Class Note 2001
Issue
May - Jun 2017
For this column, I asked our classmates to share some of their community service endeavors. As suspected, ’01s are doing some great things in this world.
We have some classmates engaging in micro-level community building. Christine Percheski, her husband, Will McCleskey, and daughter Megan (age 2), welcomed James Stephen to their family on January 9. Stephen Forster, his wife, Suzanne, and son James, welcomed Robert William to their family on February 16. Karyn Brudnicki and Mark Landis ’97 ushered their son, Alexander Gavin Brudnicki-Landis, into this world at 9:47 p.m. on February 5, during the Patriots’ epic Super Bowl victory. Karyn also shared that she is in her seventh year as the president of the board of directors of Community Boating Inc., a not-for-profit that promotes “sailing for all” in the greater Boston area through a variety of programs for all ages, means and abilities.
Other classmates are contributing to the world of letters. Amanda Cook sent word of the publication of her first book, Wellpreneur, about digital marketing for the wellness industry. Kimberley Tait’s debut novel, Fake Plastic Love, will be released in May. Inspired by her undergraduate thesis on F. Scott Fitzgerald, the book explores post-grad millennials as they navigate new lives in London and New York. To further pique your interest, Kimberley shared that some of the characters are Dartmouth graduates and a few chapters are set in Hanover.
Kimberley was not the only classmate to share how their experiences at Dartmouth influenced their current pursuits. Jane Parkin Kullmann wrote in about her work as a volunteer with MentorNet, an organization that provides mentorship to women in science, technology, engineering and math fields. Jane started out as a mentee at Dartmouth and is excited to now work as a mentor for a younger generation. Athena (Lentini) McAlenney wrote, “I’m a professor at a small college in New York teaching teachers how to teach kids to read. I’ve got Dartmouth’s late Dr. Pano Rodis to thank for inspiring me to pursue teaching.” Athena added that she, along with her husband, John, and sons Charlie (age 5) and Teddy (age 2) have become regulars in Hanover thanks to frequent road trips north to visit her brother-in-law’s brewery, Red Barn Brewery, in Danville, Vermont.
Still others looked to the world of the arts in reaction to current events. Karin Goodfellow helped organize Together We Rise, a festival that brought together a diverse collective of artists, activists and Boston community members to stand up for a more just, peaceful and creative future. Karin enlisted Debra (Brodsky) Shigley to help with marketing for the event.
Finally, last October Samantha Berdinka competed in her first USA Boxing-sanctioned amateur bout through a fundraiser for Haymakers for Hope, whose mission is to knock out cancer by literally fighting for a cure. Numerous Dartmouth alums crowded her corner to cheer her on, including Emilia Warrington Peraza ’02, Melissa Roth ’00, Jennifer Burka and others. In the end Samantha raised money for cancer research and is now a retired boxer with an undefeated record of 1-0.
Keep it up ’01s!
—Rachel Milstein Sondheimer, 143 Branchville Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877; (203) 645-693; rachel.sondheimer@gmail.com
We have some classmates engaging in micro-level community building. Christine Percheski, her husband, Will McCleskey, and daughter Megan (age 2), welcomed James Stephen to their family on January 9. Stephen Forster, his wife, Suzanne, and son James, welcomed Robert William to their family on February 16. Karyn Brudnicki and Mark Landis ’97 ushered their son, Alexander Gavin Brudnicki-Landis, into this world at 9:47 p.m. on February 5, during the Patriots’ epic Super Bowl victory. Karyn also shared that she is in her seventh year as the president of the board of directors of Community Boating Inc., a not-for-profit that promotes “sailing for all” in the greater Boston area through a variety of programs for all ages, means and abilities.
Other classmates are contributing to the world of letters. Amanda Cook sent word of the publication of her first book, Wellpreneur, about digital marketing for the wellness industry. Kimberley Tait’s debut novel, Fake Plastic Love, will be released in May. Inspired by her undergraduate thesis on F. Scott Fitzgerald, the book explores post-grad millennials as they navigate new lives in London and New York. To further pique your interest, Kimberley shared that some of the characters are Dartmouth graduates and a few chapters are set in Hanover.
Kimberley was not the only classmate to share how their experiences at Dartmouth influenced their current pursuits. Jane Parkin Kullmann wrote in about her work as a volunteer with MentorNet, an organization that provides mentorship to women in science, technology, engineering and math fields. Jane started out as a mentee at Dartmouth and is excited to now work as a mentor for a younger generation. Athena (Lentini) McAlenney wrote, “I’m a professor at a small college in New York teaching teachers how to teach kids to read. I’ve got Dartmouth’s late Dr. Pano Rodis to thank for inspiring me to pursue teaching.” Athena added that she, along with her husband, John, and sons Charlie (age 5) and Teddy (age 2) have become regulars in Hanover thanks to frequent road trips north to visit her brother-in-law’s brewery, Red Barn Brewery, in Danville, Vermont.
Still others looked to the world of the arts in reaction to current events. Karin Goodfellow helped organize Together We Rise, a festival that brought together a diverse collective of artists, activists and Boston community members to stand up for a more just, peaceful and creative future. Karin enlisted Debra (Brodsky) Shigley to help with marketing for the event.
Finally, last October Samantha Berdinka competed in her first USA Boxing-sanctioned amateur bout through a fundraiser for Haymakers for Hope, whose mission is to knock out cancer by literally fighting for a cure. Numerous Dartmouth alums crowded her corner to cheer her on, including Emilia Warrington Peraza ’02, Melissa Roth ’00, Jennifer Burka and others. In the end Samantha raised money for cancer research and is now a retired boxer with an undefeated record of 1-0.
Keep it up ’01s!
—Rachel Milstein Sondheimer, 143 Branchville Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877; (203) 645-693; rachel.sondheimer@gmail.com