Class of 2016

Dear, ’16s, you’ll know this column is generally upbeat. My favorite thing is trumpeting your wins and successes to all of the avid readers of class notes—birthdays! Engagements and weddings! Starting that graduate degree or new job! Learning to take Lactaid before you have dairy (okay, this is genuinely still hard for some reason).

But life is also about loss.

As many of you may know, Zachary Kratochvil passed away on April 23. Zach was an incredibly giving and kind person, always willing to tackle tricky problem sets together. He was a brilliant person and so, so incredibly smart and funny. Anna Driscoll writes, “Whether you knew him as ‘friendly Zach’ in East Wheelock freshman year, did triathlon or Frisbee alongside him, persevered through Thayer courses together, baked challah with him at Hillel, or just came across him in passing, I imagine you remember Zach as a profoundly kind, curious, and giving soul. He treasured his time at Dartmouth and all of the friends he made along the way.” Zach is survived by his wife, Allison, and his parents, Nancy and Thomas.

In lieu of flowers, his family are asking that donations be made in Zach’s name to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Telling My Story. For those looking to celebrate Zach’s life and memory in a more personal way, please consider performing an act of kindness in his honor.

We’re still looking for a reunion head to lead planning our 10-year reunion in July 2026. I cannot believe we are almost at 10 years now! Please reach out to dartmouth.class.of.2016@dartmouth.edu if you’re interested.

—Lynn Huang, 4610 Altha St, Raleigh, NC 27606; lynnshuang94@gmail.com