Hi, ’04s! Happy New Year—2023, can you believe it? While I have no doubt this new year will bring us plenty of surprises and unexpected twists and turns, I also hope it delivers wonderful moments that lead to lifelong memories. And I cannot think of a better way to start the new year than taking a trip down memory lane and catching up with some old friends along the way.

To kick us off, I am happy to share that Curtis Leitner has joined McCarter & English as a partner in its business litigation practice in New York City. Curtis’ practice focuses on complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal and regulatory enforcement matters. Curtis has extensive experiencehandling complex commercial disputes, including matters concerning acquisitions, capital raises, commercial leases, broker agreements, and employment contracts. In addition, he has represented individuals and corporate clients in diverse matters such as professional liability, insider trading, fraud, and business crimes. Congratulations, Curtis, and best of luck!

A round of applause is also in order for Jennifer Carlson,who is one of the 25 scholars recently named 2022 MacArthur fellows. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards the fellowships annually to individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their pursuits. Jennifer is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and her work examines the politics of guns in American life. Through research with gun owners, gun sellers, law enforcement, gun violence survivors, and state licensing bodies, Jennifer investigates the forces that shape gun culture in the United States. A toast to you, Jennifer!

I am also excited to report that Aimee Barnes recently celebrated some major life milestones: four years since her cancer diagnosis and the birth of daughter Portia; three years since starting her climate change-focused consulting business, Hua Nani Partners; two years since moving to Hawaii; and almost a year of serving as the Oahu representative on the Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources. In addition, Aimee shared that during the summer she got together in Montana for a multi-family vacation and retreat with many Rockapellas alumni, including Emily Copeland, Jocelyn Leavitt ’01, Stevie Nichols ’02, Christina Hoe ’02, Emily Quetone Khan ’02, Paula Wotherspoon ’03, Anna Rathbun ’05, Juliana Lisi ’05, Liz Hensley ’05, and Tarunya Govindarajan ’06. Wonderful news all the way around, Aimee!

Suhail Ahmed wrote to say that he is currently a master of social work student at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He started this past fall and is enjoying going to Buckeye football games, exploring different restaurants around Columbus, and staying active walking on the many trails that the Columbus Metro Parks have to offer. This activity certainly helped this past summer, when Suhail went up to Traverse City, Michigan, with his niece and nephew and hiked the sand dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. I understand this was an incredible experience to say the least, and bravo, Suhail!

Finally, to the class, all the best in this new year! Please remember to share all those adventures and life updates to come and look forward to connecting in the spring.

—Johanna Thomas, 14 Logan Circle, NW, Washington, DC 20005; johannarthomas@gmail.com