Class Note 1986
As promised from the last column, Bill Ruhl wrote about his recent career change: “Being fortunate enough to leave the corporate world and young enough to have a second career that aligns with my love of the outdoors and kids has been incredible. After more than 20 years at Verizon, I was offered an opportunity for early retirement and took it!” Bill leads the instructor-mentoring team at the National Winter Activity Center.” The center, located in Vernon, New Jersey, is the nation’s first not-for-profit facility dedicated to improving the lives of youth through winter activity. Through its Elev8 program it provides instruction, healthy meals, equipment and mentoring to school-age children. Participants live within the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania area and beyond through partnerships with organizations such as YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, schools and other agencies. Bill is an avid snow sports and outdoor enthusiast committed to providing children and young adults with the capabilities, experiences and opportunities needed to play and work outside in the winter time. The center’s website is Winter4Kids.org.
As our children get ready to leave for their respective colleges, I asked what you were thinking about, as a career, when you were their age. Anne Weinhardt Lawler wrote, “I thought I’d write. My current job takes me full circle from what I thought I wanted to do when I was in high school, but never did. I went to Hanover thinking I wanted to be a physician. Am I one now? Nope. I’m an attorney and a registered nurse, and I combine those two backgrounds in an odd way as director of the Idaho Board of Medicine. We license all the new physicians coming to Idaho and regulate all the current ones who are here, which includes education, legislation and some discipline (we hope the education leads to less of that). Any regrets I didn’t become a physician? No, this path fits my personality and skills much better.” John Westkaemper said that he came to Dartmouth wanting to be a doctor, which he did. “Straight through, only 14 years of education after high school. Now a hand surgeon. Thanks, Dartmouth!” We have some offspring college acceptance updates: Sam Hartwell’s son, Ben, got in early decision to Dartmouth! A copy of both of their acceptance letters will be posted in our ’86 newsletter. David Kotz’s daughter, Mara, is in the midst of her gap year and then starts at Dartmouth in September as a ’22. Wendy Peck Wilkinson’s daughter, Kelsey, is attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute this fall. John and Mabelle Hueston’s daughter, Kinsale, heads to Yale. And now, a great way to end our class column, Kirk LeCompte writes: “My family saw the award-winning play American Son by Chris Demos-Brown at the George Street Playhouse in New Jersey early this year, and it was outstanding. One of the best plays we’ve seen in years. Kudos to Chris!” It is finished in beauty.
—Mae Drake Hueston, 624 Poppy Ave., Corona Del Mar, CA 92625; mdhueston@me.com
