1. Class of 2012 Update

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    The class of 2012 alumni representatives on behalf of the class want to send sincere and gracious thanks to those serving on the frontlines during this time, providing us with essential services and keeping us safe! Here is what some members have been up to recently. Kati Brady and her husband Shane (c/o 2011) welcomed their first child, Jaxon, to the world on February 11th! Britt Diehl is still loving Denver, and was recently promoted to a new role leading strategic initiatives and public policy work at the Downtown Denver Partnership. She also co-founded a non-profit effort called Feed the Frontlines Denver which is supporting local business while nourishing our heroes on the frontlines of the pandemic – it has been a constant source of inspiration during this time. Natalie Dorsch (Brandon) got married in 2019 and graduated with her Master’s of Science in Educational Leadership from Hood in May of last year. Courtney Fraser is working on a project for families that deal with epilepsy and is the proud aunt of 2 nephews and 1 niece. Taylor Hartman is a full time litigation paralegal, and an evening law student at Delaware Law School finishing her third year. In her spare time, she is part owner of a small women-owned New Jersey Medical Cannabis Cultivation company. Molly Hjelle and her husband got married in September 2019! She continues to work as an activities assistant in assisted living and has been enjoying lounging in the backyard, gardening, hiking, rock climbing, running and playing with the kitty cat Juniper. Jillian Jones is living and working in Sierra Leone, West Africa in program development. Nathalie Lewis continues to be a Staff Accountant at Maryland Oral Surgery Associates Management office in Rockville, MD. As of November 2019, she moved to Frederick, MD where she will most likely stay for the foreseeable future. She is very much looking forward to the summer weather and hopes everyone else is well! Conor Prachar is doing the same thing he does every year, tries to take over the (soccer) world! He just does it from the comfort of his kitchen table, rather than his office. Thanks a lot COVID-19!

    Doug Raftery is still living the West Coast life. April 2020 was his one year mark of stepping into the General Manager role for Reno 1868 FC and he is looking forward to the next reunion. Ken Rupert won the 2nd Annual Hood Pitch Competition in April 2019, and then published his 13th book titled Financial Black Belt Academy’s Financial Self Defense Training Guide. He also contributed to his wife’s first published puzzle book Around The Year With Word Ladders. Helene Rush graduated from Hood (again!) with her Master’s in Education; Class of 2020! Bonnie Seabolt is in her seventh year of teaching third grade and loving every minute of it! She will be teaching fourth grade next year, so she will be able to be have most of her students again, which is helpful due to lack of closure at the end of this school year! Maria Smith, after six years at Garrison Forest School, will be leaving the Baltimore area in August. She and her husband will be moving to Istanbul, Turkey, where Maria has accepted a position as a French teacher at Robert College. Scott and Emily Thompson (Wilson) are living and working in Philadelphia. Emily is a practicing Physical Therapist, and Scott is writing a dissertation on nineteenth-century British literature and psychology. They are spending as much time as possible during the quarantine with their Irish-doodle, Eliot. Laura Voelker and her husband are staying sane by going on lots of walks with their pup, Hobie, and doing projects around their house in Silver Spring, MD. Julia Walker and her husband, Brian, have been married for 5 years now! They live in Carroll County with their 4 year old daughter named Grace, 1 1/2 year old son named Thomas and two dogs, Zoey and Addie! She has been working on various projects in the federal sector for about 8 years now and it’s been very rewarding. She loves her Hood family and they enjoy visiting the campus and downtown Frederick whenever we can! Sending you all lots of love and success!

  2. Class of 2012 Update

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    As always, the class of 2012 has lots of exciting news and updates! Katelyn Brady (Vu) married Shane Brady (c/o ’11) and lives in Virginia Beach, VA where she works as an attorney with Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP. Carley Altenburger completed her MA in the History of Decorative Arts at George Mason University and recently accepted the position of Assistant Librarian for the Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera at Winterthur Museum. Cara Clements celebrated her daughter’s first birthday and is looking forward to a new position in the Montgomery County Public Schools system. Edwin Franco is the owner of a small real estate business in partnership with Keller Williams Capital Properties in Springfield, VA. Courtney Fraser has two nephews and a niece and is a consultant for both ‘Usborne Books and More’ and ’31 Gifts’. Samantha Gertner celebrated her engagement to Francis Nebenburgh III last summer. They are getting married next spring in St. Martin where they shared their first date. Samantha’s private grief consulting business continues to grow. Lauren Hagan was promoted to senior digital marketing strategist at Immersion Active, a digital-first marketing agency in Downtown Frederick. Kelly Harris is working as a special education teacher at Bancroft. She has been married for almost 10 years and has 2 beautiful daughters, Sofia (5) and Charlotte (2). Rachael Harris had a baby, got married and is teaching special education. Jessica Henry is working at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and loving life in Boston, MA. Jose Sanchez Hernandez is defending his thesis for the completion of the Biomedical Science Master’s degree at Hood College this July. He recently won “The People’s Choice Award” in the 2019 3MT competition and is loving his job at the Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research. Troy and Lauren Hubbard live in North Carolina where he is finishing post-doctoral studies at the National Toxicology Program branch of NIEHS and Lauren teaches 8th grade history in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. They are expecting their first child in October. Mike Lancaster is living in Southern Maryland designing maps for the Marine Corps. Eric Leviton is continuing his service in the Air Force and was recently promoted to Staff Sergeant. He completed a year tour in Turkey and now lives in Germany. Natalie Lewis resigned as Accounting Associate at Nymeo Federal Credit Union in Frederick, MD and as June 3rd became Staff Accountant for Maryland Oral Surgery Associates Management office in Rockville, MD. Scott Mauer worked as a historical researcher for a New York Times best-selling author and is now a technical writer for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Elizabeth [Ulmer] Page celebrated the birth of their first daughter in May and is teaching at an independent all-girls school in Columbus, Ohio. Conor Pracher shifted his computer monitor about 6 inches to the right and is still working at Hood as the women’s soccer coach. Molly Polling and her fiancé got a kitten to keep their cat, Escher, company. They have been working in their garden and are looking forward to their wedding in September. Doug Raftery stepped into the role as General Manager, Business Operations of Reno 1868 FC, a professional soccer team in Nevada in April. Michelle [Kuehl] Randolph married her husband Dane in Asheville, NC in May. They also are expecting their rainbow baby this year. Ashley Nokes Reidenauer was married in October and is working for an outpatient mental health clinic in Greenbelt. Kaitlin Hughes Retallick received a promotion to Primary Patent Examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office last September. Drew Roderuck bought his first house and is currently working at the National Aquarium in Baltimore as a Herpetologist. Kenneth Rupert was the winner of the 2019 Pitch Competition, published the Financial Self-Defense Training Guide and is now offering Financial Wellness Training as a part of the Financial Black Belt Academy. Bonnie Seabolt just finished her 6th year as a 3rd grade teacher and is continuing her education at Hood College. David Stanker is enjoying life to the fullest! Laura [Saad] Voelker has moved to Silver Spring, MD with her husband, Bruce, and is a 1st through 3rd grade science teacher at an independent school. Taurean Washington will be having a solo art exhibition at the Hood College art gallery in Tatem Hall on November 21st. He and his wife are expecting a baby boy in August.

  3. Class of 2012

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    Here’s a look at the class of 2012! Drew Althouse is finishing up first full year at Madonna University working as an athletic trainer in the NAIA.  He is getting married on July 6th, 2018 to his fiancé Kristen Baker! Briana Becker works as an LCSW in a collaborative health setting, providing mental health services to underserved populations. Jes Garshell was married to Ryan Van Newkirk and started a new job at the Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Specialty Hospital. Adrienne Gladden started a new position at Laureate Education Inc. as a Student Support Coordinator for Walden University students, and started her own business called “Crowned By A.Reneé” specializing in wig making and other hair services. Lauren Hagan started a new job as a digital marketing strategist at Immersion Active in Frederick, MD. James Hammond attended the University of Baltimore School of Law after graduation and is working as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Baltimore City. Jess Henry graduated with her PhD in Chemistry from the University of New Hampshire and lives in Boston, MA. She works for PPD doing analytical development at a pharmaceutical company. Jillian Jones works as a Secondary Education English Peace Corps Volunteer in north-west Sierra Leone, West Africa. She lives and works in a tiny village of less than 500, with no running water or electricity. Michelle Kuehl and her fiancé, Dane Randolph were recently engaged. They are planning their move from Georgia to Maryland with their two cats and Italian mastiff.  Bern Lee accepted a pre-doctoral internship position at Henry Ford Heath Services Center in Detroit and published a first-authored peer-reviewed paper on PET imaging in professional athletes at risk for CTE. He gave his first formal research talk at the American Academy of Neurology Conference in L.A. Eric Leviton has been serving in the US Air Force and lives in North Dakota. He is scheduled to serve overseas in Europe for the next 4 years. Nathalie Lewis graduated with an MBA in Accounting from Hood College and enjoyed seeing some fellow 2012 alumni at the 5-year reunion! She currently works for Nymeo Frederick Credit Union in Frederick, MD. Lauren McGrane and her husband welcomed their son, Victor, into the world! Marisa Mitchell-Flack will attend the PhD in Immunology program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine this fall. Kelli Nord recently graduated (May 2018) with her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in designing digital literacy from George Mason University. Cori O’Donnell is a mom to a beautiful boy and is active in the fight against the opiate epidemic, helping to organize awareness events in the Carroll County, MD area.  Molly Poling graduated with a Masters in Heath Science with a concentration in Gerontological Studies from Boise State University. She has been working in Boise as a recreation assistant at an assisted living facility. Zach Roberson moved to the greater Boston area and started a new job at Walnut Hill School for the Arts as the Director of Community Programs. Drew Roderuck is a herpetologist for the National Aquarium in Baltimore. He works in the Australian Department with reptiles. Kenneth Rupert recently published three books; Simple Wealth Building Strategies, The Plan, and God-I Was Wondering. He also attained the rank of Senior Brown Belt in Hap Ki Do from the Global Martial Arts in Hampstead, MD. Kasey Smith is teaching in Frederick County at Woodsboro/New Midway Elementary as a Special Education Teacher, has bought a house, and is working on her Masters of Educational Leadership at Hood College. Maria Smith recently completed her MA in Intercultural Communication with a concentration in French Language and Francophone Studies from UMBC. She also moved into a new role as the lead dormitory parent for her building at the boarding school where she teaches middle and upper school French. Kristina Southwell is an attorney living in Tacoma, Washington and has fully embraced the Pacific Northwest lifestyle by hiking regularly and drinking lots of coffee. Last year she started a new job as a civil litigation associate with Gordon Thomas Honeywell. Stephanie Toone was married to her now husband, Lucca Santineli. Laura Voelker and her husband, Bruce, are moving to the D.C. area this summer. Katelyn Vu graduated summa cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2015, and was sworn into the Maryland Bar. She is now a litigation attorney working for Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP, in Baltimore, Maryland.Taurean Washington earned a solo exhibition at the art gallery of Frederick Community College on June 8th 2019. Also he now works for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and was just promoted to a Project Specialist within a year of being employed. Haley Webb celebrated the marriage of her college roommate, Megan Coulbourne on May 19th.

  4. Class of ’12: 5th Anniversary

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    This year is a meaningful one for the class of 2012 as it marks our 5th year graduation anniversary! Drew Althouse is currently working as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at the NAIA School Madonna University in Livonia, MI covering women’s volleyball, basketball, and softball. Jacob Ausherman was accepted into the UW MSW Advanced standing program focusing on Child, Youth, and Family development at Rainier Beach High School. Julie Barrick was promoted to Special Education Department Chair at Annapolis High School. Briana Becker has been working as a Mental Health Clinician at a prison that serves inmates at the county, state, and federal level. Briana is currently working towards the final steps of pursuing her clinical social work license. Miriam Bennett has a MSW from UMB SSW. She is married and has a job with the Howard County Government working with the Maryland Access Point. Christopher Brown Married Sarah Reihl on October 20, 2016 in Chestertown, Maryland. He Started working as the Database Specialist / PowerSchool Administrator for Queen Anne’s County Public Schools in July of 2016. Cara Clements received her Masters Degree from Augustana College in South Dakota in Special Education in 2014. She is working for Montgomery County Public Schools as a first grade special education teacher. Megan Coulbourne was promoted to Middle School Science Instructional Coach at Maureen Joy Charter School in Durham, NC. She will get married to her fiancé, Damon, in May 2018! Brittany Diehl recently started working for the Downtown Denver Partnership in Denver, Colorado. Kalina Gipe is working full time at Hagerstown Community College in the Continuing Education and Workforce Development center as an office associate. She also started her own pony riding business two years ago. Claire Gogan received her masters in History with a Public History certificate from Virginia Tech in May 2016. She is moving to Toronto where she will work as the college prep teacher while completing her M.Ed in Adult Education and Community Development at the University of Toronto. Lauren Hagan graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University with her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Kelly Harris is working as a teacher in New Jersey at Bancroft school for children with autism, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. She and her husband are a very happy family of four with her two girls. Jessica Henry is wrapping up her research at the University of New Hampshire and is a few months away from her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry! Keenan Holmes is currently the Programs Assistant Archaeologist for Maryland National Capital Parks & Planning Commission. He is a documentary producer and director for his thesis on DMV area Native American rights called “Indigenous Eyes on DC”. He graduated in 2015 with his Masters in Public Anthropology at American University focusing on social justice, advocacy, and film. He is also currently the Department Head for Anthropology and Life Sciences for the nonprofit after school program called “So What Else”. Kaitlin Hughes had her baby boy, Mason William, on May 2nd at 8lb 12oz and says that he is doing great! Jessica (Becker) Kerr has a new job as a research associate for Leidos Biomedical/Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. Hilary Lawch completed her Masters in teaching English as a second language and has just completed her first year as an ELL teacher in Frederick County. She also wants to share that she has learned how to fold a fitted sheet by herself (not an easy task)! Casey Miller got married and moved to Indianapolis where she will be teaching freshman algebra and coaching girl’s soccer at Avon next school year. Aida Odobasic will be graduating with the PhD in Economics from the University of Delaware this May. Ricky Orndorff married Danielle Stauffer (’12) and has been working as a software engineer since graduation. They live in Frederick with their 4-year-old German shepherd named Gunner. Elizabeth (Ulmer) Page got married in July 2016. This summer they are relocating to Columbus, Ohio where she will teach eighth grade English. Molly Polling lives in Boise, Idaho and graduated with a Masters degree in Health Sciences with a concentration in gerontology and nonprofit management in 2013. Doug Raftery moved to Reno, NV to work for the Reno Aces Triple-A baseball team and Reno 1868 FC (soccer) as the Sr. Director of Corporate Partnerships. Helene Rush got married on July 15th and is expecting their daughter in June! Laura Saad recently moved from Germany to Long Beach, California where she works as a STEAM teacher for preschool to 5th grade students. She and her fiancé will be getting married in October. Kasey Smith is teaching at Manocacy Elementary School. She recently moved to PA and is excited for new adventures there with her dog, Coco! Maria Smith is still teaching French at Garrison Forest School. Kristina Southwell lives in Tacoma, Washington where she practices law and spends her free time enjoying the outdoors with her dog Griffey. Emily (Wilson) Thompson married another 2012 alum, Scott Thompson in October 2015. They now live in Philadelphia with their dog Iris. Scott received his masters in English in 2015 and is currently attending Temple’s graduate program in Philly. Emily graduated from the Arcadia University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in 2017 and currently works as a Neurologic/Orthopedic Physical Therapist at an outpatient clinic in Center City, Philadelphia. Haley Webb married Jared Webb ’13 in July 2016 and Meghan Coulbourne ’12, Audrey Vargason ’12, Tyler Shank ’12, Richard Laurine ’12, and Michael Lancaster ’12 were members of the wedding party. Haley completed her masters in Elementary literacy with a specialization in English Language Literacy. She and her husband purchased their first home in Gaithersburg, MD in November 2016 and she has started volunteering her time with Lucky Dog Rescue in Washington, DC. Haley and Jared have two adopted dogs, Abigail and Charlie.

  5. 2012: Winter 2014

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    The members of the class of 2012 continue to stay busy and productive as life after Hood College Undergraduate School continues on. Here are some updates on some of the fantastic members of this class. Jessica Henry is on her second year of the Chemistry PhD program at the University of New Hampshire. Sasha Scaun is working at Victor Cullen as a Program Therapist. Graduating this past August from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, with her Master of Social Work (MSW), she is now a Licensed MSW. Leigh Hopkins got engaged and is planning her wedding for August 2014. She currently works as a Loan Servicing Specialist with the Written Customer Contact team for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. She is also working to get her art and photography business off the ground, Owl Eye Studios (www.owleyestudios.com). Lauren Miller, recently engaged to Calen McGrane started a new job as the Program Coordinator with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Mollie Widdowson passed her LGSW licensing test in May and graduated from the University of Maryland, School of Social Work in July. She is now working for the Washington County Department of Social Services. Monica Chickering is finishing up an international field placement experience in India before completing her MSW program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore in May 2014. Kristen Strater is currently attending American University for her Masters in Environmental Public Policy. Doug Raftery has recently accepted a new position with the Frederick Keys and will be the Sponsorship Account Manager and No. 2 radio broadcaster. Briana Becker graduated from the University of Pittsburg with her Masters of Social Work and is now a Licensed Social Worker in the state of PA. Marisa Mitchell-Flack has moved to New York City and acquired a job as Research Technician at Weill Cornell Medical College. Michelle Kuehl just celebrated six months in my new home she purchased in Catonsville, MD and is keeping busy with her job and traveling. Maria Smith is currently taking a year off from law school at the University of DC and is teaching high school English in Avignon, France. Laura Saad is also teaching abroad, currently on her second year in Bucheon, South Korea teaching English to kindergarten and elementary aged students. She keeps a blog about her experiences to update family and friends (http://goings-on-in-bucheon.blogspot.com). Cadance Roddy got engaged to Giff Howland in February 2013. She resides in Gaithersburg, MD along with her son, Sebastian Layser age 12, and is planning a wedding for the spring of 2014. Casey Smith is teaching freshmen Algebra at El Dorado High School outside of Wichita, Kansas. Chris Galo currently lives in Cumberland, MD with Kelsey Parker and their 3-year-old daughter, Juliana, and is working for the Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation for the state of MD. Jaimie Shopland became the President of Young Democrats of Frederick County, a political club that engages young people under the age of 36 in politics. She also took on a new job as the Special Assistant to Jen Terrasa, Chair of the Howard County Council, which is an appointed position. Furthermore, she became a board member of Emerge Maryland, an organization that trains Democratic women to run for office. Victoria Gudeman plans to graduate from the Univ. of Maryland Baltimore School of Social Work in May 2014. She is completing an internship at the National Institute of Health and is working in the behavioral health unit at Frederick Memorial Hospital. Sadly her husband lost his battle with cancer on November 12, 2012. She is thankful for friends at Hood who have helped through this difficult last year. Aleece Groom plans to graduate from the Univ. of Maryland Baltimore School of Social Work in 2016. She is working for Genesis Health Care and will be getting married on May 17, 2014. Always a busy and productive class, the members of 2012 continue to work hard and make Hood College proud.

     

     

     

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