c l a ss n o t e s
clASS OF 2005 Tim Beenken is continuing his career in opera. While completing his master’s degree at The Juilliard School in New York City, Beenken performed as a recitalist in Alice Tully Hall, and was cast in several leading roles with Juilliard Opera. He was engaged as a resident artist with opera companies before and during his post-graduate work, notably with Wolf Trap Opera in Vienna, Va., and the Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar, Germany. Most recently, Beenken returned to Weimar in July and performed the title role of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” In the upcoming season, Beenken will return to Opera Birmingham in December for the Holiday Gala Concert, make his debut with Opera Santa Barbara in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro,” and perform a recital in Los Angeles with friend and collaborator Cameron O’Connor. (Above) Tim Beenken ’05 performing in a German production of “Don Giovanni”
Will Granger accepted a volunteer position with the Peace Corps as an English Teacher/Teacher Trainer in Turkmenistan. In September, he started his 27 months of service in the Central Asian country. After three months of training in the capital of Ashgabat, he will teach for two years at a college or university. “Internet use is scarce, so I welcome any letters or packages while overseas,” he writes.
clASS OF 2007 Olesea Cojohari writes, “I was an ASSIST exchange student at ISS in 2005-2006 and really enjoyed my stay there.” After ISS, Cojohari went back to Moldova, graduated from high school in 2007, and enrolled on a full scholarship at Green Mountain College in Vermont, where she studied biology and environmental studies and played volleyball and basketball. She graduated this year and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y.
clASS OF 2010 Vivian Delchamps writes, “I’m having an amazing time at Scripps College in Southern California. In March, I performed with the Martha Graham Dance Company, the oldest modern dance company in America. Also, I spent this summer working as a counselor at an environmental science and nature camp for gifted children in North Carolina called Green River Preserve. I hope everything is well at Indian Springs!”
What’s New With You?
in
memoriam Alumni Alan “Lanny” Pieh ’63 passed away on August 24 in Tucson, Ariz. After earning an associate’s degree and serving in the U.S. Navy, he lived in California, Florida, Tennesse, and Arizona and worked in a number of capacities, including serving as shrimp fisherman and working for a railroad. He is survived by his brother, Jerry Pieh ’58, and preceded in death by his father, former ISS Physical Education Teacher Bob Pieh. Chris Bodnar ’90 died on July 21. After graduating from Indian Springs, he earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing at Birmingham-Southern College. He then attended the Seibel’s Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he graduated from the Master Brewery Program. He loved to travel and lived in Hawaii, Florida, and Colorado before moving back to the Birmingham area to be close to the love of his life, his son, John Patrick. Among the other survivors are siblings John Michael Bodnar ’88 and Kelly Bodnar Battles ’85. Kate Stewart ’93 passed away on July 22. She lived in Birmingham and was preceded in death by her mother, Diane Stewart, former English Teacher at Springs. Darcy Adams ’09 of Hoover, Ala, died on August 4. Since graduating from ISS, she had been enrolled in the Egyptian and Archeology Program at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.
SYMPATHY Indian Springs also extends its sympathy to the following members of our community: Caroline Choy ’11 and Lizzie Choy ’13 on the passing of their grandmother, Evelyn Mae Welch Choy, on August 25. Robert Lichenstein ’15, on the passing of his mother, Elizabeth Lichenstein, on July 20. Hans Misra ’15, on the passing of his father, Vijay Misra, on June 4. Jerry Pieh ’58, on the passing of his mother, Viola Pieh (wife of late ISS Physical Education Teacher Bob Pieh), on September 5. ISS Dean of Counseling and Residential Life Brian Rodgers, on the passing of his grandfather, Jack Norris, on July 16. Naomi Schuster ’06 and Shaina Shealy ’06, on the passing of their grandmother, Pauline Rachman Schuster, on July 14.
Tell us about the newest developments in your life so we can share them with the Springs community! To submit a class note, please email Assistant Director of Development Melanie Kieve at mkieve@indiansprings.org. Please specify that you would like your news published as a class note.