Norman Golar ’02 has been promoted to associate and Pierson (7), love school and are living it up. To celebrate their 40th birthdays, Rachel, Aisha Ansari Hasan, and Brenda Mueller Butler spent the weekend in Innsbrook, Missouri. Aisha has recently relocated to St. Louis with husband Rizwan and three girls, Safiya, Sumaira, and Samina. Brenda, who works at Springboard to Learning in St. Louis, is married to Jerry and is the mama of Jonas (10) and Alastair (7), who both attend a Spanish language immersion/international baccalaureate school. ❯ Over the 2014-15 school year, I started work with the Illinois State Library Association as an ILEAD USA instructor and was chosen as an Indiana University Jacobs Educator, where I helped preservice teachers entering the profession. The opportunities were outstanding, but I realized I was doing way too much. After reflecting on my work beyond the classroom, I found my work with the Apple Distinguished Educators has been the most memorable and engaging. I decided to leave Naperville District 203 after 17 years and became an Apple professional development specialist. I currently help educators around the nation transform their practice utilizing Apple’s products. ❯ Michelle Allmendinger writes, “2015 has already brought two pretty big things to my life. First, I completed an intense first year of a Ph.D. in higher education administration at Michigan State University. Also, I became an aunt for the second time. My sister, Kristine Allmendinger-Goertz ’02 and husband Christopher Page-Goertz ’03 added son Ethan to their family. Niece Emily loves being a big sister.” ❯ Aly Greaves Amidei writes, “Son Joe (17 months), husband Brian (old man), two horrible cats, and I have moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, for my new job as assistant professor of costume design at University of North CarolinaCharlotte. We are excited (and terrified) to leave our beloved Chicago behind to start fresh.” ❯ Cara Jacoby writes, “Kia ora from New Zealand! I’ve been in Wellington for eight years, and with a Kiwi husband, three kids, and a mortgage, it’s definitely become home. Ruby is 5 and started school earlier this year; Orla is 3 and now sorting out her life as a middle child; William was born in May. I have enjoyed parental leave, but look forward to the return to work in about a year’s time. I work in new business development and international partner programs at Victoria University of Wellington. My husband is a research scientist at the national meteorological bureau (read: science/weather geek). Unfortunately, I haven’t been back to the U.S. in years, but thanks to social media, the Northern Hemisphere doesn’t seem so far.” ❯ Dan Polley writes, “I start my 10th year as a Chicago Public Schools high school teacher at Lane Tech College Prep this fall. In that time, I received a master’s degree and national board certification. Although teaching can be very frustrating, it is also rewarding. (Easy to say, as it is summer break as I write this.) Two years ago, I took the big plunge and bought a condo in Edgewater and love it, with help from fellow Knox alumnus, Besançon student, and re-
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altor John Murray ’83. In the new neighborhood, I decided to attend an Episcopal church one Sunday and then and there met the love of my life, Tim Fox, an environmental lawyer for the State of Illinois. We have been very happily partnered for the last two years, and I still go to church. HA! We recently celebrated my 40th birthday in Quebec City during Carnaval with Dr. Novia Pagone and her charming husband, Brent Wachholder. I am still very much in touch with Dr. John McCurdy ’95, Dr. Sarah Blink Polakow ’98, and Janet Haney Melton. I am not on Facebook (a very conservative teacher) but would happily connect via e-mail at dannypolley@gmail.com or phone at 773-6326800.” ❯ Brad Pritts lives in Columbus, Ohio, with wife Lisa and their three kids, Micaela (7), Ashton (5), and Emmett (21 months). He works as a family support specialist for the State of Ohio in special education at the Ohio School for the Deaf, where his daughter is in second grade. The Prittses love the pace of Columbus after Chicago. The challenge of learning and practicing sign language as a bilingual family is also fascinating. He is still in touch with Andre Belanger, whose law firm is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Dre and wife Ashley have two beautiful toddler boys.) ❯ Adam (Atom) Robinson lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife and and soon-to-be first grade daughter. He’s the director of campaigns and outreach for the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, where he manages statewide advocacy campaigns on housing, homelessness, and public assistance issues. He still plays in bands occasionally and has gone out of his way to avoid Josh Gharst ’98, who moved into his neighborhood a little while back. ❯ Shawn Wynn, Brett Barnhart ’96, Chris Welch, Chad Binger, and Steve Ellingson have taken a fly-fishing trip to Canada together for 17 years now. Here’s what else they have been up to: Shawn is an orthopedic surgeon with ORA Orthopedics in the Quad Cities. He and wife Sara have three children, Zach (9), AJ (6), and Charlotte (2). Brett works as an orthopedic surgeon in a multi-specialty practice in Canton, Illinois. His two boys, Micah (13) and Cale (10), are very active in sports. Chris and wife Kelly live in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, with their four children, Ashlyn (12), Addison (11), Alec (9), and Aubrie (6). Chris and Kelly are both veterinarians and own two practices in the area. Chad is a chiropractor in Huntley, Illinois. He is married to Nancy Binger, who is vice president at Judson University in Elgin. They have 3-year-old twins, Carson and Camryn. Steve is the Lake County site engineer manager at Abbott Laboratories, where he has worked since graduating Knox. He lives in Burlington, Wisconsin with wife Natalie Lanciloti and their four children, Madeline (9), Lucas (7), Jacob (4) and Nicholas (1). ❯ Finally, a few birth announcements. Kate Tummelson and fiancé Rudy Minasian welcomed Eve Myra on November 14, 2014. Mick White and his wife welcomed Macallister Joseph White on January
17, 2015. Becky Richardson Shadlich welcomed daughter Emilia on April 3, 2015. Class Correspondent: Josh Mika 1850 Waverly Way, Montgomery, IL 60538-4130, jrmika@gmail.com
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Jo Tolentino Beever gave birth to her fourth child, Eliot Steven Beever, on April 30, 2015. ❯ After 11 years working as the database administrator at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Andrea Crain switched jobs this year. “I now am a technical consultant with Tessitura Network, doing data conversions and custom report code for the arts and cultural organizations that use our software. The best part is, I get to work from home!” Class Correspondent: Julie Landsdown jmlandsdown@yahoo.com
1999 Just a brief update this issue. In June and July, Kevin Kihslinger and I spent a little over a week with good friend Will Lion ’00 in Germany. We did a lot of walking, a lot of driving, and a lot of eating. It’s such a beautiful place, and it was so great to visit with Will. I can see us making another trip out there in the future! Class Correspondent: Valerie Saks Kihslinger S3042 W. Salem Ridge Rd., La Farge, WI 54639, 608268-6903, vsaks@hotmail.com
2000 Class Correspondent: Kristie Wagher Scarffe, D.C. 6985 Merriman Road, Garden City, MI 48135, 734-402-2225, kgwscarffe@gmail.com
2001 Class Correspondent: Allison Honaker allisonhonaker@hotmail.com
2002 Eric Miller was invited to serve as one of Knox’s new StartUp Term judges. He says, “Knox students have some genuinely creative ideas cultivated in a semi real-world setting; what a great experience!” Eric recently hired two more fulltime employees and three interns—all from Knox—at his software development firm in Clearwater, Florida. (Editor’s note: Read more about StartUp Term on page 14.) ❯ Josh Prakash Hart writes: “Wife Nalini Prakash ’03 and I just welcomed our second child, Remy Samuel, into the world this June! After passing the third CFA exam and earning the Chartered Financial Analyst designation last summer, I have spent the extra time with our family here in Chicago.” ❯ Courtney Wiles writes: “I got engaged to John N. Taylor on April 13. It was his birthday. He surprised me with the ring, and I surprised him with