Leslie Beck Hughan
410-303-2208
lhughan@gmail.com

This summer the class of 2005 celebrated our 10-year reunion. Holy cow, how has it been 10 years since we graduated? For those of you who couldn’t join us for this reunion, I’ll sum up the weekend in one word: amazing. We were able to tour the campus to see what is exactly the same and what has changed since we graduated. I’m ashamed to admit this, but I forgot just how breath-takingly beautiful the campus is in person. Since we graduated, there is a new fountain outside Hodson; new sidewalks; a new athletic building named after honorary class of 2015 member Ronald J. Volpe; carpeted floors throughout Smith and Memorial; and residential rooms on the ground floor in Meyran. While it was really strange to see some of these changes, the college still looks and feels like Hood did when we were students. Aside from the nostalgia of reunion and being on campus again, it was so much fun to be reunited with classmates. There was a lot of hugging, laughing, storytelling and picture taking. Additionally, a lot of new Hood memories were made this weekend at the dinners, in Shriner, in Whitaker and during the scheduled activities. I could go on forever about how wonderful reunion was, but then there wouldn’t be room for the wonderful news below from our fellow classmates. I’ll wrap up my recap with these two thoughts and a challenge. Classmates who weren’t here with us this year, you were missed and we hope to see you at the 15-year reunion in 2020. I mentioned there was a lot of photo taking and failed to mention some of it was by a professional. Visit Hood.edu/Reunion and click the link on the left for the photo gallery. Lastly, before I turn it over to news, with 30 people attending the 10-year reunion, let’s all commit to attending our 50-year reunion in 2055. Now the news: In April, Jocelyn Berte Dunnavant started a new job at Sara June Salon in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can check out her bio at SaraJuneBrooklyn.com. Kimberly Beach Jenkins moved to Riva, Md., with her husband Mark and children Shelby and Hunter. She also started a new job at Seven Management Companies as their human resources manager. Cassie Dukes and husband John Tagliamburis welcomed a baby girl Madlyn Hope Tagliamburis on Nov. 19, 2014. She was born at Carroll Hospital Center at 3:37 a.m., weighing 8 pounds, 5 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches long. Jordana Francis Chettiparampil gave birth to a second daughter Rose Chettiparampil on Feb. 20, 2015. Rose was welcomed by big sister Angela and proud father Joe. Jessica Holthaus Badour was accepted into the International Food Protection Training Institute’s Fellowship in September. The year-long program provides food protection professionals with knowledge, skills and abilities to work effectively within the framework of food regulatory science, law and policy, including a series of seminars over three week-long sessions in addition to a research project. Her project examines state food safety agencies’ use of social media to communicate with stakeholders by surveying existing practices, in order to determine the effectiveness of social media as a communications tool during recalls and other food safety events. She will present the findings from the research project in June at the annual Association of Food and Drug Officials conference in Indianapolis. Tammy McElroy McNish earned a Master of Sports Leadership from Northeastern Univ. in May. She is still living in Charlotte, N.C., and would love to catch up with any classmates traveling through the area. Andrew Noll, a physician assistant, left MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center after four and a half years to start a new job at Patient First in Owings Mills, Md. Caroline Pandorf started a dog walking and pet care business, Spoiled Pawz, for upper Montgomery County, Md., eight years ago. Recently, she became certified in dog training and obedience training. You can check out her business at SpoiledPawzOfMontCo.net. In addition to her growing business, Caroline stays busy keeping healthy and fit, working out at the gym five times a week. She lost 75 pounds since our graduation and this May finished her second 5K obstacle course, beating her first 5K time by 20 minutes. She hopes to enter 8K and 10K events in the future. Sarah Robinson Rathbun is expecting her third daughter in late July. The new baby has been lovingly nicknamed Short Cupcake by big sister Lydia. The Rathbuns also moved from San Francisco to suburban Castro Valley, Ca., in October.