Afterwards, she and her husband stayed in Mexico to work on several local projects in Chiapas, including one that supports youth leadership development and leading international learning trips. Follow her blog at http://erinkraussinmexico.blogspot.mx.
Leta Marino is thankful for the education of her son, Matthew Lucas ’08, as well as his experience at WWC and the people. Matthew is still living in North Carolina and contributing to the earth.
Sarah Keith Valentine ’04 is in her fourth year of running a small organic farm-to-table restaurant, the Miccosukee Root Cellar, with her husband, Ruben Fields, in Tallahassee, Florida. Their delightful daughter turns three this year, and they are dreaming up a small farm to complement the restaurant.
Ryan Morra ’08 is loving life in Burlington, Vermont, where he is frequently bumping into other WWC grads. He’s excited to begin his new position as education for sustainability partnerships coordinator and educator at Shelburne Farms.
In 2014 Sara Benincasa ’05 published a young adult novel titled “ Great.” Her novel “DC Trip” will be published in November 2015, and her self-help book, “Let’s Grow Up Together,” will be published in spring 2016. Sara’s TV pilot version of her memoir is in development at ABC Family as a half-hour comedy with executive producers Diablo Cody and Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films. Natascia Boeri ’05, a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, was recently awarded a Dissertation Writing Fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to assist her in completing the final year of dissertation work. She spent 12 months conducting research on home-based workers in the informal economy in Ahmedabad, India, for which she was awarded a doctoral dissertation research grant in 2013 by the National Science Foundation. Heather Houskeeper ’05 published her book, “A Guide to the Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail” (Hither Page Press). Last July, she completed her second thru-hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail totaling 1,200 miles. This summer, she will be thru-hiking and crafting a plant guide about the Finger Lakes Trail in New York. Visit her blog, http://TheBotanicalHiker.blogspot.com. Roxy Todd ’05 wrote a two-part piece titled “Bloody Butcher Corn: From Field to Fork,” which was named Best Feature or Human Interest radio story by the Virginia Associated Press. Last December, she got her first job in journalism at West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she reports on culture, the environment and food. She also helps produce a weekly cultural and public affairs program called “Inside Appalachia.” Maryka Lier ’06 recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with master’s degrees in public health and city and regional planning. She plans to use her dual degrees to pursue her passion for health equity and addressing the social determinants of health. Ellenor Moore ’06 and Sam Catlett-Sirchio ’06 were wed in Asheville Aug. 31, 2013. They live in Fort Collins, Colorado, with their children, Maggie and Jack, and a brood of chickens. Brianna Quick ’07 and Joel Bassett Quick ’05 completed graduate programs in Boston, Massachusetts. Brianna attended the master of divinity program at Harvard Divinity School with a focus in Buddhist ministry. Joel was at Northeastern University School of Law and recently won an environmental law essay competition with the State Bar of Michigan. Shannon (Saville) Krenek ’07 was awarded the 2014 President’s Award by the National Association of Social Workers’ North Carolina chapter. This award recognizes master’s-level social work students with exceptional leadership skills and potential.
In May 2014, Nathan Ballentine ’08, aka Man in Overalls, was honored as the Tallahassee Democrat Volunteer of the Year and received the Jefferson Award for Public Service for his work to advance community-based good food systems. Nathan is serving as a Tallahassee Food Network Ambassador while traveling the world with his wife, Mary Elizabeth, to learn about languages, culture, dance and community-based good food systems. Nathan maintains a blog, http://ManInOveralls.blogspot.com. Candice Caldwell Day ’08 received a master of fine arts in theater and emphasis on costume design and technology from West Virginia University in May 2014.
ALUMNI NEWS
Juliana Ratner ’08 has just finished her first year at Harvard Law School. She plans to use her law degree to continue to address issues of racial justice and mass incarceration. She can be reached at julianacicada@gmail.com. Meredith Talbert ’08 is working seasonally as a fire effects monitor for Zion National Park. She enjoys exploring technical slot canyons and hiking in her spare time. Jenna Cruite ’09 graduated last May with a master’s degree in social work. Her education focused on program development and policy/systems change in order to better society. This led Jenna to a new endeavor of developing the Maine chapter of the New Leaders Council. Nora Purcell ’09 is studying medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
2010s Carroll (Anderson) Candler ’10 was married to Richard Candler last August. Lindsy Robertson ’10 and Ryan Cowen ’08 were married in spring 2014. Lindsy completed a master’s degree in social work at the University of Texas in Austin. Meredith Corey-Disch ’11 is a partner at Community Loaves in Jacksonville, Florida. Meredith and co-founder, Sarah, bake all organic, sourdough bread and whole-grain pastries, which they serve at their bread shop alongside organic coffee and tea. The duo also holds regular pizza nights, skill days and farm-totable dinners in their garden. Kathryn (Kat) Evans ’10 published her first novella, “A Waking Dream,” in April 2015. She continues to pursue her love of writing and storytelling, as well as learning the world of the self-published, while living on the outskirts of Charlotte, North Carolina. She still believes that a good story can change the world, even if just for one person. Clara Osborne ’11, along with two teammates, is starting a summer camp and community education program in southeastern Pennsylvania. It features a working farm, and the program provides education in sustainable agriculture, ecology and traditional craft. Clara and crew will be hosting kids and adults from the local area and urban centers and lead collaborative workshops for adults, as well as artist residencies. For more information, see http://oakhillnaturecenter.org. Rachel Rasmussen ’11 has taken her academic focus in global studies and environmental studies abroad with an immersion experience in Palestine through a peacemaking organization called Christian Peacemaker Teams. After spending time on the West Bank with Christian Peacemaker Teams, she took Arabic classes for three months at a local university. For more stories and pictures of Rachel’s experience in Palestine, visit her blog, http://lizardlibelula.wordpress.com.
Gabriel Sistare ’11 and Erin Pesut ’11 celebrated their marriage July 5, 2014, in New York City’s Central Park. Erin is finishing her MFA in fiction at Columbia University, and Gabriel is a candidate in U.S. Army special operations. Patrick Sweatt ’11 and Rosie (Barger) Sweatt ’12 were married last year on a historic rice plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44
Amelia Dulee-Kinsolving ’06 is working on her doctorate in sociology and law in Ireland.
International scholar Amelia Dulee-Kinsolving ’06 credits Warren Wilson with her current research interests and scholarship in Ireland. She is working on her doctorate in sociology and law at Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, with full funding from the Irish Research Council (IRC) Postgraduate Scholarship. “It was through the global studies and Spanish academic programs that I first cultivated a passion for academic research and Spanish and developed a strong interest in the socio-economic status of vulnerable populations,” she said. She integrated her experiences through English language and cultural learning activities for migrants and tutoring and mentoring programs for youth. These experiences culminated in a senior thesis project on the socioeconomic situation of Mexican women whose husbands immigrated to the United States. As part of her research, she conducted interviews abroad that were a significant influence in her decisions after graduation to join the Peace Corps and pursue her master’s degree and doctorate abroad. “Crucial to all of these decisions,” she said, “was funding from the European Commission and the IRC — opportunities I feel resulted from the rich experiences I gained at the College. Ultimately, my life trajectory has been deeply influenced by the Triad, and I imagine it will continue to play an important role. My hope is that, someday, I will be able to integrate this teaching philosophy into my own classroom.”
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