class notes Class of ’05 Tim Phillips moved from one San Francisco law firm to another. He is now at Albert G. Stoll, Jr., a law corporation, where he’ll continue to represent employees in discrimination, harassment, and unpaid wage cases. Email him at tim.m.phillips@gmail.com. Saymoukda Vongsay has been appointed by the State Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans (CAPM) as the new arts and culture programs coordinator. CAPM is a state agency mandated to act as adviser to the governor and legislators on issues that affect Asian Pacific Islanders American (APIA) communities. She is responsible for allocating funding from the 2008 Legacy Amendment to implement programs that benefit Asian-Pacific cultural initiatives in the state. Vongsay has been commissioned by Mu Performing Arts to pen a full-length play, Kung Zombies vs Cannibals, and will direct the stage-version of Night of the Living Dead at the historic Mounds Theater. Her theater collective of emerging playwrights of color, The Unit, will have a collaborative piece in the 2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival. Her summer is rounded out by a seven-city Midwest tour to promote Lao arts and culture with two other award winning Lao American writers. Class of ’07 Kristen Jorgenson and Mick Jansen ’08 married in St. Paul in October 2010. Janel Kavanaugh Mendoza returned to Morris after working and living in various places since graduation. She is now working on campus in the Office of Plant Services as a principal accounts specialist. In July 2010, Janel married Juan Mendoza-Duran. In September 2010, they welcomed their first child, Liam. They are now on the hunt for their first home. Class of ’08 Meghan Bero will be teaching at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School as a fourth-grade teacher beginning in fall 2011. Kate Borman writes “Since May 2011, I have worked as the marketing assistant at Nonprofits Assistance Fund. A big shout out to everyone (past and present) at the Center for Small Towns: thank you for the valuable work experience. It paved the way for my career. Send me an email at kate.borman@yahoo.com if you would like to reconnect.” Class ’09 Rochelle Jansen is working as an instructor on the campus of the Riverway Learning Community in Minnesota City as a part of Minnesota GreenCorps. Her work involves educating staff and students about increasing onsite food production, reducing waste, and helping to create a rainwater collection system. Jansen joined Minnesota GreenCorps after spending her 2010 summer on different farms along the East Coast, where she learned about sustainable farming.
Cougar volleyball alumni gathered on campus for the Alumni Volleyball Tournament in April 2011. Back Row (left to right): Kathleen Jost, Megan Mahoney ’10, Amanda Hand Johnson ’04, Natalie Zierden Braegelmann ’00, Eleanora Hilton ’04, Katie Hyndman ’05, Emily Saufferer ’04, Front row: Jordan Olerud ’12, Nancy Zierden VanErp ’95, Jacqueline Wistrcill Dripps ’89, Kelly Whipple ’06, Liz Vang ’06 Ben Lacy is one of two scouts to receive the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Young Americans’ Challenge, for the first time awarded in the United States. The award is given through a Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards national partnership with the Boy Scouts of America. Photo from left: His Royal Highness Prince Edward Earl of Wessex, Josh Randall Duke of Edinburgh Young Americans’ Challenge executive director, and Ben Lacy Faculty and Staff Jean Meyers passed away February 2011. Meyers served the Morris campus as a security officer. Leona Halbe passed away February 2011. Halbe served the Morris campus in food service until her retirement in 1987. Doris Benson passed away March 2011. Benson worked as a principal account specialist in the business office until her retirement in 1995 after 30 years of service.
Send us your Class Notes. Your friends are waiting to hear from you! Office of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Welcome Center • 600 East Fourth Street • Morris, MN 56267 alumni@morris.umn.edu • morris.umn.edu/AlumniUpdate Next Class Notes deadline: December 15, 2011 Summer/Fall 2011 Profile
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