Susan Flanders Kleinschmidt, M.S.’92
609-771-0642
susankle@comcast.net

Ellen-Marie Samsen Knehans, P’18
760-371-2353
emknehans@mchsi.com

Greeting Hood friends-Springtime greetings from NJ!  Beach weather is almost upon us!  Thanks to all who responded to my e-mail requesting news for the column. I have heard from Claudia Nichols Nealley that her son Luke has graduated from Carnegie Mellon University this spring and is excited to be starting a new job in Pittsburgh.  Claudia’s daughter Maggie is a rising Junior at Frederick High School.  Maggie continues to love lacrosse and they plan to spend the summer traveling with her Lionheart team to tournaments.  Recently Claudia joined the Blue and Grey Boosters Club.  Claudia would love to get some type of tailgate tradition started at Hood and would love the chance to visit with friends. Claudia and her husband Mark have recently donated to help light the athletic field at Hood.  They found out that Hood is the only college in our conference without a lighted field.  Having a NCAA athlete in her family has made Claudia realize what an asset athletics are for Hood.  A large percentage of Hood’s new students are athletes.  Claudia encourages all to consider donating to help get Hood’s field lit or to join the Blue and Grey Boosters club.  Natasha Keyian reports in from Florida that she has just started a new teaching position with the Seminole County Public schools.  She is working with intellectually delayed students and students with autism and is loving teaching. Barbara Reade Hawkins reports in from Virginia.  Her eldest daughter Emily graduated in May from Radford University with a BS in English and is currently pursuing her master’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University.  She is hoping to teach middle or high school English in Southwestern Virginia.  Barb’s youngest daughter Rebecca graduated as Valedictorian from Freedom High school in Woodbridge, VA and from The Governor’s School at Innovation Park, Manassas, VA.  She is planning to attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech).  She will be enrolled in the Honors College and the college of Natural Resources and Environment.  She will be working towards a degree in Wildlife Conservation/Environmental Science. Robin Winkler-Pickett M.S. ’07, MBA ’17 just walked the stage for the third time at Hood to receive her MBA this spring and received the 2017 Outstanding Graduate Student Award in Business Administration.  Ten years ago, she pulled off the same feat by being named the Outstanding Graduate Student in Biomedical Sciences!  Robin has worked for the National Cancer Institute for 31 years and now with school work done, again, she is looking forward to some personal and professional reinvention and will be exploring new opportunities for change and growth.  Always the proud mama, she shares that are kids are doing well and always amazing her. Her oldest son is doing exceptionally well in the Marine Corp having received the U.S. Navy and Marine Corp Commendation Medal this year and continues to be stationed locally which Robin loves. His current enlistment will take him to over 15 years (anyone hear “career Marine”?).  Her daughter-in-law is an art teacher in FCPS and was tenured this year and Robin is enjoying having a girl in the family. Her youngest “special” one, has surpassed all expectations from his childhood challenges and serves as a reminder that anything is possible with perseverance, dedication, and love.  Please get in touch with Robin- she is looking for things to fill all the time she now has!