Alumni Class Notes

Here a just a few recent highlights to get our Alumni Class Notes feature started! We look forward to including more news about our alumni in future editions of the Aquila.

Michelle Howard Cunningham, M.D. '05’s

days are spent changing lives and pursuing endless adventures! After receiving her undergrad from St. Olaf College and doctorate from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, she now serves as a board-certified family medicine physician in South Carolina and flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Some of her many experiences have included flying above 70,000 feet in a U-2, doing barrel rolls in a T-38, and landing on a cargo ship from a hovering search-and-rescue helicopter! She is grateful for the superb education and encouragement to pursue her dreams during her formative years at St. Francis of Assisi and LHS.

Peter Aksamit '09 has

been busy working on a major hollywood movie production! For the past eight years, he has worked for Bento Box Entertainment, where for the last six, he has worked on their animated FOX TV-series, “Bob’s Burgers” - recently released as the “Bob’s Burgers Movie!” Peter serves as Production Supervisor in preproduction, overseeing the story department for the TV series, and as Animation Retake Supervisor for the “Bob’s Burger’s Movie.” The movie was released on May 27. Photo courtesy of Y105FM

Andres Victoria '13,

Jordan Victoria, '15, and

their mother, Natalie, rang in the year 2022 at Nico’s Taco Bar, complete with chips, guacamole, salsa, and margaritas! Following in their parents’ footsteps, Andres and Jordan decided to embark upon a few delicious business ventures after graduating from LHS. Andres is the co-owner of Nico’s Taco Bar, inspired by traditional Mexican street food, which has two locations in the Twin Cities. Jordan is the co-founder of their latest family venture, Sorellina’s, an Italian restaurant located in Rochester. If you’re in the mood for delicious cuisine and great conversation, be sure to stop by!

Will Pittner '17 was one of

eight finalists representing the University of St. Thomas at the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge (FGSIC) in April. Will pitched a unique food recovery system, “Food to People,” that takes viable food from large-scale kitchens and redistributes it to local homeless shelters, food shelves, and lowincome neighborhoods in

ALUMNI Class Notes continued

the community. Will graduated from the University of St. Thomas in the Spring of 2022 and is now working full-time on the expansion of his business.

Nic Belda '18 is

living his dream! Nic was hired as a First Officer pilot this past January with Endeavor Airlines – a regional jet provider flying routes for Delta Connection. He developed an innate interest in flying at a very young age and successfully obtained his private pilot license by his senior year of high school at the age of 17. After high school, he completed the Bachelor of Science in Aviation program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Nic encourages other young men and women to explore the many great career opportunities available in aviation today!

Anna Braun '19 received a NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium Research Scholarship at Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for the 2021-2022 academic year. She recently completed her first year as a pharmacy student, where she also held leadership positions with the Phi Delta Chi Pharmacy Fraternity and the Women’s Club Soccer team, while also serving as a tutor/teaching assistant for the college. In the future, Anna plans to continue her education with a residency program in order to become a specialized clinical pharmacist in a hospital.

Grace Lennon '20 is a professional dancer at Ballet Co. Laboratory based in St. Paul, where she recently starred as the mouse in “Lunar Lullaby,” an ode to Goodnight Moon. Grace’s love for dance began at age three while attending Janet Lang Dance Studio. That passion continued at the Dance Lab throughout high school, leading her to Chicago for more formal training at A&A Ballet and beginning her professional career!

Photo Credit: Ballet Co. Laboratory Photo Credit: Nicole Mills