theUnion: Alumni
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AS TOLD BY: Hunter McEaddy Dawson, Class Secretary Hello everyone! I hope that this issue of the Davidson Journal finds you all well. Please send me your news and notes. I know that you are all up to exciting things, so keep updating me! Jake Fischer emailed the following, “I rejoined my prior company, The Hotel Group, and Theresa and I relocated to Nashville, Tenn., where we intend to develop roots! Thus far, we’re loving it and look forward to connecting with the Davidson community here; we’ve already seen Matt and Claire Sisco King, Wes Roach, Towles Allison Kintz, Courtney Pace Weiler and Fred Lowrance.” Fred is now a portfolio manager with Lee, Danner & Bass, Inc. in Nashville. Last fall, Eileen Dwyer Breeze began her new job as the academic success coordinator at Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens, Mass. Congratulations go to Elizabeth Johnson! This year she was the recipient of the Rosemary Nelson Hutto Award for Teaching Excellence at Ashley Hall in Charleston, S.C. Elizabeth has been teaching the pre-primary class of two-year-olds at Ashley Hall for 16 years. She is the first early childhood teacher to receive the award in the 28 years that it has been given. Criteria for the award include holding students to high standards, motivating students to learn, being well organized and prepared, participating in professional commitments such as coursework and workshops, assuming leadership roles, participating in community activities, maintaining enthusiasm for teaching, and demonstrating a personal interest in students. Exciting news out of Little Rock, Ark.: Conner Eldridge, who is currently the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, has been named by Attorney General Loretta Lynch as one of six new members of the U.S. attorney general’s advisory committee. This committee exists to advise the U.S. attorney general on policy, management and operational issues that affect the offices of the U.S. attorneys. Kerry Brophy Lloyd, her husband Matt and their child spent Memorial Day weekend climbing and camping with Kurt Fesenmyer, his wife Sarah and their two children, as well as Sara Ehinger Kormos, her husband Patrick and their two children. They all live in Idaho and work in conservation and natural resource management. Contact: Hunter McEaddy Dawson, 10 Council St., Charleston, SC 29401; ehmmce@aol.com
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AS TOLD BY: Mary Perrin Stark and Brendan Willmann, Class Secretaries Congratulations to Tarik Khan who married Fatima Baig on January 2, 2015, in Saginaw, Mich. The couple met while volunteering at a women’s shelter in Washington, D.C. Tarik is working as a family nurse practitioner in the Philadelphia area. He also devotes quite a bit of time volunteering for Enabling Minds, a non-profit that enables Haitian children with developmental disabilities to attend school. Congratulations to Patrick and Megan O’Brien Noltemeyer whose second son, Marshall Boyd, was born February 27, 2014. Marshall already looks up to his four-year-old brother, Jackson. Contact: Mary Perrin Stark, 601 Greenway St., Davidson, NC 28036; maryperrin@gmail.com DAVIDSONJOURNAL.DAVIDSON.EDU
Brendan Willmann, 7967 Jolain Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45242; 513-549-2736 (w); brwillmann@yahoo.com
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AS TOLD BY: Elizabeth Brantley Bostian, Class Secretary U.S. Air Force Major Jeremiah “Bull” Parvin received a Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor on January 29 for his actions saving the lives of six marines on what seemed to be a standard patrol mission from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan on October 28, 2008. The prestigious award is given to any officer or enlisted person who distinguishes her or himself in combat in support of operations by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight. Jeremiah and his wingman were circling the area when they received a call for help from air support operations. They endured difficult weather for the 320-mile flight to their location, found their destination without any support from maps, and descended below a thick cloud cover through mountainous terrain to reach the individuals in need. Upon arrival, it became apparent to Jeremiah that the unit was being relentlessly assaulted and was in dire need of immediate support and medical care. Jeremiah was able to divert enemy fire away from the unit and to destroy multiple enemy positions in close proximity to U.S. forces. He ultimately got the unit back safely and saved the lives of six marines. Jeremiah is now a major and the 75th Fighter Squadron director of operations. He has served three deployments, 280 combat hours, and 83 sorties. Sam Steinmann reports that, after living in Virginia since graduation, he and his wife, Kyndra (W&M ’98), moved to Springfield, Mass., in January 2014. Sam is now working for MassMutual in Springfield. He is still working as an actuary and got his ASA (professional credentials) shortly before moving. All four of his children: Frederick (6), Susannah (5), William (4), and Jacob (1) are enjoying Springfield. Jacob spent the whole first winter looking out the window every morning and very happily saying, “Snowwww.” Congratulations to Darcy Peifer and Marissa Gold on the birth of their son, Austin Tice Peifer, on May 9, just in time for Mother’s Day. Anna Katherine Clemmons Clay, her husband, Matt, and big brother, Connor, welcomed their newest addition, Samuel Andrew Clay, on April 28. Contact: Elizabeth Brantley Bostian, 300 Elmwood Dr., Greensboro, NC 27408; elizabeth. brantley@gmail.com
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AS TOLD BY: Stephen Aldrich, Class Secretary Congratulations to Michael Tarver and is wife, Tiffany Tarver, on the birth of their first child, Chase Bryan Tarver. The Tarver family resides in Matthews where Michael is a business initiatives consultant with Wells Fargo and Tiffany is a project coordinator with Time Warner Cable. Christa Wagner Vinson and husband David welcomed their daughter, Amory Elisabeth Vinson, on February 26. Will Roberson continues to have considerable coaching success on the hardwood as his junior varsity basketball team at The Burlington School earned a 16-1 record this year. Will is also an assistant on the varsity team that recorded a 33-1 record on its way
to winning a North Carolina state championship. When he’s not running his players through drills and watching video Will can be found teaching English to his upper school students. Do you live in Washington, D.C., or plan to visit the area? If so, check out DCanter, a fantastic wine boutique owned and operated by Michael Warner and Michelle Lim Warner. Check out their website for a listing of all the tastings and classes offered by the dynamic ownership duo. Congratulations to DCanter on being named the Best Place to Buy Wine in the Washington City Paper 2015 “Best of D.C.” readers’ poll! On a personal note, Maria Tardugno Aldrich ’03 and I welcomed our son, Patrick Brooks, on March 19. Big sister Caroline is excited about the new addition to the family, and we are all getting settled into our house in Davidson following a move to town in late 2014. Maria works as a senior major gifts officer at Davidson College and I continue to be with Carlisle Companies. Contact: Stephen Aldrich, 13414 Scanlan Way, Davidson, NC 28036; 704-608-0971; stephen.p.aldrich@gmail.com
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FROM ALUMNI RELATIONS We would like to extend our gratitude to Rebekah Rush McKay for 13 years of service to the college and the Class of 2003 in the role of class secretary. She has decided to hand the reins over to Shaw Hipsher. Shaw shared this update before coming on board as the new class secretary. “I am currently in Morgantown, W.Va., studying public administration and higher education administration at WVU while working for Adventure West Virginia as a graduate assistant (the WVU version of Davidson Outdoors). I am racing several triathlons this year as a part of the Team Drea Challenge for Andrea Lytle Peet. I also have an internship designing, launching, and leading a faculty-led study abroad program to South Africa for WVU that will run in the Summer of 2016. I’m excited to return to South Africa.” Anna Lise Jensen sent us an update. “I recently filmed two episodes for NBC’s Allegiance, and though I wasn’t killed off at the end of my second episode, NBC killed off the series after six episodes. I run my own small business (The Complexion Concierge) and I have a wonderful boyfriend who is my biggest fan, so I can spend a lot of time continuing to perform. Just did some readings and a recording. I visited Jessica Ruhle in Durham for a weekend and it was just like old times, except that everyone went to bed early and woke up to go to work in the morning. Bill Neville-Rehbehn (who now goes by Will, so in my house we call him Bill/ Will) and I get together every so often to daydream about starting a theatre company. I have two guest rooms; if you want to come hang out in Brooklyn, you should swing by.” Susanne Francis McLaughlin is moving to Houston, Texas to start a fellowship in nephrology at Baylor. Mike Kaplan married Gretchen Adelson on February 21, 2015. Maria Tardugno Aldrich and Stephen Aldrich ’02 welcomed son Patrick Brooks on March 19. Big sister Caroline is excited about the new addition to the family. Beth Gardner Helfrich wrote, “Tim Helfrich ’00 and I welcomed our fourth little one, Levi Gardner Helfrich, on St. Patty’s Day. He joins Zoë (6), Miles (4), and Cora (almost 2). We are still in Davidson, FALL 2015
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