Class Note 1995
Issue
November-December 2025
Class Note 1995. It was wonderful catching up with so many classmates at our 30th reunion in July. People have done some amazing things since graduation—please drop a note to KajaFickes and me so that we can share your updates.
After almost 25 years, I will retire from the Foreign Service this fall. It’s been a rewarding career, allowing me to serve our country while living and traveling around the world. I met my husband, Mark, when we were assigned to our first tour in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and we went on to serve in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Hungary, with extended tours in Washington, D.C. Our last overseas tour was in France (2021-24). Mark was at the U.S. embassy in Paris and our kids, Nathaniel and Eleanor, attended the American School of Paris, while I served at the U.S. consulate in Rennes (covering Brittany, the Pays de la Loire, and Normandy). As seems to happen at every stage of life, I found many Dartmouth connections, including with historian Rick Beyer ’78. If you don’t know the story of the “Ghost Army,” it’s fascinating and I highly recommend Rick’s book and film. One of my biggest highlights was helping plan and participate in annual D-Day commemorations, including for the 80th anniversary of D-Day—an absolute dream assignment for a history major. We’re settled back in Falls Church, Virginia, but I remain connected to the Normandy organizations. If you are planning to visit western France, I’m happy to share personal recommendations.
In France, I worked closely with the U.S. Secret Service, and Dartmouth was a big asset when my colleagues learned that I knew the famous Chris Boran. It was a great reason to reconnect with Chris, who retired from the Secret Service in 2022, after a distinguished career, to move into government contracting. Chris and his wife, Kristin (Kuroda) ’97, live in Leesburg, Virginia, where they are raising three sons: twins Connor and Jackson, who are studying at Virginia Tech, and Brooks, who just started eighth grade. We are looking forward to getting together soon with the Borans and other classmates in the D.C. area.
One of the memories Chris and I shared was attending Lynae (Striker)andHector Canales’ wedding in Texas in 1998. I was very fortunate to spend time with Lynae and Hector when they visited France in 2024—seeing them in Paris and Rennes. Lynae continues her work as a pediatrician in Corpus Christi, Texas, where Hector has a boutique litigation firm. Their oldest son, Andrew, graduated from Texas A&M and works as an engineer; Sam graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio and started his own thermal drone wildlife survey business; and youngest son Ben is studying engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. After so many years of intense careers and parenting, Hector and Lynae are enjoying the opportunity as empty-nesters to travel the world, an example I hope to follow!
—Beth Webster, c/o DAM, 7 Lebanon St., Suite 107, Hanover, NH 03755; websterew@gmail.com; Kaja (Schuppert) Fickes, 2 Bishops Lane, Hingham, MA 02043; kaja.k.fickes.95@dartmouth.edu
After almost 25 years, I will retire from the Foreign Service this fall. It’s been a rewarding career, allowing me to serve our country while living and traveling around the world. I met my husband, Mark, when we were assigned to our first tour in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and we went on to serve in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Hungary, with extended tours in Washington, D.C. Our last overseas tour was in France (2021-24). Mark was at the U.S. embassy in Paris and our kids, Nathaniel and Eleanor, attended the American School of Paris, while I served at the U.S. consulate in Rennes (covering Brittany, the Pays de la Loire, and Normandy). As seems to happen at every stage of life, I found many Dartmouth connections, including with historian Rick Beyer ’78. If you don’t know the story of the “Ghost Army,” it’s fascinating and I highly recommend Rick’s book and film. One of my biggest highlights was helping plan and participate in annual D-Day commemorations, including for the 80th anniversary of D-Day—an absolute dream assignment for a history major. We’re settled back in Falls Church, Virginia, but I remain connected to the Normandy organizations. If you are planning to visit western France, I’m happy to share personal recommendations.
In France, I worked closely with the U.S. Secret Service, and Dartmouth was a big asset when my colleagues learned that I knew the famous Chris Boran. It was a great reason to reconnect with Chris, who retired from the Secret Service in 2022, after a distinguished career, to move into government contracting. Chris and his wife, Kristin (Kuroda) ’97, live in Leesburg, Virginia, where they are raising three sons: twins Connor and Jackson, who are studying at Virginia Tech, and Brooks, who just started eighth grade. We are looking forward to getting together soon with the Borans and other classmates in the D.C. area.
One of the memories Chris and I shared was attending Lynae (Striker)andHector Canales’ wedding in Texas in 1998. I was very fortunate to spend time with Lynae and Hector when they visited France in 2024—seeing them in Paris and Rennes. Lynae continues her work as a pediatrician in Corpus Christi, Texas, where Hector has a boutique litigation firm. Their oldest son, Andrew, graduated from Texas A&M and works as an engineer; Sam graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio and started his own thermal drone wildlife survey business; and youngest son Ben is studying engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. After so many years of intense careers and parenting, Hector and Lynae are enjoying the opportunity as empty-nesters to travel the world, an example I hope to follow!
—Beth Webster, c/o DAM, 7 Lebanon St., Suite 107, Hanover, NH 03755; websterew@gmail.com; Kaja (Schuppert) Fickes, 2 Bishops Lane, Hingham, MA 02043; kaja.k.fickes.95@dartmouth.edu