Class Note 2024. I was at work today when I overheard two female coworkers, hunched in a corner, glued to their phones, and fawning over “an absolutely massive ring”: Turns out Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged.
And indeed, wedding bells are ringing! Aside from this bit of celebrity romance, two of our classmates recently said “I do” to great celebration and festivity.
Cady Rancourt married Mauricio Fridlund, her high school sweetheart from her hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. The wedding took place on August 2 at Cady’s grandmother’s farm in Hibbing. Ailyn Palacios and her sister, Reina Palacios ’23, attended as two of Cady’s four bridesmaids. In addition to the Dartmouth representation, Mauricio, a recent graduate from the University of New Hampshire, invited many friends from UNH, one of whom also served as his groomsman. So, it was a ceremony full of “New Hampshire, college-found friendship,” as Cady aptly put it.
In other wedding news, Melanie Guillen married Jacob Smith on August 16 in Reno, Nevada! Congratulations to both happy couples! Wishing you a lifetime of joy and happiness.
Additionally, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, this edition’s Class Notes features some sweet affirmations from Dartmouth ’24s to fellow ’24s.
Cady shares her gratitude for her friendship with Ailyn Palacios. “My favorite thing about Ailyn is her generosity—she is a giver at heart and was such a caring roommate. One of my favorite memories with her happened recently, when she was a bridesmaid at my wedding and we were dancing and singing to Neon Trees, remembering our favorite Green Key!”
Julian Franco writes in to express his gratitude for Guy Berry. His favorite thing about Guy is that he “speaks so highly of all his friends” and brings out the best in them. One of the fondest memories he has is of playing soccer outside of Butterfield freshman year until a Covid-19 violation caused Guy to be unceremoniously kicked off campus, abruptly putting an end to their fun.
Julian’s note just goes to show that the simplest moments—such as a game of pickup soccer—can become our most cherished memories. They matter not because they were grand but because they were shared with people who make life fuller. And that’s really what gratitude is about: seeing the magic in the ordinary.
G.K. Chesterton once said, “Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
As this year comes to a close, I’d encourage everyone to reflect on the people, places, and points in time that filled your life with joy, meaning, wonder.
And if you’re like me and don’t express your gratitude nearly as much as you should, then text your mom, your best friend, your SoulCycle instructor a simple note of gratitude (because Lord knows she needs some recognition for rallying the SoulCycle army with the energy of a caffeinated golden retriever at the crack of dawn). I’m sure they will appreciate it.
All right, that’s all for this edition of Class Notes. Thank you for reading and sharing your lovely updates with me—it’s been a pleasure hearing about all the vibrant lives you all are living. Wishing you and your loved ones a sweet and blessed holiday season!
—Anaïs Zhang, 16 Hamilton Road, Brookline, MA 02446; anais.c.zhang@gmail.com