Class Note 1991
Issue
May-June 2023
Hello, ’91s! I was inspired by International Women’s Day while writing this column, so we are celebrating the achievements of some amazing women in our class (and their offspring).
First, here is a cool story from Tracey Dodds Hoover, who was featured in a news spot on TikTok. “Our town’s high school had no girls ice hockey team, which did not sit well with my daughters Grace (15) and Faith (18). Together we raised $40,000, recruited players, and found qualified coaches. We self-funded the team to convince the school board there was enough interest and solicited donations of gear to lower the barrier for girls to enter the wonderful, but expensive, world of hockey. After chairing the fundraising committee, I became assistant coach and unofficial hockey mom to 25 girls who signed up to play in their first varsity ice hockey season. With only four girls who had played organized hockey and six girls who had never even skated, we won our first game, 5-0, and came out on top in our next two games. In a special shortened season, we saw 13 different players score goals and paved the way for girls in our town to play varsity ice hockey in the future. As for me, I got to watch my daughters change the world and make their dreams come true all at once. We expanded girls’ sports in our little corner of the world and it feels amazing.”
Donna Soave Weber also has been crushing it in her corner of the world 20 minutes north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Covid offered Donna a unique opportunity to start a new career. It began when her daughter wanted to give up Zoom voice lessons with an incredible teacher from the Pittsburgh Opera. Donna stepped up and took the lessons in her daughter’s stead. This began an incredible relationship and presented Donna with the exciting possibility of performing in musicals after a 30-year hiatus. She landed the lead role (ironically named Donna) in Mamma Mia and had the added responsibility of being the choreographer when the original dancemaker moved. Donna was asked to choreograph for future productions and added assistant director and director to her titles. In the last two years Donna has done Frozen, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Annie and will be doing Lion King, Grease, Clue, and Mean Girls by year’s end. Brava, Donna!
Finally, Allison Schutte wrote from the snowy West Coast, “I just returned from a family ski vacation at Crystal Mountain. As I opened the door of our slope-side lodging (wearing some Dartmouth logo gear) I ran into Parker Karnan ’90. He and his son were staying across the hall as both our kids were competing in the IFSA Junior National Freeride Ski competition. It was fun to make his acquaintance and he made a point of chatting with my daughter, Eliza Gould, who will be a member of the upcoming Dartmouth class of 2027.” Welcome to the club, Eliza.
—Tracey Cushing Gilliam, P.O. Box 131, Manchester, VT 05254, (917) 951-1472; tragilliam1@gmail.com
First, here is a cool story from Tracey Dodds Hoover, who was featured in a news spot on TikTok. “Our town’s high school had no girls ice hockey team, which did not sit well with my daughters Grace (15) and Faith (18). Together we raised $40,000, recruited players, and found qualified coaches. We self-funded the team to convince the school board there was enough interest and solicited donations of gear to lower the barrier for girls to enter the wonderful, but expensive, world of hockey. After chairing the fundraising committee, I became assistant coach and unofficial hockey mom to 25 girls who signed up to play in their first varsity ice hockey season. With only four girls who had played organized hockey and six girls who had never even skated, we won our first game, 5-0, and came out on top in our next two games. In a special shortened season, we saw 13 different players score goals and paved the way for girls in our town to play varsity ice hockey in the future. As for me, I got to watch my daughters change the world and make their dreams come true all at once. We expanded girls’ sports in our little corner of the world and it feels amazing.”
Donna Soave Weber also has been crushing it in her corner of the world 20 minutes north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Covid offered Donna a unique opportunity to start a new career. It began when her daughter wanted to give up Zoom voice lessons with an incredible teacher from the Pittsburgh Opera. Donna stepped up and took the lessons in her daughter’s stead. This began an incredible relationship and presented Donna with the exciting possibility of performing in musicals after a 30-year hiatus. She landed the lead role (ironically named Donna) in Mamma Mia and had the added responsibility of being the choreographer when the original dancemaker moved. Donna was asked to choreograph for future productions and added assistant director and director to her titles. In the last two years Donna has done Frozen, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Annie and will be doing Lion King, Grease, Clue, and Mean Girls by year’s end. Brava, Donna!
Finally, Allison Schutte wrote from the snowy West Coast, “I just returned from a family ski vacation at Crystal Mountain. As I opened the door of our slope-side lodging (wearing some Dartmouth logo gear) I ran into Parker Karnan ’90. He and his son were staying across the hall as both our kids were competing in the IFSA Junior National Freeride Ski competition. It was fun to make his acquaintance and he made a point of chatting with my daughter, Eliza Gould, who will be a member of the upcoming Dartmouth class of 2027.” Welcome to the club, Eliza.
—Tracey Cushing Gilliam, P.O. Box 131, Manchester, VT 05254, (917) 951-1472; tragilliam1@gmail.com