CLASS NOTES
A HUNGER ARTIST bY ROWAN POPE ’99 (AT LEFT) TOOK 1,500 HOURS TO COMPLETE AND IS bASED ON AUTHOR FRANZ KAFKA’S SHORT STORY bY THE SAME NAME. MARYANNA bY bLY POPE ’99 TOOK 800 HOURS TO COMPLETE AND DEPICTS THE bROTHERS’ GRANDMOTHER. bOTH PENCIL DRAWINGS ARE PART OF THE MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART’S PERMANENT COLLECTION.
Michael Olson (See In Print & Production)
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Cassidy Blackwell joined Airbnb as director of strategic projects on the public affairs team. She will work cross-functionally to lead the advancement of the company’s global policy goals. Since her time at Blake, during which she took both French and Spanish classes, travel has been an important part of Cassidy’s life, so this career move aligns with her personal passions and professional goals. To her mother’s horror, Cassidy recently checked off a bucket list item by taking her first flight lesson. Katie Spencer and her family (husband Jeremy and son Cody) welcomed daughter and sister Ciela Gray on December 1, 2017. This followed Katie’s graduation from the University of Denver with a doctorate in clinical psychology. Katie is the owner and director of a private practice, River Rock Connections, which also serves as a family and business consulting organization. Jeremy is the founder and executive director of Groundswell Ventures, an early stage impact investing company. Parenting, entrepreneurial adven-
tures and time in the mountains keep the family busy in Colorado, where their doors are always open to Blake friends. REUNION
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Kathryn Moos is co-founder of OWYN — Only What You Need, a vegan plant-based protein brand designed for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
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Melissa Lee Schuelke is a capability specialist for Accenture. She writes, “My husband, John, and I welcomed our second boy, James, into the family on October 16, 2017. Big brother Taylor is loving his new role.”
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Paul Beck writes, “My wife, Betsy, and I moved back to Minneapolis in January after eight years of living in Washington, D.C. and New York. I took a job at Dorsey and Whitney downtown, and we are living in Kenwood. We recently got a puppy and are excited for spring and summer in Minneapolis.” Tanya Lindgren Denny welcomed Jackson Ryan, Calla Marie and Robert Arthur to her family on
CASSIDY bLACKWELL ’02 TAKES TO THE SKIES FOR HER FIRST FLIGHT LESSON.
February 12, 2018. The triplets join their 2-year-old brother, William. Samantha Porter is a digital preservation specialist at the University of Minnesota. A mobile app she and technology architect Colin McFadden proposed won the 2018 3M Art and Technology Award
from the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). The two will receive $50,000 toward the development of the project. The app turns the museum into a puzzle room, providing a new, interactive way to deepen visitor engagement with Mia’s collection.
Reunion & Homecoming Weekend October 4 - 6, 2018 Celebrate your history and make new memories All alumni are invited back to campus to enjoy school-hosted events on our Northrop and Blake campuses. For more information and to register for events visit blakeschool.org/alumni/events.
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