Sarah Tapscott
301-807-7821
st12@hood.edu

Wow! What a crazy last few months we’ve seen, Class of 2015! In our years at Hood we experienced a lot of change and since graduation, less than a year ago, our lives have been no different! We have so much to celebrate and so much to look forward to! Miguel Caruso has been accepted to the Officer Candidate School for the United States Army. Eliza Jacobs will be heading to Bucheon, South Korea in February for a year to teach English. Tara Biser started graduate school at Johns Hopkins University and is working towards her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Meg DePanise is working for Hood’s Marketing and Communications Department and towards her MBA. Maya Jackson is working for Keswick Multi-Care Center as a Social Work Designee and looking into graduate school. Brigid Ayer works at Hood as a Student Life Assistant in Sports Information and is pursuing her Masters in Business Marketing. Krystal Wood is currently attending Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia and pursuing a Psy.D. Degree in Clinical Psychology. Sarah Wagstaff is an Assistant Teacher at The Goddard School in Columbia, Maryland. Emily Eckard started graduate school for Occupational Therapy at Chatham University. Lindsey Willhide began graduate school at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore and plans on getting her LGSW license after school. Stephanie Kelley and Amanda Decker also began graduate school at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore and will be completing school with Lindsey in 2016. Prettany Overman will be in Berlin, Germany until late-summer 2016 working at the Jüdische Gemeinde (Jewish Community Center and Synagogue). She also gives tours at a museum and at a former Concentration Camp and Soviet Special Camp. Chelsea Bunker moved to rural Cofradía, Honduras where she is now the fifth grade teacher at the San Jeronimo Bilingual School, and loves Central America. Caroline Schuetz moved to Frederick, Maryland and was promoted to Site Director for the Crestwood Middle School Boys & Girls Club where she runs an after school program for about thirty students, and is an AmeriCorps member. Angela Moore got engaged to her boyfriend on graduation day, and will be getting married next October. She lives in Texas and works at Therapy & Beyond as a behavioral therapist. Heidi Marino is now a graduate student at Shippensburg University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Public Relations. Erin Botker is now an Admissions Counselor for Hood. Oritsegbubemi Ndze-Williams is working in the construction industry installing geomembranes on landfill sites across the lower east coast of America. Amanda Shaffery and Robert Vaughn moved to Memphis where they are attending the University of Memphis for graduate school. Rob is working towards a Masters in Statistics and Amanda is working for a Masters in Egyptology. Logan Bachtell began her graduate studies at Marymount University in the Forensic and Legal Psychology Program. Kacy Strasser accepted a job teaching middle school art at Frederick Classical Charter School. Megan Rodriguez will be getting married in January 2016 and works as a Software Developer for iNovex Software Solutions. Jessica Zambreny is a Therapeutic Support Staff member and is attending graduate school at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Julianne Berg moved to Charleston, South Carolina as an AmeriCorps VISTA. She is serving for a year with the Palmetto Project, a non-profit that serves as the statewide navigator for the affordable healthcare act. Ryan Lenhart is teaching math in Frederick County and coaching cross-country and indoor/outdoor track. Anet Zhandosova is applying to medical schools and working as a medical assistant at MetroMed Urgent Care in Leesburg, Virginia. Jessica Morales is in Charlotte, North Carolina at The Charlotte School of Law, pursuing her Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree. Teresa Rivera has accepted the position of Marketing Manager at All-Fill Inc in Exton, Pennsylvania. I, Sarah Tapscott, am working during the day, Publicity Chair for the Choral Arts Society of Frederick, and researching graduate schools to pursue a Masters in Museum Studies and hope to also obtain a Teaching Certification. Please keep in touch with me about all of your amazing changes and keep persevering!

Bianca Padilla
301-437-8772
hoodcollege14@yahoo.com

Hello Class of 2014! Let’s catch up with what our classmates have been up to. Congratulations are in order to Emily Singleton who is engaged to Joshua Dimeler and will be looking forward to a September 2016 wedding. Jackie Frenning who recently got engaged and looking forward to an October 2016 wedding. Melissa Caples is engaged to Greg Miller. Katie Jenkins is engaged to Andrew Hansrote and will get married in April 2016. Classmates Zach Lynch and Kelsey Knippenberg are engaged. Congratulations are also in order to Tabitha Browne who married Byron Milliken in June 2015. Lauren Engel married Brian Ulander in September 2015. Classmates Ashley Rose Bennett and Menzi Khumalo recently got married. Christine Carter Cohee married Herman Cohee ‘15 in May 2015; Mindy Everleigh King married Justin King in October. Tiffany Zechman Flook welcomed her first child, Ava, in December 2014 and teaches kindergarten at Liberty Elementary School in Frederick County. Jackie Frenning has a new job as an Academic Testing Associate at Frederick Community College. Lauren Shaak is the Tree Fruit Extension Entomology Research Technician at the Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, Pennsylvania. Emily Singleton has been working since November 2014 as a Grants Administrator for the Maryland Energy Administration. Kate Kopasek is an Outreach Rehabilitation Counselor at Key Point Health Services. Bianca Padilla is in her second year of teaching as a fifth grade teacher in Montgomery County. Christine Carter Cohee works for W.L. Gore as a Lab Technician. James Thuman works as a data scientist for Booz Allen Hamilton. Will Haller works at Schaefer Center for Public Policy, Envolve. Olivia Sledzik is working at the White House Historical Association in DC as an editorial specialist. Nathaniel Erb has kept busy with his involvement in social justice. Since his cross-country cycling trip with human trafficking advocacy group, Worthwhile: GO, he continues to be involved with human trafficking policy, youth leadership, and global social justice initiatives. He recently authored the first law in the United States to open college access to human trafficking victims. Melissa Caples works as a part-time contract as a conservation technician at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Brianna Dyckman was accepted into the Americorps NCCC program for the Atlantic Region where she will start in February 2016. Kierianne Lupari is a 3rd grade teacher in Fairfax County. Amanda Price is currently at an internship at the BirthPlace at Frederick Memorial Hospital. Denisse Guitarra is working at Alizee Pathology as a Laboratory Specialist. Lauren Engel is in the Applied Behavior Analysis Master’s program at Ball state university. Will Haller is a Psychology major and attends the University of Baltimore for Industrial/Organizational Psychology for Graduate school. Melissa Caples is attending George Washington University to obtain a Master’s in Museum Studies; and Amy Hagerdon has a Master’s of Public Affairs and a Master’s of Science in Environmental Science from Indiana University. Katie Jenkins will graduate from Shippensburg University with her Master’s Degree in Social Work in May 2016. Amanda Price is in her second year of graduate school for her Masters of Social Work at Salisbury University. Denisse Guitarra is pursuing a Master’s at the University of Edinburgh. Steven Powell received his Master’s in School Psychology and pursuing an EdS degree. Continue to keep in touch with your success, joys and accomplishments Class of 2014!

Megan Dancause
717-285-7056
mdancause@comcast.net

With endless accomplishments under their belts, the class of 2011 continues to strive for more! As the years grow greater in time away from the college, so do the many milestones the classmates are achieving. John Boasi is still employed by the Social Security Administration. He has been appointed as a Key Representative to assist the SSA in his region’s Combined Federal Campaign. Emily Cucchi Raines has been promoted to Senior Marketing & Communications Program Coordinator at the ARDMS, a global nonprofit organization that administers examinations and awards credentials in Sonography. Emily and her husband, Kyle, celebrated their first wedding anniversary this year! Lauren Dods is working as an Administrative Associate II for Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management at Frederick Community College. Juliana Eaton was married last year. Travis Harrant is currently stationed at USARAF Italy – Vicenza. Tiera Hawkes graduated from the University Of Baltimore School Of Law with her J.D. and is currently awaiting her bar results. Dana Martindell was married on August 29 to Gregory Perry in Bay Head, New Jersey. Kayla Murphy Caw was married to Mathew Caw on October 10 in Frederick, Maryland. Nickolas Spicer started a new job at Washington College as the Director of Student Engagement. Yana Schick is enlisted in the U.S Army Reserves. She spent a year in Italy and then ventured off to D.C for graduate school. She holds a Masters in International Relations with a concentration in International Economics and American Foreign Policy from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. In addition, she completed an internship with the Department of State over the summer and now works full time as a program assistance at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center. Victoria Utoh is working at Seton Hall University as a Senior Assistant Director of Admissions Operations, where she resides in Union, New Jersey. Victoria will be graduating from the University of North Texas with her Masters in Educational Leadership. In 2014, Morgan Wright graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law and passed the bar exam in Virginia. In 2015, she started working at Fastcase, a small legal software company in downtown D.C, as a customer outreach manager and reference attorney. Fastcase produces the most popular mobile app among lawyers, in addition to many other products, and has partnerships with 28 state bar associations to provide small and solo firms with free access to the law. Phillip Yerby has been promoted to account supervisor at Weber Shandwick where he works out of its Baltimore office.

Megan Phillips Rosier
megankrosier@gmail.com

Kira Rogers Garrett graduated with an M.Ed from the University of Texas at Arlington in December 2014 and accepted a new position as a SAT/Testing Coordinator in Jefferson County, West Virginia for the 2015/2016 school year. Her also family purchased a new house in July 2015 in the same county. Amanda Rutten happily announces her engagement to Min Aung on March 7, 2015. The wedding is set for June 2016. She also finished her Masters in Acquisition Management from American Graduate University. Julie Biscoe Justice and her husband Aaron Justice welcomed their first baby, Carter Benjamin, on November 13, 2014. Sierra Rhodes earned her Master’s Degree is Education (M.ED.) from Penn State in August.

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

Greetings, classmates. Apparently we updated each other quite a bit during reunion and the last issue of the magazine, because there were few updates submitted for this round. While the number of updates this time may be few, the updates continue to share great news about professional achievements, moves, and babies. Alen Alexanderian welcomed a second child, Katharina Nairi Alexanderian, this September. In the 2015 fall semester, he also started as a tenure track assistant professor in the department of mathematics at the North Carolina State University. If you would like to read more about the work he is doing, please visit his webpage at http://www4.ncsu.edu/~aalexan3/. Danielle Giannandrea is expecting a baby in February 2015! Sarah (Robinson) Rathbun’s family grew to total five when Lauren Rose Rathbun, formally known as “Short Cupcake,” was born on July 25 at 7:25 am. She weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 21.5 inches long. Sarah and family think Lauren is pretty darn perfect. Heather Smock along with her husband and children, moved from Walkersville, Md., into a new home in Woodsboro, Md. On Oct. 10, Patricia Stevenson celebrated her tenth anniversary with Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, where she has advanced to the position of senior production editor. Congratulations, Alen, Danielle, Sarah, Heather, and Patricia! I hope the rest of our class is doing well. And I hope we’ll have even more news to share come the next issue.

Leah Giambarresi MacDonald ’03, M.S.’10, C’05
240-409-7439
lhg1@hood.edu

Hi everyone! Let’s start off our class news with some new jobs! First up – Julia Sirak Pacilli, who started not one but two new jobs in the past few months! She began a new position with Montreat College as the Director of Campus & Faculty Services for Adult and Graduate Studies at the beginning of October. She also started as a Vacation Planner specializing in Disney Destinations with Starts With A Wish Travel back in July. If you’re thinking about a Disney vacation anytime soon, look her up on Facebook!
Stephanie Bulka Smith also started a new job earlier this year! She’s working as a family medicine physician at the Fort Meade Community-based Outpatient Clinic, and is really enjoying it. Laura Secker Hammond wrote with a few updates, too! She moved to Alexandria in 2006, got married in 2011, and had a little girl in March 2014 named Ella Catherine Hammond. Laura stays home with her and also works part time coordinating private events at Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria. Her husband works at a neighborhood restaurant group. So basically, they’re surrounded by good food and beer! What a great life! One more bit of important information – we started a Hood College Class of 2003 Facebook group! If you haven’t joined yet, type that title into the Facebook search bar and come join us!
And as always, if anyone has any exciting news, or just updates on what you’re up to, please send it in through the alumni website, message it to me on Facebook, or email me at macdonaldleahg@gmail.com – I’m excited to hear it!

Sanya Cleary Wolstenholme
215-338-8627
lilmackvic@comcast.net

Sanya Cleary Wolstenholme I hope everyone had a wonderful, fun-filled summer! I am sure as you read this many are pulling out sweaters and sweatshirts, drinking apple cider, baking pies and having s’mores by the fire. I’m excited to take over as Class of 1994 reporter. Thank you to those who have done it for so long. A lot has been happening since 1994 in my life. Rich and I will be married for 20 years this November. We have two beautiful girls Mackenzie (16) and Tori (13). They keep us busy between soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, student council, school ambassadors, etc. I received my Master’s degree from Cabrini College in 2009 and I am currently teaching Pre-Kindergarten (4 year olds) and loving every minute of it! Over the summer we were fortunate to have a visit from Katharine (Gillespie) Riordan ’96 (one of my lil sis’s from Hood), her husband Peter, and their son Luke. Their daughter Gillian was away- becoming the NRA national champion intermediate Junior! It has been about 15 years and it was as if not a day has gone by. I was sad that I didn’t run into anyone at our reunion last summer. I hope to connect with more of you now that you have my email. I’d love to report a lot more news in the next issue.

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

Greetings fellow Hood alum! It’s a beautiful fall weekend here in New Jersey. I was hoping last weekend to attend Hood Homecoming but the weather did not cooperate! Here are the updates from the Class of ’84! Jenny Muir reports that she has moved back to South Jersey after living in Idaho since 1990. She has switched careers after 30 years in the administrative field and got her M.Ed in Education from Holy Family University in Philadelphia. She is currently working as a Pre-K teacher and would love to network with any teachers in the South Jersey area from Hood. Her e-mail address is jenny08088@yahoo.com. Jenny is also a “Puppy Raiser” for the Seeing Eye and is currently raising a 1 year old German Shepard for the program. Jenny has also visited with classmates Evelyn Hoban, Holly Goss Betts and Heidi Crammond Maidamast ’83. Jenny also enjoys spending time with her sister Bess Muir ‘79. Robin Winkler-Pickett is back at Hood earning another degree, this time an MBA to go with her MS. Robin continues to work at the NCI and recently took on the responsibilities as Scientific Operations manager. Robin reports that she works with another Hood alum, Jami Willette-Brown. Robin’s son Eric is a Sgt. in the USMC, stationed in Maryland. Daughter-in-law, Val, is an art teacher at Green Valley elementary. Robin’s youngest son Adam is excited to have just secured his first full time job! Beth Rosenberg reports that effective February 2015, she has been promoted to the position of Community Development Block Grant/Housing Finance Programs Manager with Loudoun County Government. In this position, she manages Loudoun County’s Community Development Block Grant Program and a professional staff of five others that help low and moderate income residents to purchase homes, prevent and reduce homelessness, manage grants that serve at risk families and children and provide community outreach services. Caludia Nichols Nealley had also hoped to attend Hood Homecoming but she and her family, husband Mark and daughter Maggie attended their son’s Homecoming football game at Carnegie Mellon that day. Claudia reports all is well in Frederick! Susan MacKenzie reports that her daughter graduated from Denison University in May and then moved to New Zealand. She is taking a gap year before applying to grad school in Geoscience. Sue is working as a Commercial Interior designer for a Healthcare Architectural firm. Susan Sutton Bartolotto reports that she is living in Rochester, New York. Husband John is working for Zaxis. Daughter Emily is 21 and taking classes at Monroe Community College and looking to pursue a career in the Hospitality field. Sue’s daughter Hannah graduated from high school in June and also attends Monroe Community College. Sue’s son Johnny is in 8th grade and plays football and lacrosse for his middle school teams. Sue has gone back to work full-time with the Fairport Central School District. Sad news to pass along in this column is the passing of a fellow classmate, Vince Coates on October 9, 2015. We send our sincere condolences to his family and friends. For anyone who would like to honor Vince, Hood has established the Vince Coates Memorial Fund for Student Interns. Contributions can be sent to: Office of Institutional Advancement, Hood College, 401 Rosemont Ave, Frederick, MD 21701.

Elizabeth Bastian Chapin
610-670-9152
busybethc@aol.com

Hello friends of the class of 1982! Cynthia Richards Cathcart and her son Brian (class of 2012) attended the Legacy Brunch on Sept. 29th during Homecoming weekend. They met Hood’s new president and enjoyed the wonderful spread of food. Cynthia recently returned from leading a retreat for harpists in Colorado during the Spanish Peaks Celtic festival. Reports indicate a successful weekend and folks left the retreat inspired. Joy Miller Beverage visited with Liz Bastian Chapin and Gretchen Steinmetz Keith earlier this year and together they purchased one of the legacy bricks. Joy took a peek during Dr. Chapdelaine’s inauguration held on October 17. She and Tracy McGuirk were tasked to assist with the display for the President’s medallion, which was bestowed to Dr. Chapdelaine during the ceremony. Joy sits on the Alumni Executive Board. Joy and Liz also visited the Fulton Theater in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to see a wonderful performance of The Wizard of Oz….. they hope to see another performance during the upcoming season. Granddaughter of Elizabeth LePatourel Powell ’50 (classmate and dear friend of Mary Hendershot Bastian ’50, Liz’s mom) runs the costume shop and also works as a “dresser’ for some productions at the theater. Angela Billotti Phillip reports news of her children. Older daughter, Chelsea, married in June in Key Largo, Florida and currently lives in Carmel, Indiana. she works for Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis and Butler University. Younger daughter, Kali, works for Lockheed-Martin at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. She and her husband live in the Baltimore-White Marsh area. Angela and husband Tim still live in Frederick. She serves as the Director of Advancement for St. John’s Catholic Prep. One of her roles is to re-engage the alumni. Are any Hood alums also St. John’s alums? Please get in touch with Angela! Susan W. Goldberg and husband Marc just returned from a wonderful vacation in France and celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, September 24, in Paris! Susan is a licensed designer and works as a manufacturer’s rep for educational, corporate and hospitality furniture. She and Marc work together in the industry. Outside of the office, Susan tends to her 93 year old mother’s needs with Alzheimers. Despite the ugly battle, her Mom has happy days and a peaceful smile. Susan feels blessed to still have her in their lives. Oil painting is a passion of Susan’s. Her recent stay at Chateau Chèvre D’Or in Eze on the Mediterranean was inspiring. It is a paradise for painters! Lastly, quality time is spent having fun with their six grandchildren ranging in age from 3 to 10. Liz Bastian Chapin It’s always a pleasure to hear from you and I encourage others to share your news in future publications. Feel free to write me anytime! I continue to work full time at AAA in Reading, Pennsylvania as a travel consultant. My husband and I managed to enjoy some relaxation in the Caribbean and Mexico a few times this year and we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary traveling around Ireland in May. Gretchen Steinmetz Keith and I still see each other with our “birthday club” group. She has had a busy year with both sons married in 2015 as well as plans for one daughter’s wedding in 2016!

Trina Clickner
727-366-1424
trina@palmtoppublishing.com

REMINDER: Our class has a Facebook page – stop in some time!

Becky Warner Gardiner is happy about living in beautiful Cary, North Carolina for 21 years and being happily married to John for 34, the birth of her first grandchild in April, a wonderful little girl, and that the family is doing well with everyone in good health, employed and enjoying loving relationships. Becky will strive to maintain her health so she can enjoy watching the children and grandchild continue to prosper. Her wish is that she and John will continue to travel and take a river boat cruise next. Becky plans to back off of tennis a bit and learn to play golf so she can see more of John on weekends!

Bess Muir is still in love with traveling! In May, she went with her dad on a Rhine and Mosel river trip, visiting four countries along the way and meeting many wonderful folks! God gave Bess a new granddaughter this past year! Now Kole and his wife have two little ones AND Erin has a little one, too! Bess now knows that, yes, grandkids really ARE more fun! 🙂 Bess sends her best to all!

Jackie Totten took a pistol shooting class with Susan Gearey and nine other friends (most all from Napa Valley) at Gunsite Academy in Paulson, Arizona. This 3-day class was taught by ex-military and law enforcement individuals and was focused on handgun safety and marksmanship. Most participants had never held a gun before much less shot one. They discovered they can shoot straight (what a relief) and were amused by wearing holsters, magazine holders, and hats to keep the sun out of their eyes in order to see the targets. Both Susan and Jackie have wanted to learn how to shoot for some time and having the opportunity to attend the premier school in the U.S to learn the craft was a treat. It is one more experience shared since meeting at Hood on the first day of class, Psych 101, 40 years ago.

Margaret (Peggy) Van Schaick is happy to be in her 50’s (seriously, it’s been great!), that Hood friends are lifelong friends, and that it’s Fall. Peggy loves singing in a community choir and is striving for a healthier lifestyle and hopes to be spending less time at work!

Sandy Cochran Murphy is building a new home and has sold current one. She and husband Mike will rent for 18 months to two years as building ANYTHING is never easy or quick in California! Her new mailing address will be: 15918 Wilkes Lane, San Diego, CA 92127 and her e-mail address is Scmsandiego19@gmail.com. Sandy had fun at Marianne Hastoglis Gravely’s son’s wedding and just loves that family! Marianne and Sandy are close – they lived together in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia for the first couple years after Hood graduation. Two of her three daughters are in San Diego: Mary Elizabeth is teaching 3rd grade at a Catholic elementary school, Kelly, the youngest, is a junior at Pt. Loma Nazareth University in San Diego, and Sandy’s middle daughter, Leah, is working for Life Teen International, a Catholic youth ministry, in Phoenix, Arizona. Leah works in the media department and Sandy is just happy everyone is living in the same time zone! Sandy reminds us that “Life is good. God is awesome.”

Trina Clickner is semi-retired (there – she said it) and is spending her time in Dunedin Florida (paradise), Rochester, New York (old homestead), and Anacortes, Washington (Aunt at Lighthouse Memory Care) with her two basset hounds, fiddle, and MacBook Pro. She is helping families navigate the “old folks at home” challenge and thinks she may have one more entrepreneurial endeavor left in her, possibly related to helping families with aging parents. Trina rents her Florida bungalow so if you’re looking for a getaway in paradise, check it out on AIRBNB or contact her at trinaclickner@gmail.com. Trina is looking for connections in the Seattle/Anacortes WA area for her upcoming visit. This past spring, Trina spent time with her Hood big sister, Megen Mack Opsahl ‘77, who lives in Kirkland, Washington with her husband Mike.