany Fitzpatrick Tillman

now works as the manager of refunds for Advocate Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee.

2018 Emily Dachs started as the human resources manager at Easton Motors in Beaver Dam, Wis.

2018 Naureen Fatima started as the program manager for the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition. She got married in August 2019.

2018 Lydia Ferraro started as a child and family therapist, focused on school-based mental health at SaintA in Milwaukee. She curated a virtual student art gallery in honor of children’s mental health awareness through Freemont, California’s Youth and Family Services.

Fashion AT THE

Sasha Solana Walton ’13

showcased her collection, “Opulence” at Fashion Week Studio in Paris at the Ritz hotel earlier this spring. She is the first designer to showcase a plus-size collection at the event. She returned to campus this October to share her story with fashion design students.

2018 Courtney Furlow got married this past June.

2018 Holland Huron started as a merchandise assistant at Stein’s Garden & Home in Milwaukee.

2018 Sophie Kubly now works as the sourcing and design assistant at Florence Eiseman in Milwaukee.

2018 Madeline Kulpa now works as a behavioral specialist at Rogers Behavioral Health in Oconomowoc, Wis.

2018 Catilyn Narr was promoted to assistant merchandising manager for kids and men’s outerwear at Lands’ End in Madison, Wis.

2019 Monique Beasley started as a tech connected college coach at College Possible in Milwaukee.

2019 Ashley Duncan moved to New York City to work as a production assistant for DíOMí. 2019 Pilar Rios Joseph started as a CCAS (cross-college advising service) academic advisor at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also works part-time as a mental health counselor at Shore Clinic in Wauwatosa, Wis.

2019 Emma Larson was promoted to an account executive at LogRocket in Boston, Mass.

2019 Bethany Lato helped launch Mudita Magazine, “a publication dedicated to promoting wellness of our physical, emotional, mental, creative, and occupational selves.”

2019 Samantha Martinez now works as the prestige sales manager at Ulta Beauty in Milwaukee.

2019 Emilee Seegert started as an adult care worker at Calm Harbor in West Bend, Wis. Last August, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Roland.

CALLING ALL ALUMS! Send us your updates. Access our online form at:

Alumnae share the write stuff Four young grads who use their writing skills in varied ways shared their career journeys during a Writers on Writing presentation in October. They discussed their first job, how and why they moved to new jobs and the writing skills that come in handy every single day. Loni Luna ’08 Megan Nordvall ’15

Demand Generation Manager, Senior IRB Analyst at the MSI Data University of Chicago

Luna began her career in technical One of Nordvall’s jobs out of writing with non-profit organizations college included working with the and has happily landed in marketing Kern Family Foundation, where for a B2B SaaS company. In her she managed grant reports and current role at MSI Data, Luna is communications for 34 universities in charge of demand generation, around the country. Nordvall social media, events, web content, continued her work in grants as email marketing, media relations, an administrator for the University product marketing, customer of Chicago before transitioning marketing and much more. into a role as a senior analyst for Shannon Molter ’15 the Institutional Review Board at the University of Chicago’s social UX Designer, Walmart Global Tech and behavioral sciences division. Molter started her career with Kohl’s Corporate where she held Julie Weber ’09, ’19 various roles in the technology Commercial Program Manager, communications and training/ Rockwell Automation early talent departments. Last Weber has held previous positions year, she accepted a new role with at Honeywell, Johnson Controls Walmart Corporate as a project and SpaceSaver. Prior to starting manager. She recently made a her career in marketing and career/role change into User communications, she had a Experience Design. She is currently career in interior design. the UX lead on an associate-facing website where she leads a team of designers/developers and also L isten to their insights at manages the user research, site content and design updates. magazine.mtmary.edu

2019 Zakia Wells was part of a 2020 Aisha Ullius Dikeman got two-woman show at Arts at Large married this past June. She started in Milwaukee this past August as an elementary art teacher for with artist Nicole Acosta. the Campbellsport School District in Eden, Wis. 2020 Maribel Loera Arista started as a student success coach at 2020 Jordan Green begun as a City Year in Milwaukee. design consultant I at Aptura, a Direct Supply company based in 2020 Candace Briggs started Milwaukee. She worked as an intern as a house manager at Vertava for Direct Supply for the past 2.5 Health in Southaven, Miss. years. Jordan received the Emerging 2020 Yazi Suarez Cournia started as a pre-kindergarten teacher for Milwaukee Public Schools. She Professional of the Year Award from the Wisconsin chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. recently had a daughter named Eloisa. 34

2020 Monica Hooper started as the administrative assistant for the main substance abuse counselor at the American Indian Council, a rehabilitation center for substance abuse in Milwaukee.

2020 Darien Horst was promoted to first assistant manager at Maurices in Wauwatosa, Wis.

2020 Karmelita Moore, a mother of seven and first-generation university graduate, had an amazing year of triumphs. She graduated with her master’s in clinical mental counseling and started as a mental health consultant at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Karmelita and her husband celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

2020 Emily Oschmann received the Outstanding Dietetics Student Award for Coordinated Programs in Wisconsin from the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

2020 Sara Rubovits was awarded a neuroscience research fellowship at the National Institute for Health in Washington, D.C.

2020 Johnelle Suto received her phlebotomy technician certification from Phlebotomy Career Training in August.

2020 Alison Bubloni Voss started as a fourth grade teacher at Thoreau Elementary School in Milwaukee. She also recently got married.

2020 Erin Walker started as a quality control laboratory technician at Chr. Hansen, Inc. in Milwaukee.

2020 Ariah Zwolinski was promoted to workforce connection center consultant at Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

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