Mass. He spent the summer chasing his 2-year-old around and coaching his track club to a fourthplace finish at their national meet in New York. Jessie Clyde wrote from Kenya, where she is tracking down women’s groups to help them empower young girls. She was also looking for the courage to eat fried tilapia eyeballs harvested from Lake Victoria. Matt Ferraguto was named a partner at his strategic communications agency, Eckel & Vaughan. He was also selected to be a part of the 2015–16 class of Leadership North Carolina. Kristie Pfeifle Medak is still working at Nike and told me about an impending trip to Boulder, Colo., to see Erin Laspa and another trip to see Amy Smith in San Francisco. Speaking of Colorado, Tim Wexler now lives in Fort Collins. He tutors individuals in Italian, German, French, and Spanish, while also volunteering at the local Habitat for Humanity warehouse and thrift shop. He encourages visitors to drop by. Finally, reliable contributor Aaron Flanagan wrote to say nothing interesting is happening in Newburyport, Mass., which, in closing, is as good a reason as any to remind my classmates to sign up for our Facebook group (http://tinyurl.com/ pa94fb) to keep up with deadline information and the rest!
1995 Erik Campano DeMartini-Spano via Saccardo 44 20134 Milano Italy +39 338 740 0452 campano@gmail.com Lon Haber 2645 South Bayshore Drive Miami FL 33133 323-620-1675 lon@lonhaber.com Margot van Bers Streeter +44 077 393 77700 margotstreeter@gmail.com
The Class of ’95 had the good fortune to spend a beautiful reunion weekend together, and those who were not with us in person were certainly there in spirit. You can find some magnificent photos here on the Andover website, http://smu.gs/1LPzJ0b. We have some updates on fellow alums. Rick Johanson writes that life is going well in Boston and that he recently participated in the opening ceremony for the Chinatown Films at the Gate Series. His portion of the martial arts demonstration was “a choreographed sequence with my trusty pudao, a type of traditional Chinese halberd.” Lon Haber has relocated to his homeland of South Florida to spend more time with family
www.andover.edu/intouch Shani Evans ’92 High-end fashion at your fingertips
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ometimes the right direction in life is staring you in the face. All Shani Evans had to do was look down at her hands.
For the past three years, Evans, who is based in New York City’s East Harlem, has worked as a high-end nail stylist, creating nail looks for fashion magazines and runway models. She essentially paints works of art on very tiny canvases. “For me, to sit down and buff, clean, and paint nails is beautiful,” says Evans. “I get so much joy from it, and to see the joy I bring to others, it makes me happy.”
Nail art, while not new, has become trendier in recent years, making its way from runways and fashion magazines into the mainstream; various wraps, gels, and nail stickers are now widely available. As Evans explains, nail art goes “beyond a basic manicure to create a look or mood to complement the fashion.”
Gregory Keith
Although Evans always had an artistic side—she enjoys writing, photography, and painting—it wasn’t until four years ago, recovering at home from surgery, that she had what she calls “a lightning-bolt moment.” Bored and looking to pass the time, Evans picked up an old hobby—painting nails. She found it relaxing and soon began to work on more intricate designs and color combinations. After she recovered, Evans continued to paint nails for herself, her daughter, her wife, and others. Eventually she began to post her work online. It wasn’t long before an NYC friend who works as a makeup artist suggested she could make a living doing nails. Evans’s first paying job as a nail stylist, in 2012, found her smack in the middle of New York Fashion Week. Evans was responsible for creating nail art for two designers. “I was backstage running from model to model. Everything was chaos and so dramatic. I was crawling under tables to get around the room, working around press. I loved it!” she says. Now, as a freelance nail artist, Evans is bringing in regular nail art clients and enjoying the freedom of being her own boss. As a youngster, Evans was an Army brat whose family moved around constantly. Her mother worked in a variety of jobs and settings, including factories, offices, and gas stations. At the suggestion of an aunt, Evans looked into New England boarding schools and entered PA as an upper. Although she struggled at first, Evans soon found her niche at Andover. She remembers painting nails for her dormmates in Stevens House and later at Wellesley College, where she majored in American studies. Evans says she has always admired her mother’s resiliency and adaptability and sees her own life and career evolving in a similar way. Over the years, she has worked as a paralegal, bartender, and Mac technician. She believes her story validates the notion that there are many paths to success. “For a lot of us it takes a long time,” she says. “I want people, especially kids, to be honest with themselves about their wants, needs, and ambitions. Listen to yourself, be true. These things don’t happen overnight.” —Allyson Irish
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