Class notes & obits
The deadlines to submit entries for the Earlhamite are:
- December 1 for winter / spring
- May 1 for summer / fall
Submissions may be edited for length or other editorial considerations.
Need to get in touch with your class chair? Find them on the class chair page. The chairs serve as goodwill ambassadors and are encouraged to help organize class reunions and other alumni gatherings in their communities.
Alumni Council message
Over the last couple of years, Alumni Council has undertaken the important, but laborious work of reviewing (and ultimately rewriting) our group’s constitution, committee structure and organizational goals. Every member of Council was involved in the process and we now have a more nimble organization for moving forward.
Our current areas of focus:
- Facilitation of alumni-to-alumni engagement through on campus and remote events.
- Alumni-to-campus engagement focused around support for recruitment activities, career development, and general support for the well-being of College employees.
- An increased and dedicated effort to be, both as individual members and as an organization, deliberately supportive of ways we can be more inclusive.
Alumni Council is seeking new members who have passion for support of Earlham College, and want to lend their time and talent toward these efforts. If you want to get involved, please visit the Alumni Council web page at earlham.edu/ac to learn more, and complete the nomination form. We look forward to seeing new Earlhamites get involved with the work of Alumni Council!
For more information about Alumni Council, visit https://earlham.edu/alumni/get-involved/alumni-council/. Email us at [email protected].
Submit note or obit
Want to submit your a class note? Write to us about your latest travels, alumni you have seen recently, a marriage, new addition to the family, a job change or perhaps some other great happenings in your life. Obituaries may also be submitted.
| Alum name | Class year | Earlhamite issue | Note | Note includes | Obituary type | Attached photos | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kayla Trevino | 2018 | Winter 2022 issue | I started the master's of science psychology program at Arizona State University in August. I'm on the fast track expect to graduate next summer. I will be getting married in March of 2022! | General update | More details | ||
| Chania Whitaker | 2018 | Spring 2023 issue | I recently received my doctorate in Chiropractic from Parker University. | General update | More details | ||
| Chisama Ku Penn | 2016 | Winter 2022 issue | In 2019, Chisama Ku Penn started Custom Tradition, a black-owned, fair-trade project based in Mexico that supports indigenous women artisans by working with them directly and providing them with access to a global market to promote their handicrafts. She is currently raising money to support this project so that she can continue to positively impact the women she works with in more ways than one. If you would like to support her, please take a moment to donate by visiting www.CustomTradition.com. | General update | More details | ||
| Chris Angell | 2015 | Winter 2022 issue | This year I have two exciting announcements! First, in May, I earned my doctorate in biology at the University of Ottawa, where I studied aging in wild flies in beautiful (and mosquito-ridden) Algonquin Provincial Park. Second, after a long time away, I've returned to Earlham this fall as the biology lab and stockroom manager. I'm grateful to be back in my old department, but now on the "other side!" | General update | More details | ||
| Elliot Kramer | 2014 | Spring 2023 issue | Elliot Kramer and his family have had an exciting year. In June, Elliot successfully defended his PhD thesis. Right around then he and his wife, Laura, moved back to Buffalo, New York so that he could return to medical school and round out the last two years of his MD-PhD. Then in August, Laura and Elliot welcomed their son to the world. Simon has lit up their lives in so many ways, and everyone is looking forward to all the joys this next year will bring! | Birth, General update | More details | ||
| Ellen St. Romain | 2014 | Fall 2022 issue | Hey everyone! I'm living in Austin, Texas with my husband, our dog, and 5 chickens. I recently started working for Texas Parks and Wildlife as a GIS Analyst. The job is great, life is good, and I get to do a lot of gardening and yoga in my free time. Living the dream. Reach out if you're ever in the area! | General update | More details | ||
| Emily Bell-Hoerth | 2014 | Fall 2022 issue | Emily has spent the past two years recovering from multiple traumatic brain injuries, which have caused her to leave her job as a Camp Director and teacher. In happier news, she married Nicky Sontag '16 in December of 2021. | Marriage, General update | More details | ||
| Natalie Reitz | 2014 | Fall 2022 issue | Natalie will be attending Temple University in Philadelphia in the fall to pursue a master’s in Media Studies and Production. She hopes to use her degree to tackle issues around fake news and to better educate the public on how to think critically about the media they consume. If you’re an Earlhamite working in the film industry, she’d love to connect with you about upcoming projects! | General update | More details | ||
| Charlie Boyd | 2014 | Fall 2022 issue | Charlie received his Masters in Nursing from the University of San Francisco in December after a career change and was recently accepted in the Nurse Residency Program at University of California San Francisco in their general surgery department. He loves living in the bay, continues to enjoy the outdoors through running and bird watching, and is always open to Earlhamite visitors! Reach out to say hello. | General update | More details | ||
| Taylor Jeromos | 2014 | Fall 2022 issue | The last six months have seen much change in my life, with one of the happiest being my marriage to Lauren Haskins! We also bought a house in Buffalo, New York, so if you find yourself in the area, please reach out. Sending all Earlhamites good vibes. | General update | More details | ||
| Justin Garlitz | 2014 | Fall 2022 issue | I am currently living in Manhattan, Illinois and working on a FEMA response team based in Chicago. Outside my day-to-day role of personnel management, I've gotten involved in climate adaptation/resilience and national service alumni groups at FEMA. Brian Forman '14, Elliot Kramer '14, and I are still going on outdoor adventures, with the latest being to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan last summer. In my free time I've been cross-country skiing, kayaking, and competing in bar trivia with friends. | General update | More details | ||
| Anja Kresojevic Kordic | 2014 | Fall 2022 issue | I'm working as a university counselor at United World College - Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. | General update | More details | ||
| Maya Reisman | 2014 | Winter 2022 issue | I am currently living in Washington, D.C., where I graduated from American University Washington College of Law. I graduated with honors and received an award for my work in fighting the criminal system. I also had a couple of articles published in The Criminal Law Practitioner and the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law Journal on Social Justice. For those interested, the articles are titled: (1) "Eternal Punishment: The Cruel and Unusual Practice of Deporting Noncitizen Juvenile Offenders"; and (2) "A New Idea for the Education System in Maryland Juvenile Correctional Facilities." In November, I found out that I passed the bar exam and began working as a trial attorney for the D.C. Public Defender Service (PDS). Working at PDS is not a dream come true, because it is better than any job I ever dreamed of. People living in poverty in the United States are faced with a number of indignities; not the least of which is the lack of control over their fate in the criminal system. In a system designed to further dehumanize and forever penalize poor people, the inability to choose who will defend you is an added affliction. As a public defender, I work to preserve my clients’ dignity and autonomy in a system that seeks to strip them of the few entitlements they have left. I am committed to fighting the U.S. government every day for the rest of my career. I owe my grit and determination to the education I received at Earlham College. I will never be able to repay the professors and classmates who taught me the importance of being a catalyst for good. |
General update | More details | ||
| Holly McDonald | 2014 | Spring 2023 issue | I am currently living in Sydney, Australia with my partner and fellow Earlhamite Salvador Rivas '14. We are getting married in January 2023 and are looking forward to sharing the EC love with our friends and family on the day. Happy to meet up with any Earlhamites visiting Australia! | Marriage, General update | More details | ||
| Arielle Webb | 2014 | Spring 2023 issue | Since graduating from Earlham in 2014 and returning from Central America in 2015, Arielle held several jobs in the mental health and social service fields before earning a master's degree in clinical mental health and rehabilitation counseling from The Pennsylvania State University in 2020. Since then, Arielle has been working as a Licensed Mental health Counselor at a non-profit community clinic in rural eastern Washington serving mostly children, adolescents, and families. More recently, Arielle has been an active member of several professional counseling associations including presenting at national conferences. Arielle finds joy and restoration through backpacking, snowboarding, mountain biking, and, most recently, mountaineering. | General update | More details | ||
| Angelica DeSimio | 2014 | Fall 2022 issue | My wife Hannah (Scout) and I are happily expecting a new addition to our family this fall! Baby DeSimio is expected to make her appearance in late September. Chicken the dog and Rao the cat will be great big sisters, and we're excited for the adventures that await us. If you're ever passing through Kansas City, let me know! | Birth, General update | More details | ||
| Arielle Webb | 2014 | Winter 2022 issue | Arielle Webb, M.Ed., LMHC continues to pursue her career in mental health as a Youth and Family Mental Health Counselor at a 503(c) non-profit in the inland Northwest, United States. Arielle provides in-person and virtual individual, family and group therapy primarily to adolescents and children from underserved and marginalized rural communities. Providing a courageous and confidential space for youth to heal and prosper is important to Arielle; it is the "why" that fuels her commitment, despite the increased demands and challenges exacerbated by the global pandemic. To offset the demands, Arielle has found no shortage of hobbies to enjoy during her personal time. From the Cascade Mountains to the rolling hills of the Palouse, Arielle fully indulges the diverse terrain of the Northwest through mountain biking, backpacking, hiking and outdoor rock climbing. With snow on the horizon, Arielle looks forward to shredding the mountains on her snowboard! Although the global pandemic has posed both personal and professional challenges, Arielle is grateful for the unconditional support of her family, close friends, partner and beloved animal companion, Waffles, an 80 lb. brindle-colored French Bullmastiff. Sadly, Waffles passed away in May 2021 from bone cancer. Arielle looks forward to spending the winter holidays with her and her partner's family on the east and west coast (United States), respectfully. | General update | More details | ||
| Elizabeth Denny | 2013 | Winter 2022 issue | Lizzy Denny graduated from the master's program at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California (another Quaker Institution) with a master's in advocacy and social justice with a global distinction. She was the only student earning the Global Distinction in all the College for the past two years. She is the state program specialist for Impact Justice in California. | General update | More details | ||
| Mary Williams | 2013 | Spring 2023 issue | On June 4, 2022 Dylan Kyriacopoulos '13 and I were married in a Quaker(ish) ceremony in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside Shenandoah National Park. We gathered with our community for a weekend among the trees and celebrated in the presence of many of our Earlham Friends and family (including 3 generations of Earlham alumni)! | General update | More details | ||
| Norah Doss | 2012 | Winter 2022 issue | Norah Doss is living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her partner and her dog. She began teaching high school humanities at an independent school, and has even had current Earlham professor of English and convener of the Honors Program, Nate Eastman, meet with her students virtually! She remains an adjunct professor at Central New Mexico Community College. She spends her time knitting sweaters, hiking in the mountains and singing in local musical groups. | General update | More details | ||
| Megan Holthaus | 2011 | Winter 2022 issue | I recently moved to Canaan Valley, West Virginia, to help start and run a ski resort – Timberline Mountain – with some of my friends. We're surrounded by plenty of rock climbing, hiking, camping, kayaking, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and other spaces for outdoor adventures. I would love to host any friends from the Earlham community that would like to visit the area! | General update | More details | ||
| Donnie Smith | 2011 | Winter 2022 issue | Hi Class of 2011, It has been awhile since I have submitted a class update. I'm still on the West Coast living in Oakland, California and missing my days on the Heart. I have been here for 3 years and absolutely love the weather, people and the community that I have found. I'm still working in education and so happy to be in a community that is doing some amazing work. If any alums are in the Bay or Los Angeles areas please let me know because I would love to connect. Missing you all and can't to see you all in 2026 for our 15 year reunion. |
General update | More details | ||
| Eli Bobrowich | 2011 | Fall 2022 issue | Eli is living in Boston and working full time as an RN for Massachusetts General Hospital's Transgender Health program. Being a nurse in a pandemic has been challenging, but rewarding. He is finishing up his master's in nursing and hopes to be working as an FNP in primary care. He and his partner Maxie are enjoying the challenges of feline negotiations as their cats start to tolerate one another. | General update | More details | ||
| Hannah Leifheit | 2011 | Winter 2022 issue | In May, Hannah Leifheit began managing a food pantry outside of Philadelphia. She is very thankful to be a part of a dedicated team of people doing community-level, food access work guided by the needs of those the pantry serves. Give a holler if you're passing through! | General update | More details | ||
| Archer Bunner | 2011 | Winter 2022 issue | I am teaching at Richmond High School in Indiana, where I have been for 8 years now! I enjoyed visiting with folks for an off-campus "reunion" this past fall. Please, reach out if you are coming to Richmond and would like to hangout! | General update | More details | ||
| Hannah Reed | 2010 | Spring 2023 issue | Hi class of 2010! Life is good! I live and work as an Associate Dean of College Counseling and House Advisor at Cranbrook Schools in the Detroit suburbs. Nora Woods '11 married me and my husband Loren in September 2021, and we welcomed our daughter Freya in July 2022! I would love to see you all if you’re ever in the Detroit area. | General update | More details | ||
| Stevie Scheurich | 2010 | Spring 2023 issue | After 4 years in Ohio studying queer-feminist witches, I am happy to be back home again in Indiana. I finished my dissertation in June and officially graduated with my PhD in American Culture Studies on my birthday in August. I recently moved to Fort Wayne to start my job as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Women's Studies at Purdue University Fort Wayne. I'm enjoying my days spent riding my bike along the river back and forth to work and asking students if they care to "unpack that statement" or if they can "speak a bit more from that space." | General update | More details | ||
| Katy Buda | 2010 | Spring 2023 issue | Katy is currently living in South Bend, Indiana with her beautiful six year old son, Tuvia, and 11 year old dog Bella Ann. She's in her 9th year as a high school counselor at South Bend Clay High School, always fighting for the underdogs in public education. She also spends her days with her loving partner, Joanna and her two sons, traveling to Lake Michigan, cooking vegan food, and absorbing unbelievable amounts of non-fiction books, true crime documentaries, and famous pitbulls on social media. | General update | More details | ||
| Adam Tobin | 2010 | Winter 2022 issue | After two reschedules and a year of waiting, I married my wife, Nora Conklin, on Aug. 29 in Baltimore. It was a dream come true and we were very lucky to have friends and family in attendance including Gabriel and Mariah Torres and Eric Holman '09. We are living in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Happy to host or meet up with any Earlhamites passing through or in the area! | Marriage, General update | More details | ||
| Max Crumley-Effinger | 2010 | Winter 2022 issue | I am currently living in Blacksburg, Virginia and working with international students at Virginia Tech. I'm in the final stages of completing a Ph.D. in international education at Loyola University Chicago, where I am also a member of the adjunct faculty in the School of Education. I am looking forward to gathering in-person with EC friends at a future Homecoming, and hope that can happen soon. | General update | More details | ||
| Adam Putnam | 2007 | Winter 2022 issue | Sara Bohall Putnam '08 and I welcomed Charlotte "Lottie" Louise Putnam to the world on Valentine's Day 2021. I'm a psychology professor at Furman University in South Carolina, and Sara works for the biostatistics department at the University of Minnesota (remotely of course). | Birth | More details | ||
| Alexandra Hagerty | 2007 | Fall 2022 issue | I am currently the Ship Captain aboard the Hospital Ship Africa Mercy with over 70 nationalities onboard. We are preparing to bring doctors, nurses and teachers to Africa to provide free life changing surgeries for those in need. You can follow us on www.mercyships.org Or donate to my non profit: www.CaptainsWithoutBorders.org Come join us as a volunteer ! We need people from all backgrounds! |
General update | https://earlhamite.earlham.edu/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/16-c1cefcf79de5381f582327d68c1b860c/2023/03/0E708554-94EE-4EF5-B48E-D7744023C524.jpeg | More details | |
| Katrina McQuail | 2006 | Fall 2022 issue | It's been another quiet year with no travel. Our family is fortunate in that we live on the same property with my parents, Fran (Fuson) '74 and Tony McQuail. Which has been great in general, but extra wonderful with the arrival of our second pandemic baby in mid-summer 2021. I am still farming full time and working for Elections Canada and Ontario when elections are called. We keep up with other friends and family by video and phone calls. We're looking forward to when we can gather together again. | Birth, General update | More details | ||
| Lydia Hamilton | 2006 | Winter 2022 issue | I recently completed my doctorate in health behavior from the Indiana University-School of Public Health, where my research focused on human milk bank donation. I chat daily with my best friend and fellow Mountain Wilderness 2002 alum Shannon Effler, and am in frequent contact with Emily Steele, Hannah Swihart, and Kim Shipley '07. | General update | More details | ||
| Nora Wightman Gilstrap | 2005 | Spring 2023 issue | Nora Wightman Gilstrap was born April 26, 1983, and died Oct. 20, 2022, after suffering cardiac arrest, perhaps due to Long QT Syndrome. She is survived by her husband, Matt, and their 11 month old daughter, Piper; her parents, Kathy and Alec Wightman; her sister, Emily (Cameron) O’Reilly and their children, Gavin and Charlie; and a multitude of family and friends who loved her dearly. Nora graduated from Columbus School for Girls in 2001 and Earlham College in 2005, and she received her Masters in Social Work from The Ohio State University. We will remember her as a kind and loving young girl and woman with a passion for helping others, which led to a career as a therapist. She also had a passion for music, especially all things Phish, Ekoostic Hookah and Ani DiFranco. She enjoyed family vacations, including skiing, swimming, hiking and “spa-ing.” Nora was a yoga enthusiast and championed many forms of self-help, educating all of us along the way. Although not part of a formal religion, she was spiritual and embraced people equally, with love and without judgment. Her greatest joy was her daughter, Piper, now just 11 months old, who she leaves behind to be cherished by her dad and the rest of her family, making sure Piper knows her mom and benefits from Nora’s presence forever. |
Obituary | Obituary for alum | More details | |
| Annika Taylor | 2005 | Winter 2022 issue | Annika Taylor and her partner, Ross, welcomed a baby girl to the world on July 29, 2021. Eleanor Anne Whitmore-Taylor was born in Melbourne, Australia, and is looking forward to joining Earlham's class of 2043. | Birth | More details | ||
| John Spencer | 2005 | Fall 2022 issue | John T. “JT” Spencer IV, 39, of Greenwood, IN passed away Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. He was born Jan. 8, 1983 in Beech Grove, Indiana to John T. Spencer III and Tamara A. “Tammy” (Dukes) Spencer. He married Amy D. (Todd) Spencer on June 21, 2008 in Southport, Indiana, she survives. JT was a 2001 graduate of Center Grove High School where he played on the football team. He continued and graduated from Earlham College where he played football and baseball. He had been employed by Robards & Sons Lawn Care for several years. JT had been a Center Grove Bantam Football coach and had served on the board of directors. He also had served on the Fair Oaks homeowners association and was involved in supporting Ducks Unlimited. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and spending time with his family. Survivors include his wife Amy D. (Todd) Spencer of Greenwood, Indiana, a daughter Charlee L. Spencer and son Thomas J. Spencer, parents John T. Spencer III and Tamara A. “Tammy” (Dukes) Spencer of Greenwood, sister Kathleen Spencer (Andy) of Greenwood, a brother William Spencer (Jenn Sizelove) of Avon, Indiana and sister Jenna Spencer Schmitt (Jonathan) of Bargersville, Indiana, father-in-law and mother-in-law Jim and Jamie (Peters) Todd of Greenwood, sister-in-law Katy J. Holcomb (Jeff) of Indianapolis, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Evan and Emily Meredith of Indianapolis, a brother-in-law Morgan Meredith of Waveland, Mississippi, nephews Everett Spencer and Townes Holcomb, grandparents Leonard and Elsie (Henderson) Smith of Greenwood, Indiana. He was preceded in death by his grandparents John T. Spencer and Angie (Alvey) Spencer, Bob and Norma J. (Davidson) Dukes, and mother-in-law Pamela L. (Smith) Todd. |
Obituary | Obituary for alum | More details | |
| Mandy Kelly | 2004 | Winter 2022 issue | Mandy Kelly was born to Clifford and Patricia Kelly on Dec. 7, 1980, in Richmond, Indiana. She graduated from Union County High School with the class of 1999 prior to attending Earlham College, where she received an undergraduate degree in psychology. Mandy furthered her education by receiving a master’s degree in divinity in 2010. Mandy enjoyed crocheting, needle point, writing and spending time with her family and friends. More than anything, she loved raising her two sons and reading them special stories before bedtime. Mandy will be remembered as a loving mother, a wonderful daughter, a caring sister and friend. In addition to her parents, Mandy is survived by her fiancé, Aaron K. Swindill; sons, Drake and Zander; sister, Lindsey M. Kelly; aunts and uncles, Glenn and Misty Woosley, Chris Woosley, John and Kim Woosley; special cousins for whom she thought the world of, Michelle L. Woosley, Michael G. Woosley; many cousins and special friends. Mandy is preceded in death by her paternal grandmother, Pinny Kelly, and maternal grandparents, Bobbie and Gladys Woosley. |
Obituary | Obituary for alum | More details | |
| Elaine Fleschner | 2004 | Spring 2023 issue | I spent 17 years working in retail pharmacy, getting increasingly burnt out and frustrated as the demands of the Covid pandemic put the squeeze on the industry. In July of 2022 I transitioned into a job as a night-shift pharmacist at Riverside Methodist Hospital here in Columbus, Ohio. So far I am really enjoying the work and learning lots of new things every day. The schedule is a change of pace. I work 7 nights in a row, then have 7 nights off, but as an unrepentant night owl, I rather enjoy getting to stay up all night and sleep all day. And this way, I'm able to spend more time with my kids, Amelia (11), Leo (8) and Isaac (5). Husband Alec and I just celebrated 15 years of marriage. As I come up on turning 40, just 3 weeks away as of this writing, I've been doing a lot of looking back and looking forward. I've been through a lot to get to this point and I'm really excited about what lies ahead. | General update | More details | ||
| Melissa Dawn Johnson | 2003 | Spring 2023 issue | Melissa "Mel" Dawn Johnson, age 41, of Richmond, Indiana, died Monday, July 18, 2022, at IU Health University Hospital surrounded by her family. Born March 27, 1981, in Franklin, Indiana, a real-life "Wonder Woman", to Michael and Sally Roe Liffick, Mel had lived in Richmond for 23 years. She was a 1999 graduate of Whiteland Community High School in Whiteland, Indiana, and she received her bachelor's degree in biology and master's degree in education from Earlham College. Mel was a former teacher at Winchester Community High School and the head women's basketball coach and physical education instructor at Earlham College. Mel was a member of LifeSpring Church and the American Basketball Coaches Association. She enjoyed running, hiking, basketball, coaching, teaching and spoiling her cats. Survivors include her husband, Nick Johnson '01, to whom she was married on June 25, 2005; children, Jayden and Jacob; parents; sister, Megan (John) Day of Indianapolis, Indiana; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Nathan '01 and Melanie Johnson '04 of Cincinnati, Ohio; sisters-in-law, Renee (Neal) Wattley of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Kyra (David) Gonzalez of San Tan Valley, Arizona; and many family members and friends. She was preceded in death by one niece, Alaina Day. |
Obituary | Obituary for alum, Obituary for a former Earlham faculty or staff member | More details | |
| Sarah Egolf-Tarr | 2002 | Winter 2022 issue | I'm still loving working at Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (my tenth year!) and living in Broomfield, Colorado, with my husband, Andrew Tarr and rescue mutt, Mimi. I miss my Earlhamites and hope to cross paths with you soon. These days of change and disruption, I'm finding my EC education is coming in even more handy. I'm grateful to you for being a part of that. | General update | More details | ||
| 1996 | Winter 2021 issue | Owen Williams November 13, 1974-January 20, 2022 Owen David Williams, Maple Street, Burlington, Vermont died unexpectedly on Jan. 20, 2022 of complications from COVID, though he had always been very careful during the pandemic, fully-vaccinated and boosted. He was born on Nov. 13, 1974 in Mount Holly, New Jersey, the first child of Carl David and Diane Williams. After early years in the Catskill Mountains he lived in Vermont, with a hiatus in Indianapolis as a young adult. He always amazed us. As a child he was inquisitive and curious and funny and loving. As an adult he was thoughtful and concerned and funny and loving. He valued family. He watched out for the marginalized and the defenseless in the world. He loved music of all kinds, astronomy and physics, and much more. Owen loved the sense of community and the open intellectual searching he found at Earlham. He grew up a member of Young Friends—in Plainfield (Vermont) Monthly Meeting, Northwest Quarterly Meeting and New England Yearly Meeting and he was always clear that Earlham was the place he wanted to go to college. Whether in the classroom, joining Friends at Clear Creek, or working on the maintenance crew or in the stable as part of his work study program, Earlham provided him with a sense of challenge and a sense of belonging. And his love of Earlham was part of the reason both his brother and sister went to study there. Owen worked as Senior Programmer/Analyst at the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation where his work helped Vermont high school students find grants and loans for their college education. His colleagues there described him as beloved. Owen is missed. By his parents, by his brother and sister-in-law, Ben Williams '01 and Amanda Ferguson-Cradler '02 of Tarrytown, NY, by his sister and brother-in-law, Megan '06 and Joshua Shedaker of Colchester, Vermont. He is beloved “Monkey Owie” to nephews Finnigan, Oliver, and Quilan. He was loved and respected by friends from each chapter of his life. He is also survived by aunts, uncles, and cousins. We will gather on May 7, 2022 at Bayside Park in Colchester, Vermont to celebrate and remember him. |
Obituary | Obituary for alum | More details | ||
| Elizabeth Kimball | 1996 | Winter 2022 issue | I am wrapping up my third year on the English faculty at Drexel University in Philadelphia. My book, Translingual Inheritance: Language Diversity in Early National Philadelphia is out from University of Pittsburgh Press. It was featured on historian John Fea's blog, The Way of Improvement Leads Home, in which I gave an Earlham shout out (to the humanities curriculum of 1992-93)! (https://currentpub.com/2021/04/29/the-authors-corner-with-elizabeth-kimball/) I also won a faculty award for innovation in civic engagement, for my partnership with a social services nonprofit. Those are the highlights of an otherwise rough year for all of us, especially students and teachers. |
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| Matthew Vetrini | 1995 | Spring 2023 issue | Me and kids recently moved back to New Jersey. We’re living in Cherry Hill. My wife will be joining us later. New Jersey alumni feel free to drop me a line. | General update | More details | ||
| Patrick Garrett | 1995 | Fall 2022 issue | After a 25-year career working for digital media and advertising agencies, I retired this past summer to launch my second career building a new company in the beverage industry – DrinkCurious.com. DrinkCurious is a spin-off from my media company, BourbonBanter.com, and is focused on helping people explore the adult beverage world through curated events, education, and virtual/in-person tasting experiences. I'm finding myself returning to travel and hope to cross paths with fellow EC alums in the near future. If you're someone that enjoys exploring the world of adult beverages don't hesitate to reach out and connect. I'm always looking to connect and meet up with other people looking to #DrinkCurious. Cheers! | General update | More details | ||
| Sunu Chandy | 1994 | Spring 2023 issue | Sunu P. Chandy is excited to share that her first book of poems, My Dear Comrades, will be published in March 2023, and is available for preorder now including through Regal House. Her poems are also included in a few recent anthologies including, The Penguin Book of Indian Poets, The Queer Cookie Cookbook, and The Long Devotionoets Writing Motherhood. Sunu is looking forward to connecting with EC alumni at poetry readings in 2023. Sunu invites others to reach out via the contact page on her website if you’re interested in collaborating on an event. Also, special gratitude goes out to Professor Barb Caruso for teaching such a terrific course in Creative Writing and for introducing us to many important writers such as Gloria Anzaldúa and Adrienne Rich. | General update | More details | ||
| Sara Gelser Blouin | 1994 | Fall 2022 issue | I was delighted to receive the Carl Levin Award for Legislative Oversight in December. Here is a link to the press release from Wayne Law School (in Detroit): https://www.levin-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Press-Release-Senator-Gelser-2021-Carl-Levin-Award-2.pdf. And here is a link from Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan: https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=64618 |
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| Aaron Brand | 1993 | Winter 2022 issue | Long-time Texarkana Gazette reporter and feature writer Aaron Brand died on Oct. 1, 2021, at his home near De Queen, Arkansas. He was 50 years old. He started working at the Gazette in 2002. Early in this career he covered business and was the lead reporter on the Army's plans to shutdown Red River Army Depot west of Texarkana – efforts that were eventually thwarted. But most recently, and for most of his 19 years at the Gazette, he was a feature writer who covered local arts and entertainment and did critical reviews of movies, books and music. "Aaron touched many lives in this community through his reporting and other contributions," said Texarkana Gazette Editor Les Minor. He won numerous journalism awards for his writing in Texas and Arkansas and was well respected by his peers. He covered the cultural core of Texarkana – Perot Theatre, Regional Arts Center, Texarkana Museums System, the Symphony -- and did so with passion, intelligence and a fullness that only comes with deep-seated interest and accumulated experience. It didn't happen all at once. Aaron was born on March 11, 1971, in Chicago and grew up in the Chicago Heights area. He earned a bachelor's degree in English at Earlham College in Richmond and an M.F.A. in creative writing at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington. While living in Portland, Oregon, he worked helping autistic adolescents, a family member said. "Aaron thought deeply about his subject matter, cared about words and was precise about using them," Minor said. "When he committed something to paper, we knew it would come in clean and would reflect his keen intellect." But more important than his technical skills, Brand was a champion of the arts. Marc-André Bougie, music director and conductor of Texarkana Regional Chorale & Orchestra, said he has known and worked with Brand for more than a decade. "I can remember from our first encounter his commitment to journalistic excellence, sincere support for the arts, and warm and humorous personality," Bougie said. "This first impression was confirmed over and over again through the years, up to last week when he attended our Al Fresco concert. "I texted Aaron the next day to thank him for the coverage and support, and we exchanged funny memes as we did so often, both looking forward to whatever would come up next. Aaron will be sorely missed by my wife Candace and I, and all of us in the Texarkana College Music Department and the Texarkana Regional Chorale." Brand covered the arts community here with a thoroughness possibly unequalled in the newspaper's history, Minor said. Yet he wasn't tied to traditional and classical forms. He reviewed movies, recordings, books and kept his thumb on the pulse of the local music scene. He gave local theater its due. He often found humor hiding in plain sight and would incorporate it into his pieces. He could spot a trend a mile away. During the pandemic, he chased down a variety of stories covering not only the medical and scientific aspects of COVID, but also how it was affecting lives of Texarkana people both here and abroad. He was very proud and was honored by the Arkansas Press Association for his works. His versatility in finding and covering stories made him very visible in the community. He could cover just about anything, winning several awards for sports feature writing. And as newspapers adjusted to the demands of these times, he voiced his concerns that the role of the writer should not be lost in the shuffle. "Aaron challenged me on the digital growth of the paper to remain true to the craft and not let the technology diminish the role of the writer or detract from the newspaper's overall mission," said General Manager James Bright. "It is very rare you find people like that." On a lighter note, Brand was a member of the Texarkana Gazette Corporate Spelling Bee team that competed and collected several championships over the years to raise money for local literacy efforts. He liked the stage and was a tenacious competitor. When not writing for the Gazette, Brand worked as an adjunct instructor at University of Arkansas-Cossatot, teaching online courses in composition and literature. "Aaron had been teaching online concurrent classes for the local high school for several years. As his supervisor, I know that he wanted to be physically present in the classroom, but he had such a phenomenal online presence and the students responded to him so well that I felt the need to keep him as an online instructor," said Crystal Sims, UA-Cossatot's division chair of general education. "He thoroughly enjoyed working with the high school students. We recently changed the format of the courses and the works of literature being taught, and Aaron was so excited to read the new pieces and prepare to teach them to his students. He was also actively working with a full-time English instructor to develop a creative writing program so our students would have another outlet of expression. Aaron was loved by all of his co-workers, and we will truly miss him," Sims wrote. Teaching ran in Aaron's family. "Aaron had a special connection to our college as he was the second generation of Brands to impact our students in very special ways. We miss Laura Brand, Aaron's mother, and we are already equally missing Aaron," said Dr. Steve Cole, UA-Cossatot chancellor. Brand loved animals, raised 4 donkeys on his small farm, along with some cats. At one point his menagerie included some goats and sheep. Dr. Sunni Davis, a longtime family friend and colleague, remembers Aaron as a kind and gentle soul, but not much of a ranch hand. "When he inherited a cranky pony, a bunch of irascible donkeys, a pack of rowdy dogs and an ever-increasing number of half-feral cats, I wasn't sure how this was going to go," she said. Davis tells of panicked calls from Aaron for help with loose donkeys or sick dogs and the crisis was always solved. Aaron would gladly return the favor. "He cared for the animals in the same way that he cared for everything else in his life -- with kindness and with passion. I think the donkeys filled a spot in his heart where horses would have gone in another lifetime. Where Aaron and I connected was with our shared love of anything horse racing. "Aaron could spout off bloodlines and trainer stats as well as any writer for the Racing Form. He wasn't much interested in the betting side of the industry but he loved racing for the joy of the sport. He was a huge fan of Zenyatta, and at the time of his death we were engaged in shared dismay at the demise of Chicagoland's famed Arlington Park, a track we both knew and loved. "I hope, Aaron, wherever you are right now, that you are swapping stories with some of those racing greats you watched when they made the history you knew so well," Davis wrote upon learning of Aaron's passing. Brand was preceded in death by his mother, Laura Anne Cohrs Brand. Survivors include his father and stepmother, Ronald Allan Brand and Mary Rose Nichols of Albuquerque, New Mexico; his sister, Anna Livia Brand of Berkeley, California; and two nephews, Luka Brand Maddock and Artie Brand Maddock. |
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| Keiren Havens | 1993 | Winter 2022 issue | I earned a master's degree in human resource development from Towson University! It’s been great to engage in practical studies after two (thought provoking and interesting) religious studies degrees. It’s helped me lead organizational change and embed equitable practices as the Chief Strategy Officer at Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore, where I have been for 11 years this month. I think I’m finally done with school, but never with learning. | General update | More details | ||
| Anne Conley-Goldstein | 1993 | Winter 2022 issue | Hello to 1993 alumni! This year has been a roller coaster for my family and me! It started out with having brain surgery in January to remove a grade 2 benign meningioma tumor (probably linked to radiation treatment for leukemia when I was 3). Luckily, I had just resigned from a job with Riley Hospital (long story, but suffice it to say that it was not a good fit). By July, I was job hunting and ended up finding my dream job! I have a private practice again, but without all of administrative work and having to worry about how I am going to keep a steady caseload. It’s a company called LifeStance Health; I pay them to do the non-psychology things, and they feed me clients. I have to brag a little, because I requested a big office to fit all of my play therapy stuff and I got the corner office with 3 windows! Compared to the broom closets and caves I’ve worked in, it feels like I won the lottery! So the year has made a great turnaround and I am cautiously optimistic that I will be here until I retire. And speaking of turnarounds, my 17-year-old son Leo went from wanting to drop out of high school to being able to graduate at the end of this semester with a decent GPA. He blossomed last year with virtual learning. He’s applying to colleges that have strong programs for building a career in designing video games. Gideon (14) professes to hate his freshman year since he wants to stay home and spend the whole day engaging with online trash (think Reddit). He’s in three AP classes, two years ahead in math, and rarely gets anything but As, but calls his classes “pain, misery, awful and sadness.” Actually, he has a good sense of humor, which is helping him adjust. And last but not least in this very long update, my husband Marc has been working at Covance/LabCorp for several years now, putting in crazy corporate hours to promote the quality of drug testing trials and support coronavirus research. I hope everyone is doing well and that I will see you at our next reunion. Happy holidays and happy new year, too! |
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