Laila Grabowsky Bottomly and Kirk have had a great first year of retirement. They traveled to DC, Mexico , Paris and New England and spent a month as campground hosts at Yosemite, among other camping trips. Their two kids (Jenny, Emergency Medicine doctor and Matt, Intellectual Property attorney) are both happily married and have given them 7 grandkids between them. Yet another due in 2019! They keep busy with church, exercise (her 10th year doing Master Swim), local food bank, Master Gardener and home/garden activities. Sacramento area has great weather and they live in a beautiful wooded suburb with rolling hills and dozens of fruit trees. Laila and Kirk are loving each day!

Life is still wonderful south of the border for Rhea Bel-Jon Calkins and Steven. Steven just returned from a daunting swim trek in the sea of Cortez and they are both looking forward to their whale watching adventure in the Baja in February. They are finally at the end of their years of construction and renovations and the silence is heaven. Just when she thought they would kick back for a while, Rhea offered to help a local NGO and there went the kick back. She is now treasurer of Mujeres en Cambio (Women in Change) which evolved into far more time and work than anticipated, but this kind of “work” is a true pleasure. We provide scholarships to 175 under-served girls and young women in the surrounding rural communities.

Jackie Testa Ciminera and Bill now have three beautiful grandchildren.  Their newest, Nathaniel, was born to their daughter Bonnie and her husband at the end of May. Their other two, Ella and Liam, are almost four and almost two, respectively. Bonnie and her family live in New York City and Bill Jr. and his family near them in suburban Philadelphia.

Happily, Jackie reconnected with one of our classmates, Libby Miller, who’s doing well and living not too far from them in Pennsylvania.

KC Henry is downsizing her business and moving toward retirement.  Woooohooo!  She moved her office Into her house and started a pottery studio!  She has been honing her new skills at the very progressive, fantastic and new ceramic department at Hood! She loves taking workshops on our beautiful campus and the enthusiasm and professionalism Joyce Michaud, associate professor and director of the ceramics program. Our old science labs are now ceramic labs – much more fun than those chemistry classes were.

Diana Beck Walters became active in rescuing and training herding dogs after the sudden death of her husband. She found her new passion in flyball, which is a team sport for dogs. She manages and trains a local team (24 dogs, 18 people) in Fayetteville, NC and race just about anywhere she can drive to. Flyball is a wonderful sport for “older” people; her dogs run approximately 25 mph but the handlers do not. If you’re looking for something fun to do with your dog, look up your local Flyball club!

Al Weinberg joined Hood’s Board of Trustees in October and is looking forward to helping President Chapdelaine move the College securely into the future while navigating the difficult issues facing liberal arts colleges. Based on his first series of meetings, he is extremely optimistic about Hood’s outlook. Meanwhile, he is enjoying retirement in their new home at Wormans Mill in Frederick. His daughter gave birth to his first grandson, Turner, a year ago, while his two granddaughters, living in Pittsburgh, keep getting taller and more talkative. Al’s partner Connie Schlee and a friend have mostly completed work to save the Helen Smith studio. He is gearing up for a new project interviewing Vietnam veterans.

Thank you to everyone who shared their news. I continue to work full-time designing the retirement plans for small businesses. My mom, living in South Carolina had massive stroke Mother’s Day weekend and we were so fortunate my brother was visiting at the time. She’s improved a lot but still needs skilled nursing care located in Tryon NC.  On the happy side, my son Matt and his long-time girlfriend Samantha got married in October. Matt, Sam and a group of us went to Cabo and had a great time celebrating, relaxing by the pool, eating great food and drinking margaritas. We survived the October wild fires in Northern California which came within two miles of our house. It’s so nice to live in the mountains, but the California droughts make every summer and fall stressful.  Wishing you, your families and friends the best for 2019. Debbie Page Rath

1971
Mary McMunigal Burland
610.733.4009
maryburl5@gmail.com
Mindy Laighton Wilcox
619.823.6230
mlwilcox3@gmail.com
Janice Letts Utsch is completing her 44th year as a Library Media Specialist at Lower Cape May Regional School District and states that retirement is not in her near future. Janice and her husband Ernie live in Cape May where Ernie runs the family marina on Cape May Harbor. Since Janice works during the school year and Ernie works all summer, her vacations consist of sitting in her back yard on the Cape May Canal with a good book! She visits her daughter Rachel, Hood ’11, in Baltimore and reports that Rachel still travels to Frederick every week to sing with the Frederick Community Choir and to sing the Messiah every year. Cindy Chabot Tencza retired in December of 2014 after almost 28 years as a children’s librarian. After 20 months of retirement, she and her husband Bob started a new “full time job” – day care for their 6 month old grandson, Sawyer. He is now 2 years old, and they have him 3 days a week this year. Their son Nate, 41, died tragically on April 25, and their daughter, Gretchen, 37, gave birth to their second grandson, Callan, on April 26, joining his big brother Sawyer. Cindy says that Gretchen and her family will help keep them going, giving them joy, as they grieve and remember their son. Diane Wooding Burgess and her husband Ed were Nate’s godparent. Our sincere condolences to Cindy and her family. Jane Darling Spratt, formerly known as Jed, went to Canada to finish her degree after she left Hood. Since she is Canadian, she said it made sense. She settled in Toronto after university where she met her husband. She dabbled in a couple of different fields and eventually went back to school earning a diploma as a library technician. She finished off her working career in the library of a very large Canadian law firm. She has four children, and three grandchildren (with another one coming soon!). She and her husband, Rob, spend winters in Florida, summers at their family cottage, and the in-between times in Toronto. They try to squeeze in a trip during the spring or fall. This fall they will be doing a river cruise from Budapest to Prague. Mary McMunigal Burland and Bill recently welcomed the arrival of two grandchildren. Brendan and Kristina’s daughter Shelby was born in November, 2017 while Patrick and Kate’s son was born in May 2018. That brings their total, so far, to 3 granddaughters and 1 grandson. They both are still busy substitute teaching and are looking forward to summer when they can spend more time on Kiawah Island. This is the 47th year of teaching for Mary, which she finds hard to believe. Mary and I are always very glad to hear from you. Please send us your news any time and we will include it in the next issue of the magazine. We would love to publish news from all our classmates.

1961
Katharine Baum Wolpe
917.771.9846
kwolpe@gmail.com

Marty Kaiser Canner
410.314.9440
plcanner39@gmail.com

Constance Ann Coleman Alexander traveled to China this spring. In July she will be going on a Disney cruise with her whole family. Joyce Freedman Diamondstone is retired, but active. She works out at Curves, gardens, reads, and loves the Pittsburgh Symphony. Her four grandsons have interesting jobs, so she loves connecting with them. She keeps in touch with Margo Friedman ‘62. Sally Bennett Edwards works and plays tennis and bridge. She took three of her five children on a river cruise from Belgium to Holland in April. She plans to spend July and August on Cape Cod. Sue Folsom is still working three 12 hour days per week. She is also church treasurer, which is a volunteer job, but feels like full time. Sue keeps in touch with her little sister, Dianne Hadermann and her big sister, Tarun Comegys Jones ’59. Judith Stohr Gavaler passed away on January 5, 2018. We send our condolences to Judith’s family. Shirley Garrett Haley’s husband, Ed, passed away on April 6, 2018. We send our condolences to Shirley and her family. Vivian Bruckel Harvey continues to spend three months each winter in Guatemala. She and a friend are offering a group trip to Guatemala January 25-February 3, 2019. The trip will focus on the arts and crafts of Guatemala and the women who produce them. For more information contact Vivian or check her web page at http://www.vivianharvey.com/ guatemalatour2019.html. Hilda Koontz has returned to the counseling profession. She hopes to provide an array of counseling services ranging from career issues to education about PTSD. She continues to lecture on 19th century American history. She sees Joan Jacobsen Halbert and Janice McDavid Kuntz ‘62 regularly. Brenda Shaeffer Hillard and husband, Ray, visited Janice Dobbs Pedersen and husband, Thomas, in May for a quick trip to the Jersey shore. Janice’s watercolors are a constant joy to her with three shows scheduled for the summer of 2018. Muff Wright Peterson and husband, Mal, live in Grasonville, MD. She enjoys gardening, books, movies, lunch with friends, and walking Lady, their golden retriever. Dorothy Hillis Rainwater and husband, Roger, are well and planning a trip to Iceland in the summer of 2018. Sandra Murphy Schmidt and husband, Bob, are happy at Charlestown Retirement Community. Bob runs a genealogy library and Sandy volunteers at the Walters Art Museum store. They are planning a Mediterranean cruise from Monte Carlo to Venice in late September. Lyn Adams Sprinkle still enjoys Sunrise of Bel Air, a senior community in Richmond, VA. The staff and residents are nice and her children are not far away. Two of Marty Miller Strickland’s grandsons are graduating from high school this spring. One plans to attend Penn State and the other Virginia Tech. Marty continues to teach quilting classes as part of the Continuing Education Program of Allegany College of Maryland. Bev Yarroll Sweetman is now living in Cape May Point, NJ, near the beach. She and husband, Den, have made several trips to visit family members this year. She enjoys tai chi exercise and is now setting up a train village at home. Jean Shuey Wadsworth shared the sad news that her husband, Don, who attended our class reunions in 2011 and 2016, passed away on January 1, 2018. He suffered from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Their 55th wedding anniversary would have been on June 29, 2018. We send our condolences to Jean and her family. Katharine Baum Wolpe enjoys attending plays, dance performances, and concerts with her friend, Phil. She is active with the local Democratic club, her church, a senior group, and a monthly reading group. In early May, she had a visit with Anita Catron Miner, in NYC for a conference. Nephew Ryan Baum and wife, Cathy, and their two children came to NYC the next week for the graduation of Cathy’s sister from NYU. Beth Lee Zehnder says her family has stopped growing. The youngest grandchild is seven years old and the oldest is a senior in college. Beth says, “We are doing well, thanks to the Lord.” Carol Handwerk Ziegler and Barbara Sands ‘65 are on the council of Friends Lutheran Church in Bernville, PA. Carol is also the financial secretary of the church and plays the organ when needed. She keeps in touch with the Kindred Spirits of ’61. Paul and Marty Canner completed a two week road trip to the Midwest in May to visit friends and family in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.

2016
Justin M. Fox
jmf12@hood.edu

Mareca Williams is currently working as a financial manager at the U.S. Department of Defense and pursuing a masters at Drexel University. Rachel Vaeth started new job as an account manager at Waste Management. Arianna Delerme is pursuing a doctorate in Psychology. Tatyanna Hunter is living in Los Angeles, CA and recently got promoted to assistant manager of the Kids Department at Nordstrom. Lauren Miller is working for Venable LLC this summer and is entering her final year of law school in the fall. She will also be getting married on July 28th. Emily Plum will be attending Prescott College to pursue her M.Ed. in Secondary Education this fall. Mary Horabik is currently working at Historic Saint Mary’s City and College Park Aviation Museum. She is applying for graduate school in the public history field. Elizabeth Palena works as a librarian in her home town and lives with her boyfriend, two friends and pet snake. She’s also finishing a Master’s in Information Sciences at Rutgers University. Tamara Schlossenberg finished her first year of graduate school at the University of Maryland where she is pursuing a dual master’s in Applied Anthropology and Historic Preservation. This summer, she is going to Ireland. Sienna Bronson is pursuing a Master’s in Liberal Studies at Arizona State University-Tempe Campus, as well as working part-time tutoring in mathematics and volunteering to teach math in a women’s prison once a week. Lexi Cook is currently working as an archival assistant at Heritage Frederick, the historical society of Frederick County. She just completed her first semester of graduate school in the University of Maryland where she is pursuing a Master’s of Library and Information Science with a specialization in Archives and Digital Curation. This summer she is taking an online certificate program in genealogical research through Boston University. Rebecca DeLauter just started her first full-time position as an IT consultant for General Dynamics, a contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense in Frederick, MD. She and her boyfriend just bought their first house in Charles Town, WV. Kirsten Roy just finished her second year of the Hood MBA program. Erin Murray will be pursuing a Master’s of Special Education at Hunter College in the fall. Ivana Soce Shuck just finished her first year of the Hood MBA program. She recently married Peter Shuck and the two bought a house in Frederick, MD. Ingrid Gooch took a yearlong fellowship position with the National Cancer Institute with the National Institute of Health and is now returning to Hood to pursue a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Noel Jones just finished his Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of Baltimore and started as a personnel research psychologist at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Natalie Jones is finishing her AmeriCorps VISTA term with CASA in Colorado and is moving to Vermont to start graduate level classes with the Yestermorrow Sustainable Design and Build School. Nicole Wilson Samen and her husband bought their first home. Laura Shriver got engaged to her boyfriend of 5 years, Paul Talis ’17. The two bought a house. Destani Jameson graduated with her Master’s in Public Administration from American University. She is now working as a procurement and purchasing manager at Hilltop Consultants. Hannah Thompson Gray married Matthew Gray in May, and the two traveled to Iceland for their honeymoon. In June, Hannah started a new job as Proposal Editor for Conduent in Germantown, MD. Sara Eckard has just completed two service terms as a team leader with AmeriCorps NCCC. She is now a certified Wildland Firefighter working in Prescott National Forest in Arizona. Laura Lokey is the senior marketing & events coordinator for a technology company called UZIO, Inc. in Reston, VA.

2015
Sarah Tapscott
301.807.7821
sarah.tapscott12@gmail.com

Like many of my classmates, 2018 has been an eventful year for me. In February, Owen Rosier ’16 and I got engaged and cannot wait to get married in Frederick next year. Until then we’re renovating the house whenever we can! Life has been pretty sweet! Kacy Strasser just finished her third-year teaching art at Frederick Classical Charter School. She stays busy by running an after-school drama club and working on her Master’s at Hood in C&I. Aaron Bowen-Ziecheck has been excelling in his PhD program at McGill University. He is specializing in healthcare information systems research. Leslie Rodriguez just graduated from law school in Boston. She sat for the DC Bar in July. Megan Rodriguez Mercer and her husband just bought their first house together in Ellicott City, MD. Connor Jennings completed his Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Classics at the University of California, Davis in June. He plans to participate in Columbia University’s Onchestos Excavation Project outside of Thebes, Greece this summer before beginning his M.A. in Classics at the University of Kansas in August. Khyle Ball has had a busy year—he graduated nursing school, bought a new car, and moved back to the DMV area. Currently he is working as a nurse at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and lives in Woodbridge, Virginia. Travis Gilbert recently became the Programs & Operations Coordinator at Old Baldy Lighthouse, North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse. In March 2018, he was elected to the North Carolina Museums Council Board of Directors. Sarah Wagstaff is working in admin for United Electric Supply and will begin online classes in the fall to pursue a Masters in Library and Information Sciences from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro! Julianne Berg has moved back to the area after 2 years serving with AmeriCorps VISTA in Charleston, SC. She is now employed with the Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital as a Membership Specialist. She loves her new position and looks forward to work every day! Alessandra Emini is interning at Cozen O’Connor in Philadelphia in the Intellectual Property Department. Maya Jackson completed her first semester of grad school at UMD School of Social Work in May and she loves it. Maya hopes to be moved into her own place by the end of the year. Evan Reed has also had a great, eventful year! He is now the proud owner of a puppy named Olulu and is starting his own graphic design company, Saucedawg LeadR Designs. Tara Biser got engaged to her fiancé, Devon Little. She also passed her qualifying exams and is now officially a Ph.D. candidate. Krystal Johns moved to Clearwater, Florida and has been teaching art at an IB Middle School for the past 2 years. She is starting her graduate degree in Education Leadership. Rebecca Zaltman was hired at the Colorado Office of the State Public Defender as an Administrative Support Assistant. Rebecca is also in her second year at Arapahoe Community College where she is working toward her Paralegal Certificate. Cecelia Lee still works for Sass Studios (formerly Kalico Design), and recently became their events manager where she works with the community to produce events for local women. Margarita Swissler has just completed her second-year teaching English in France. This year she lived in southwestern France in the Basque region. In her free time, she has continued to travel the world and has now visited twenty-nine countries! Margarita is currently applying for teaching jobs at either French-immersion school in the US or at English-speaking schools in Europe. Nicole Kuehl Gingrich completed her Master’s of Science in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University in May 2018. Her husband, Russell Gingrich, continues to farm thousands of acres with his family. He recently bought a new John Deere tractor—which Nicole is excited about—since it has an official buddy seat! Jessica Morales graduates from law school this year! After graduation, she plans to tackle the Maryland Bar Exam and work for a judge in her hometown. This fall she will receive her limited license and will assist in trials at the Public Defender’s Office in Knoxville, TN. Do you have any questions, address, or contact changes? Please let me know via email or Facebook.

2011
Megan Dancause
717.682.5267
mdancause@comcast.net

Kudos to the Class of 2011 as they continue to achieve great things! The years since our departure from Hood College are growing and without a doubt the achievements and life milestones continue to impress!
Kristan Hawkins Vermeulen welcomed a baby girl, Elayna Mae, on April 15, 2018! She was born in Portland, ME and weighed 8 lbs 13 oz.
Kathleen Grombacher-Irwin Jurek and her husband, Daniel, welcomed a daughter, Genevieve Celine, on January 31, 2018. They cannot wait to bring her along with them as they hike and camp in the Cascade Mountains this summer!
Eve Maryn will be starting her fourth year of teaching in Phoenix! She will be completing her Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in September.
Kristen Harris obtained her LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker)! Kristen and her husband are relocating to Maryland and plan to build a house after living in West Virginia for almost four years.
In January, Nickolas Spicer accepted a new position as the Assistant Dean of Students at Susquehanna University.
John Boasi is still working for the Social Security Administration. This year John has helped found a non-profit, 627 Stomp, which will be dedicated to preserving and maintaining the legacy of Kansas City’s jazz heritage. John will serve as the Vice-President and is among its first director!
Monique Sledd is recently engaged and is in the process of purchasing her first home!
In late 2017, Kristina Coggins moved from Houston to Dallas, TX for a promotion with Marriott. In her current role, Kristina is an Event Manager at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. Kristina started her journey at the Gaylord Texan Resort back in the fall of 2013.
Christi Campbell is celebrating her fourth anniversary at the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in Portland, OR. Christi also became recently engaged to Daniel Smith.

2005
Leslie Beck Hughan
301.464.0752
lhughan@gmail.com

Greetings classmates. I hope everyone is well. I look forward to your updates, and I hope you do too. In this installment, we have a new job, a new hobby, a few new babies and other family news. Enjoy!
Douglas Brown started a new position as assistant professor and clinical coordinator for Frostburg State University’s new physician assistant program. The program is located at the University System on Maryland campus in Hagerstown, MD. The program currently is pursuing accreditation and hopes to matriculate its first cohort in May 2019. He also accepted an invitation to Frostburg’s Ed.D. program with a focus on educational leadership.
Rachel Collmus Ellick welcomed a baby, Jonathan, in April.
Rebecca Anthony Foster has a new hobby – she is learning to play the accordion! And as of this summer, she has been a freelance writer and proofreader for five years.
Danielle Rodman Giannandrea and her husband welcomed another little boy into the world. Lorenzo Paul Giannandrea was born on Feb 10.
Jennifer Harmon Nachtrieb welcomed a daughter, Lorraine Celeste Nachtrieb (aka Rainey) on Feb 20.
Rani Pellet has been working as a technical writer for the past few years. Her son, Jean-Paul Andre Pellet graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in May 2018 with degrees in computer science and art. While her youngest child, Isabella Maria Pellet, graduated from Frederick High School in May 2018. She will be attending Wingate University in NC in the fall and will play lacrosse. Her intent is to study business, marketing and physical therapy.

2003
Leah Giambarresi MacDonald M.S.’10, C’05
240.409.7439
macdonaldleahg@gmail.com

Hi everyone! Happy Reunion Year! Those of us who made it to Frederick in June had a great time exploring the new sights on campus and reminiscing. We have lots to report!

Cassie Brode graduated with her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in 2012 from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. She completed two postdoctoral fellowships – a Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Medicine Fellowship at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA, and an NIH-funded T32 Research Fellowship in Adolescent Bariatric Surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, OH. Since July 2015, Cassie has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, WV. She is currently a Licensed Psychologist in Ohio and West Virginia with training in general mental health and behavioral medicine with expertise in weight management and bariatrics. She hopes everyone reconnect with her at cassiebrode@hotmail.com!

Kaye Brown Hamilton, husband, Adam, and daughter, Lily (4), welcomed Lyle Patrick on May 2, 2018.

Taryn Chubb was elected to the Faculty Senate of East Central University. She is also a founding member of ECU’s new chapter of the American Association of University Professors and a member of the executive committee.

Charlene Deniker Gonzalez of the class of 2003 married David Gonzalez on May 11, 2018 in Gaithersburg, MD. She has two daughters from her previous marriage: Victoria (10) and Melody (8). Charlene teaches Spanish with Montgomery County Public Schools.

Jennifer Fair Milas, husband Matt, and daughter Ava welcomed Ethan James on August 1, 2017! Jenn was also promoted to Principal at her Firm (McLean Koehler Sparks & Hammond) on January 1, 2018.

Michael Offutt will be celebrating his 14th Anniversary working within SSA’s National Data Center in Frederick this August. Five years ago, he purchased his first home in Frederick City. He welcomed a niece, Paislee, last year. Michael has two dogs: Bella the Beagle and Raven the Shepherd. He writes that Bella and Raven enjoy going to Alive at Five in Downtown Frederick, and hopes that they’ll all run into some Hood folks one of these Thursdays!

For the past two years, Heidi Schnarr has been teaching music in Montana, first on the Crow reservation, then in Butte. She just accepted a job for next school year in Victor, MT, which is a rural K-12 school with its own Performing Arts center. She is active in raising money for instruments and supplies for the kids and facilitating cross-cultural performances and radio spots for her choirs. Heidi also completed a Master’s of Music in 2013 from Bard College with an emphasis in Choral Conducting.

Erin Smith Babitts and her husband Drew and just moved to Albany, NY! Erin accepted a job as a Licensed Master Social Worker, still with NY State Office of Mental Health, but at the Capital District Psychiatric Center.
Liz Stacks Millhouse, her husband Scott, daughter Clare (5), and son Chase (2) recently moved to Fort Washington, MD.

Carla Earl Trump worked as a family therapist with seriously emotionally disturbed foster children in Baltimore City and County. She has been working with the Carroll County Youth Service Bureau for the past 12 years as a mental health therapist in their crisis-oriented Family Preservation Program and outpatient mental health clinic. She supervises Masters-level social workers or professional counselors in their yearly internship programs. She is currently supervising a Licensed Graduate Social Worker for licensure. Carla is also working toward a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Linehan board certification while seeing clients in the DBT Program. She maintains a private practice in Carroll County as well. Carla’s husband has continued his home appraiser business, Hawkeye Appraisals. Her son, Justin, opened his own business, Mercedes Specialists, and her daughter, Krystal, is currently in her fourth year at Midwestern University, seeking her residency to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine.

Anna Walker Beaver will be starting a full-time position as a special educator/early interventionist for the infant and toddler program with Frederick County Public Schools this summer. She and her husband, Jeb, have five children – Cora (9), Finley (7), Hudson (6), Gwenyth (3), and Maeve (2).

Kirsten Wolle Lansberry just accepted a position with Baltimore County Public Library. She is a librarian with the Youth and Family Engagement department of the Mobile Engagement Group. She’s been with BCPL since 2011, but this is the first full-time position she’s had. Kirsten married Sean Lansberry in 2012 and they welcomed a daughter in 2014.

That’s it for now – keep those updates coming!