Congratulations to Ksenia Ryzhova and Jake Weidner on their engagement! Jake popped the question while the two of them were in Cape Cod this summer. Jake and Ksenia were out in Massachusetts visiting Bronwyn Lloyd,so they celebrated with Bronwyn’s family that night. Since then, Jake has joined the U.S. Army Reserve. Once he finishes his schooling in Fort Benning, Georgia, he will join Ksenia in New York City where she works in brand strategy consulting. Although work is interesting, Ksenia is applying to various graduate school programs to study medieval history. Ksenia spends a great deal of her time exploring new restaurants and cafes with friends. For instance, she recently grabbed coffee with Roman Huszar and with Kim Son discovered a cafe that serves deconstructed lattes in goblets. In the coming months, Jake and Ksenia will visit Yifan Fang in Japan.

After Commencement, Ali Patillo decided to pursue a career in journalism. In June Ali moved to New York to begin work under Sunjay Gupta, an Emmy Award-winning neurosurgeon and medical reporter at CNN. She produced across a variety of channels, but she is most proud of two long features she wrote: the first one on flow state and the second piece on the lack of diversity in the outdoors. After her time at CNN, Ali began work under Dr. Robin Smith, a physician journalist who is an advocate for regenerative medicine. Ali is planning Dr. Smith’s fourth annual international conference at the Vatican, where experts will examine the societal effects of technological advancements in the medical field. This conference will bring together numerous scholars, professionals in the healthcare industry and interfaith leaders to discuss the ethical repercussions of medical developments. Ali has felt a lot of stress, but she looks forward to interviewing these experts at the Vatican. Outside of the office, Ali has been exploring the international cuisine, thrift stores and art museums in the Big Apple. Even in a crowded city, Ali spends a lot of time with fellow ’17s. She has grown closer to Sofia Rainaldi; the two of them often attend events at the Whitney Museum of Art and wander the city together.

Surprisingly, not every ’17 is on the East Coast! Heather Laedtke is a native to Minnesota and moved back to Minneapolis to become a public affairs associate consultant at Environment Resources Management Group. Heather was drawn to the company because of its emphasis on global sustainability and social impact. She enjoys this particular role because it is client facing, and she has the ability to manage complex projects at an entry-level position. Heather enjoyed the Super Bowl LII festivities since her hometown hosted the big game. She lives and works in downtown Minneapolis, so she was right in the middle of the action. She went to concerts and street fairs throughout the week and during the weekend. ESPN conducted its coverage in the lobby of Heather’s corporate building, so she and her coworkers watched multiple interviews live. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, Heather, Maddie Wall ’16 and I picked up lunch at the food trucks downtown since we all work within two blocks of each other. To celebrate game day, Heather and her roommate Grace cooked a delicious feast and invited their high school friends, coworkers and me to their apartment, which is so close to the stadium that we watched the vintage jets fly above the city during the national anthem.

—Dorian Allen, 117 West Grant St., Apt. 123, Minneapolis, MN 55403; (973) 986-5988; dorallen@comcast.net