2005
Leslie Beck Hughan
lhughan@gmail.com
10th reunion, June 5-7, 2015

Class of 2005, we have a lot of news this issue. It seems like everyone is so busy. Yet again, there are new degrees, marriages, new jobs, babies, moves, but no extreme couponers, which honestly, surprises me. I thought for sure we would have one class member who clips a ton of coupons for impressive savings. My hope was that our class extreme couponer would pass along some practical saving advice to the rest of us so we can start saving for our 10-year reunion next year! Can you believe it? Those 10 years flew by in the blink of an eye. I am a little excited to see you all again, if you cannot tell. So, let it come as no surprise if our next few columns mention reunion weekend 2015. You turned to this page not to be bombarded with reunion information, but to see what our friends have been doing, so let us get on with the updates. MaameYaa Boafo earned a master of fine arts degree in acting from Rutgers Univ. in 2009. She married Jeremiah Abiah and they are living in New York City. You will currently see her starring on the hit web series An African City and this fall she will be performing Off-Broadway in LIFT by Walter Mosley. You also may spot her in national commercials. Jillian Kotmair Bright along with husband Andrew and daughter Juliette welcomed twin girls, Alexandria Marie and Josephine Lily March 14. Cassie Dukes and husband John Tagliamburis are preparing to welcome a baby in early December. Danielle Rodman Giannandrea, M.A. ’08, C’07 and husband Frank purchased a new home in Frederick, which was featured in a nationally airing Remax commercial. Jennifer Harmon got married and her new last name is Nachtrieb. In addition to being a newlywed, she started a new job as the coordinator of the Community Research Center, Fairbanks North Star Borough in Alaska. Recently, her job brought her to Pittsburgh, Pa., for a conference where she was able to catch up with former roommate Rachel Lubkin Zeminski, M.S. ’07. Sarah Hoover is in a master of business administration program for international relations at Southern New Hampshire Univ. Melanie Howell reported life is sweet. In December, she became engaged to John D. Grantham, whom she dated for the past 10 years. They are getting married at the Cloisters Castle in Pikesville, Md., this October and look forward to spending the rest of their lives together. Kristen Heisey Leiter welcomed a baby girl, Katherine, into her family June 4. Georgette Sirak Prichard’s husband received a promotion last August and they have since purchased a house. They are living in Spring Lake, N.C., near Fort Bragg with three very loveable dogs who make life interesting. Sadly, her cat Smudge, aka, Fatty Fat Cat, who lived with her and Sarah Robinson Rathbun in their off-campus apartment senior year, passed away. He was 16 years old. Sarah Robinson Rathbun and her family moved from Nashville to San Francisco in June. Tiffany Still Grant, M.A. ’07, C’08 married David Grant Oct. 13. Make sure you visit our online column to see a photo of Tiffany and her husband. Charlene Vestermark was accepted for a gastroenterology fellowship at the National Capital Consortium Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., which begins in August. Janelle Stevens Weddle, C’09 claims it is not newsworthy but celebrated 10 years of marriage with Jeremiah July 17. I say she is wrong. Congratulations, Janelle and Jeremiah! And now a special note of thanks from Jennifer Dunn Brown. “I was humbled by the love and support I received from my Hood girls when my mom passed in February. Whether it was a note on Facebook, a card in the mail, a phone call, a donation to the American Cancer Society or a show of support at the funeral, I was truly grateful to know I had so many people thinking about me and praying for my family. I am beyond grateful for my Hood family.” Nate Wood-Wilson and Ashley Nick Wilson ’08 were married June 21, 2014, in Brownsville, Md. As always, if you have news to share in the next issue of the Hood Magazine, please send it to me via email at lhughan@gmail.com or via Facebook.