Class Note 1995
Issue
September-October 2021
I caught up with Aviva Bender at one of the great ’95 Zoom mini-reunions recently. Aviva’s first volume of poetry, Feet Tucked Under, came out this summer. Congratulations, Aviva! Aviva is an award-winning poet, and her work has been published in Brain Child Magazine, Limehawk Literary Review, and the Ithaca Literary Review. She lives in Denver with her husband and children, several chickens, and a cat. She says, “I find myself saying ridiculous things like, ‘Please pick up the zucchini in the middle of the living room floor’ and ‘Yes, underwear is a necessity.’ ”
Matt Witherell was there too and reports that he’s lived in more than 10 cities since Dartmouth. “After stints in consulting and banking, I settled into the world of beverages. First big beverage: selling beer at MillerCoors for 13 years (who says Dartmouth isn’t a vocational school?) and then energy drinks for Red Bull. I now work for a much smaller and faster-growing company, Humm Kombucha. Finally, beverages that my girls enjoy drinking! My wife, Kirsten, and I met at Stanford’s graduate school of business, and we live with our three girls (pair of 16s and a 14) in Manhattan Beach, California. The girls play lacrosse and tennis while I commute to Bend, Oregon, for work. Come visit—would love to catch up for a beach night in California or mountain biking, hiking, or skiing in Bend. Hope to see you soon!”
As much as I’ve loved our Zoom gatherings and the opportunity to see classmates from all over the country in one sitting, it is a treat to get to see classmates in person too. Alex “Sasha” King and his family recently moved to Hingham, Massachusetts, the town I’ve called home for about nine years.With his move, there are now 10 ’95s living in Hingham, including John Alexander and Amanda Sutton. John writes: “Amanda and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary this July. We have been in Hingham since 2005. Time flies. Amanda enjoyed her first anniversary at Scorpion Therapeutics this summer. The company is located in the heart of Boston’s financial district. She is employee 20 and should be on site more often as the year progresses.” John and Amanda have twin 10th-graders, both of whom sail, and a son, Eric, who was able to return like many of our kids to sleep-away camp this summer. “Very odd to leave a child with strangers.”
Mark your calendars! Our 25th(ish) reunion is now scheduled for July 22-24, 2022, in Hanover. Make your reservations, practice your pong skills, and get ready for a gathering two years in the making and well worth the wait. We’re going to keep our class reunion book going as well, so take a look, add some photos, and contribute your personal page at https://dartmouth.brightcrowd.com/1995. Hope to see you in Hanover and, in the meantime, keep your news coming!
—Kaja (Schuppert) Fickes, 2 Bishops Lane, Hingham, MA 02043; kaja.k.fickes.95@dartmouth.edu
Matt Witherell was there too and reports that he’s lived in more than 10 cities since Dartmouth. “After stints in consulting and banking, I settled into the world of beverages. First big beverage: selling beer at MillerCoors for 13 years (who says Dartmouth isn’t a vocational school?) and then energy drinks for Red Bull. I now work for a much smaller and faster-growing company, Humm Kombucha. Finally, beverages that my girls enjoy drinking! My wife, Kirsten, and I met at Stanford’s graduate school of business, and we live with our three girls (pair of 16s and a 14) in Manhattan Beach, California. The girls play lacrosse and tennis while I commute to Bend, Oregon, for work. Come visit—would love to catch up for a beach night in California or mountain biking, hiking, or skiing in Bend. Hope to see you soon!”
As much as I’ve loved our Zoom gatherings and the opportunity to see classmates from all over the country in one sitting, it is a treat to get to see classmates in person too. Alex “Sasha” King and his family recently moved to Hingham, Massachusetts, the town I’ve called home for about nine years.With his move, there are now 10 ’95s living in Hingham, including John Alexander and Amanda Sutton. John writes: “Amanda and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary this July. We have been in Hingham since 2005. Time flies. Amanda enjoyed her first anniversary at Scorpion Therapeutics this summer. The company is located in the heart of Boston’s financial district. She is employee 20 and should be on site more often as the year progresses.” John and Amanda have twin 10th-graders, both of whom sail, and a son, Eric, who was able to return like many of our kids to sleep-away camp this summer. “Very odd to leave a child with strangers.”
Mark your calendars! Our 25th(ish) reunion is now scheduled for July 22-24, 2022, in Hanover. Make your reservations, practice your pong skills, and get ready for a gathering two years in the making and well worth the wait. We’re going to keep our class reunion book going as well, so take a look, add some photos, and contribute your personal page at https://dartmouth.brightcrowd.com/1995. Hope to see you in Hanover and, in the meantime, keep your news coming!
—Kaja (Schuppert) Fickes, 2 Bishops Lane, Hingham, MA 02043; kaja.k.fickes.95@dartmouth.edu