2010s
2010s
10 Congratulations
Alexandra Paharik married Joseph Essner ’03 on Dec. 4 in St. Louis. Congratulations to the happy couple. Tara (Pillai) Robinson and Abdul Robinson welcomed a baby boy in May 2020. Stephanie (Pajakowski) and Daniel Mullaney welcomed their daughter Lucy Jude Mullaney on Sept. 14. Emily (Conrad) Fyfe and Matt Fyfe welcomed their third child, Oliver Conrad Fyfe, on Oct. 2. Oliver joins siblings Eleanor, 3, and Emmanuel, 7. Mary Neven Marsh and Lee Marsh welcomed their second daughter, Madeleine Louise Marsh, on Oct. 20. Congratulations to the happy parents and their families. Dane Reighard received his PhD in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Languages and Cultures from UCLA in September. Dr. Reighard’s dissertation focused on Russian New Village Cinema, putting to use his Notre Dame undergraduate degrees in film and Russian. A special thanks to all healthcare workers, teachers and other alumni who continue to work through the pandemic. I wish you health and happiness as the weather warms. Stay tuned for details about a “make up” 10-year reunion. Continue to send me updates. Go Irish. — Matt Molloy; ndclass2010@gmail.com
10MBA Another Quarter in the Books
Excellent career news came from Garrett Busch who has been promoted to CEO of Busch Group. We assume he has not slept in months while balancing six children and leading the acquisition of The Hotel Granduca in Austin during this unprecedented time in hospitality. Also, a shout out for the creative virtual events that Trinitas Cellars has been hosting with some of their partners. It is worth signing up for. In a personal update, I was promoted to partner at IBM. I’m proud to be an IBMer and helping clients emerge stronger in 2021. As my career journey continues, the value of my experiences and relationships from ND becomes even clearer. Remember to share your news with me anytime. Cheers to a great 2021. Go Irish — John Gerberich; cell 847-331-4707; jgerberi@alumni.nd.edu
10JD Class Secretary — Jennifer (Hernandez) Laffitte;
10310 Southwest 128th Ave., Miami FL 33186; res 305-322-7154; bus 786-762-3815; jherna11@alumni.nd.edu
11 Class Secretary — Evan James;
ndclass2011@gmail.com
11MBA Class Secretary — Mimi Wilfong;
903-714-4988; mimitwilfong@gmail.com
11JD Season of Success
There was the season of engagements, then weddings, then babies, and while we are still in the baby zone, we are also in the season of career achievements. This might be the snazziest season of Class Notes until the season of children forcing us to dance in TikTok, or whatever is the tech in 2035. But I digress, lots of successful news was sent my way. Nicole Ruggirello ’08, ’11JD was elected as shareholder at Plunkett Cooney in Michigan. Justin Macke was elected a partner at Jones Day in New York. His work focuses on mergers and acquisitions. Theo Wold served as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy, a post that was responsible for President Trump’s immigration programs. The rest of us keep chugging along. I have two corrections to my previous notes. First, apparently chief blonde husband in residence, Greg McAlpin ’07, was the influencer husband for Samantha Winter and Elizabeth Adams ’08, ’11JD’s camping adventures. And second, I have been informed that Sean Cullen ’08 is more like Blake Rambo’s Splenda daddy since he has two more years of fellowship. This guy will have his first real job at age 38. Sounds like ’Rona is acting like Club Feve and gonna keep raging til 4 a.m., aka way too dang long. I just pray we get to feast at Nick’s Patio next. Stay safe and send updates my way. — Lauren Sharkey; lksharkey@gmail.com
12 Class Secretary — Tyler Harmsen;
tharmsen14@gmail.com
12MBA New Year, Who Dis?
After a brief (several year) hiatus, we are back. Have updates? My social media game is severely lacking so please send me information. — Jennafer Palumbo; jennafer.palumbo@gmail.com
12JD Adorable
Hello, classmates. I hope this finds you happy, healthy and doing well. It’s a pretty quick list of updates this month, so I’ll jump right in. Abhishek Kambli and his wife are expecting their first daughter in March, and they have landed on the name Adeline. Abhishek says, and I agree with him, that he is confident Adeline will be adorable. Sharon Lim passed along that she recently started her new position as an assistant US attorney in the Northern District of Georgia, based in Atlanta. Sharon is excited to start this new path, and I am excited that Sharon will be staying in the Atlanta area. I’m trying to talk her into buying a house in my cul-de-sac so we can build a secret tunnel between our houses, but she’s being noncommittal on the whole thing. Brian Boyle was named partner at his firm, Christensen Hsu Sipes LLP in Chicago, where he’s currently crushing it in civil defense litigation. And last but not least, Alvin Adjei recently completed his first marathon. I thought he meant that he watched all three extended-cut Lord of the Rings movies, but he clarified that he meant the Texas Sawblade Marathon, which is a super metal name for a marathon. Alvin finished in 3 hours, 52 minutes, and 46 seconds wearing bib number 3. He said he would have finished faster but it was apparently really windy out. That’s all I’ve got, folks! Keep sending me those updates, and I’ll keep publishing them. — James Champlin; james.c.champlin@gmail.com
13 One Whole Year
It is hard to believe it has been little over a year since the first series of lockdowns, shutdowns and social distancing. I am writing this article now in the afternoon of the inauguration, two weeks after the violent storming of our Capitol building, and a little over one month after historic approvals of new vaccinations that have the promise to change medicine forever. I can only hope the coming months bring more promise. I admittedly got very few submissions these past few months. In fact, I received zero emails. This is in stark contrast to the 100 emails I get daily from online retailers I’ve visited once. Friends, be more like the Banana Republic. Let me know what’s special in your life, tell me about your new releases, and let me live a more exciting life vicariously through others. Fortunately, I have a few very active friends on social media. I’d like to extend a congratulations to Jack Hough, who married Katie Wehner at the Basilica in a socially distanced ceremony in July. I heard even their dog had to watch it remotely. That’s … ruff. I’d also like to extend my congratulations to Robert Shields, who married Olivia Hnat in Cincinnati in January. Bobby tells me that they moved the wedding from Florida to Cincinnati due to COVID, but I have a suspicion they weren’t able to find a Skyline caterer in Ft. Myers. We also saw the first few of the quarantine babies in the last few months. Brian and Katie (Corgan) Mitchell welcomed Elizabeth Ann Mitchell in August. It’s always a mix of odd and joyous feelings seeing someone you’ve known since middle school have a kid. Especially when your only responsibilities are succulents, which require way more attention than I was led to believe. Michael and Catherine (Reidy) Kress welcomed Brooklyn’s most wonderful newborn, Charlie Amadeo Kress, in January. Being born in NYC during COVID-19 is going to be instant NYC legitimacy for life. Finally, Patrick and Laura Fitzgerald welcomed the newest member of the Fitzy tribe. As could be expected, Fitz gave zero information. Also, as could be expected, I didn’t realize this until nearly midnight. I’d also like to invite Dominic Lucero back to the US from Botswana and encourage him to return whenever he’d like. Cheers. — Chris Champlin; nd2013updates@gmail.com
13MBA The Latest
There is not much news this time around; everyone is laying low for now. Jenna and John Lytle moved into a new house in Houston late in 2020. Their son, Jude, just turned one and daughter Davy Rose is 3. Dogs Jagger and Bowie are doing well and round out the household. I have nothing else to report. Hopefully things free up and next time you’ve got more stuff to send me. — Nick Imgrund; 314-775-7364; daimgrund@yahoo.com
13JD Class Secretary — Alex Blair;
apblair@gmail.com
14 Amazing Things
Can I just quickly say how much joy it brings me to hear all your news, exciting events and life updates? You guys are doing such amazing things. For example, Tom Hickey married Wisconsin Badger Colleen Reddy in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Oct. 17. Tom’s wonderful uncle, Deacon Norman Roos ’75, presided over the happy day. The wonderful Colleen Kerins made my job much easier by sending me exactly the right thing to say: “Katie Wilson got engaged to Jacob Armijo on Nov. 25 in Fairhope AK. We look forward to gathering with many Class of ’14 Domers at the wedding. Cara Curran and Joseph Whalen got married on Oct. 10 at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago. They were joined by their immediate families and many watching by live video stream. Kaylyn Curran ’19 served as the maid of honor and Brendan Moran was the best man. Tyler Treuting and Liza Manfred bought a house in Arlington VA last spring. Their friends are grateful for the use of their backyard for socially distanced gatherings throughout the past year.” Katie, thank you so much for the update, and congratulations to everyone. Christian Myers is finishing his Presidential Management Fellowship at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, spending his time protecting our wildlife and managing his own wildlife in the form of his sweet dog Fé, a Mexican beach dog. Christian was kind enough to send me a picture so I can tell you honestly that she is a very good girl. Finally, Gwen Hooley got engaged to RJ Hatanaka in Epiphany Church in New York City, the church where they met. I’m delighted and honored to share these updates with you. Keep them coming, and take care, everyone. Lots of love. — Lizzie Helpling; res 513-470-9723; ehelplin@alumni.nd.edu
14MBA Class Secretary — Jessica Bonanno;
407-808-7148; jbonanno@alumni.nd.edu; Krick Cahill; 518-598-4222; kcahill1@alumni.nd.edu
14JD Baby News
The year 2020 had a lot of uncertainties but it is abundantly clear that this class prioritized making babies. Congratulations to Richard Waller and Sabina Danek Waller on the birth of their daughter, Scarlett Sky Waller. Her hobbies include gripping fingers and being adorable. Congratulations also to Sheila Prendergast and Pete Crowell on the birth of James Riley Crowell. James enjoys sleeping in, going for walks and the sound of his own voice. (A future lawyer, perhaps?) Our final congratulations go to Caroline Blair and Alex Blair on the birth of Alice Lyda Blair. She has clearly adopted her parents’ great sense of humor as her favorite time to wake up is right after they lay her down. Moving on to career accolades, a huge shout out to Leslie Dickinson for being elected partner at her firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC. I know none of us is surprised, but I think I speak for us all when I ask, “Does it come with a spacious office?” Congrats Leslie and well done. That’s all for this quarter. If you have an update for the next edition, please contact me. — Rachel Hanley; rachelrhanley@gmail.com
15 Classmate Updates
Jimmy McEntee and Sam Wright were married on Oct. 17 in a small family wedding. Reception will follow in fall 2021. Congratulations to Michael Nicols on winning the esteemed all-Irish Chippewa Champions fantasy football league. Kevin Hendzel and Stephany Fournier got engaged on April 26, 2020. They are planning a wedding at ND on Oct. 8, 2022. Jennifer Jasper became a McDonald’s owner-operator in July 2020. Danielle Duarte married Ade Bowden in August. Shannon Brady got engaged to Chance Paolucci in December. Jocelyn Tellez-Amado graduated from the U of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in May 2020 and passed the Arizona Bar Exam in October. Hearts broke across the Class of 2015 and the entire Notre Dame community when we learned of the tragic passing of Zachary “Zac” Plantz in an automobile accident on Thanksgiving Day. At Notre Dame, Zac was a resident of Morrissey Manor, a spirited member of the Notre Dame rugby team and a die-hard Fighting Irish fan. Since graduation, Zac worked in Chicago as a consultant and had an emerging career as a public servant, working as a senior policy advisor for an Illinois congressman. Zac is survived by his parents, Laura ’86SMC and Ron ’86, his siblings Tyler ’14, Logan ’18, ’20MSM, and Abby ’24SMC, his best friend and the love of his life, Kathleen Hough, and many, many other dear friends. — Emily Flores; Alexandria VA; eflores2@alumni.nd.edu
15MBA Class Secretary Wanted
The Alumni Association is in search of a new class secretary for the MBA Class of 2015. Interested parties should email Alumni Editor Joanne Norell at jnorell@nd.edu using the subject line “Class Secretary 2015MBA.”
15JD Class Secretary — Alisa Finelli;
alisafinelli@gmail.com
16 Five Years Already?
As we know by now, our five-year reunion will now be a virtual one as the University made the call to cancel the on-campus celebration. Fingers crossed we can gather again later this year. In the meantime, I’ll just keep stalking all your Facebook pages and liking all your Instagram posts to celebrate everything you do from afar. Cheers to all our recently engaged couples: Lizzy Sobota and David Katterl Brittany Dymm ’17 and Ralph Hauke; Darcy James ’18 and Billy Cheely; Catherine Juska and Eric Bierck; Maeve Mulholland ’17M.Ed and David O’Connor; Colleen Pinkelman and Grant Weber; Tessa Laubacher and Josh Bryant; Genevieve Bradford and Adam Rainey; Sarah Talamantes and David Reed; Kristina Stang and Nicholas King; Laura Martino and Kenny Zesso; Michelle Bartlett and Clinton Stipek; and Janine Romy and Bryce Hermsen. Janine is crushing it (Get it? It’s a wine joke.) as a WSET Level 3 sommelier and working as head of strategy at Lifetime Vintage. Cheers to our newly married couples: Shayne (Bontempo) and Tyler Thompson; Clarice (Juska) and Kevin Fox; Mary-Katherine (Klader) and Michael Lindt; Rachel (Bohac) and Robbie Husting; Nicole (Frederickson) and Michael Deasey; Clare (Gause) and Zach Wiley; Olivia (Tuck) and Derek Kuns; Janie (Goodson) and Nathan Foje ’15; and Erin Gerspach and Michael Murphy. Congratulations to parents-to-be Rachel (Komar) and Nate McCormick; Molly (Farrington) and Michael Hudson; and Brooke (Brown) and Keagen Gertz. Grace (Girardot) ’15 and Gabriel Prado Correa are loving life with sweet Santi. Crystal (Avila) ’17 and Bernie Floeder had their second baby, Violet, baptized in November. Violet is lucky enough to have Michael Lindt and Briana Avila ’22 as her godparents. Megan (Fabry) and Andrew Luedeman married in 2018. She is working toward her PhD in molecular biology at UNC Chapel Hill. Marissa Bowman is working toward her PhD in clinical/biological-health psychology at U of Pittsburgh. Joe Driano is getting his MBA at U of Washington. Matt Boomer started earlier this year at SMU for his MBA, and Mariah Villesenor is working toward her MBA at Wharton. Jacob Schrimpf is at Vanderbilt getting his MBA in human and organizational performance and strategy. Michelina Carbone graduated from Stetson Law last year and works as an attorney with Blalock Walters in Florida. Emily Dowling got her Master of Business Taxation from USC and works as a senior associate at PwC in New York. Alaciel Torres is still in Chicago but started a new job at Golin as manager of the digital connector. Chris Lattimer was recognized for his great work with Quinn Evans Architects in Ann Arbor and promoted to staff designer. Sarah Jesse is back on campus and has been serving as the rector of Farley Hall since the beginning of the 2019-20 school year. Ray’Von Jones teaches government at a high school in Oakland CA and received a State of Black Education Oakland People’s Choice Award in January. Hannah Ashley works as an interpretive park ranger and was based at Yellowstone National Park but recently moved to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Adam Soisson works at the National Foundation to End Child Abuse & Neglect, a Denver nonprofit. Crystal Thomas plays professional soccer with the Washington Spirit. Also soccer related, Alex Campbell hosts and produces SoccerCast Chicago, a podcast focused on all things Chicago soccer. Listen to it on Apple Podcasts. Caitlin (Beauchamp) Holuta was published in the Fordham Law Review and husband Nick got a shoutout in the footnotes. Juwan Bepo founded Curly Tips which helps people with naturally curly or textured hair find video tips and products that work for them. Joe Pautsch moved to Milwaukee and started a new job as an architectural designer at GRAEF. He also adopted a sweet pup named Rosie. My new favorite song is the theme song to Roommates-In-Law, Tommy Schneeman’s latest project. Check it out on Instagram or troll his other comedy shows on YouTube. Oma Nwaogwugwu was elected president of the ND Club of San Diego. Cooper Cohen was going to compete in an Ironman in Arizona, but when that was canceled, he still decided to complete the 140.6 miles of swim, bike and run. Clayton Conroy and his five-episode anthology series titled DATE won a Best Ensemble Award at the Independent Shorts Award LA International Film Festival. Jen Ho and Rafael Guerra ’15 shared their piano, violin and vocal talents by covering a song called “Collapse the Light into Earth.” Find it on Rafael’s YouTube channel. I am grateful for you, my classmates and friends. Keep up the good work. Email, text, DM, FaceTime, Teams Message, carrier pigeon, anything; you know I’d love to hear from you. — Bridget Doyle; bdoyle3@alumni.nd.edu
16MBA More Updates to Come
We hope everyone is enjoying a great start to 2021. Have updates? We look forward to sharing them. — Claire Kenney; 734-751-2354; ckenney2@alumni.nd.edu; Kelly Rubey; 952-270-7830; kelly.rubey@nd.edu
16JD Class Secretary Wanted
The Alumni Association is in search of a class secretary for the Law School Class of 2016. Interested parties should email Alumni Editor Joanne Norell at jnorell@nd.edu using the subject line “Class Secretary 2016JD.”
17 Silver Linings in 2020
This past year allowed Elizabeth Feely to commit unwaveringly to her work as an engineer supporting military and medical helicopter production. She got a quarantine puppy (named Keenan) and worked out of her hometown of Buffalo NY. 2020 gave Danny Quigley the opportunity to spend more time with family. He filled his time with “reading, exercising and reflecting” and focused on creatively maintaining his relationships with others in our digital world. Jasiris Tapia also spent time in 2020 deepening relationships. She learned that “friends and family are not just about physical proximity.” Her silver lining of the year was time: “time to reflect, time to slow down, time to understand the world doesn’t need to revolve around a job, and time to stop and breathe.” After a couple of years in the corporate world split between Chicago and Florida, 2020 gave Will Wolf a move to the UK. He is studying for a master’s in philosophy of physics at the U of Oxford, a passion sparked during his time at ND. COVID could not stop love. Congrats to our recently engaged couples: Jane Pangburn and Patrick Kilian; Alison Walker and Jordan Milo; Monica McFadden and Andrew Halt; Lucy Enright and Zach Espeland; Emma Richard and Kevin Reilly; Danielle Urdiales and Christian Havel; Thomas Wheeler and Mikaela Chandler; Kate Walsh and Conor Bradley; and Jillian Finkelstein and Patrick Hawley. Cheers to all our recently married couples including Lauren Smith ’19 and Jacob Hoyt; Suzannah Muthoot and Deepak Koshy; CJ de Nicola and Jaclyn Scerbak; and Shannon Hodges and Matthew Mooney. We are excited to hear about the new baby of Catherine (Kitz) and Andrew Clark ’11. Finally, a feature from our own Tanner Cipriano: “When I was asked to write two or three sentences about my 2020, I wanted to start with Feb. 9 because that was the day Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite won the Oscar for Best Picture and it was also the day I knew 2020 was going to be the best year ever. Except I know that you know that we both know that that second part isn’t entirely true, because soon after Bong’s historic win, we began hearing rumors of the C-word and by March we were all wearing masks and lathering our bodies with hand sanitizer, and then in April I ended my job as a producer’s assistant in Los Angeles so I could make a semi-spontaneous cross-country (and slightly post-apocalyptic) road trip back to Detroit in order to help my family through this thing we’re calling a ‘global pandemic.’ But now that we’re in a new year and now that the vaccine is on the way and now that I’m on the last sentence of the sentences that were requested of me, I’m beginning to feel both the futility of trying to summarize all of 2020 as well as a desire to forget a lot of 2020, so instead of writing any more about #toretalks, #ourblog, #faygo, or the first ever virtual @ciprianoclassic, I’d like to end by writing a personal message to someone special in my life: Thank you for making this year not the worst year ever and also I love you, Mom.” If you would like to send updates or celebrate a friend, please contact me. — Celanire Flagg; cflagg@alumni.nd.edu
17MBA Life Changes
Here are a few quick updates. First, Maj. Matthew Dudevoir was called to active duty in the Army and he is stationed in New Orleans. His wife, Amber, is pursuing her MBA through the U of Rochester. Their miniature dachshund, Leeta, turned one year old in February, and the couple also has three cats. Meanwhile, in other family news, Christy Sedore ’10 and Matthew Sedore welcomed their daughter, Eleanor “Ella” Maria Sedore, on Aug. 24. Ella has started practicing the Victory March and can’t wait to attend her first ND game this year. Gary Druskovich MD, EMBA ’17 moved to Royal Oak MI for a new job as the regional president and CEO for Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital. Finally, I am beyond excited to announce that my husband and I got married last September. We had a wonderful honeymoon in Door County WI and are loving married life. As always, please continue to send to me your life updates. Cheers to the MBA Class of 2017. — Mary (Tomasik) Foran; mtomasik@alumni.nd.edu
17JD Congratulations
Madhavi Seth was the co-author of an article that appeared in the Illinois State Bar Association’s Illinois Bar Journal. The article was also highlighted by the South Asian Bar Association in Chicago. Yvonne Kupfermann and Chris George got engaged on Dec. 31. Chris and Yvonne took a trip back to the law school and Chris popped the question in the seats they used when they first met in Professor Venter’s Legal Writing class. They plan to marry in summer 2022. — Lauren Nottoli; laurennottoli@gmail.com
18 Good Start
Hello, friends. This spring, it will be three years since we last gathered as a class on a rainy May Sunday in Notre Dame Stadium. Here are a few updates from our classmates. Paul Stevenson spent the 2018-19 academic year as an assistant rector in Stanford Hall and is happy to report that he only had to clean up puke a few times and “somehow wasn’t fired.” He graduated from the ND MBA program in 2019. Becca Blais started a nonprofit called Bluebonnet Data, which organized 585 technologists (including some ND students and grads) and reached over 400 campaigns in the 2020 election cycle. Annie Crea is graduating from U of Texas Law School in May and will work at a law firm in Houston after taking the bar. Meredith McClain is working as a CNA on a hospital medical/surgical floor. Emily Vincent graduated from the Yenching Academy of Peking U in Beijing with a Master of Economics in China Studies. She was honored to be selected as a graduation speaker to represent her class. Nicholas Furnari began working at the Robinson Community Learning Center this year and is happy to be back serving the Notre Dame and South Bend communities. Congratulations to our classmates who have gotten engaged since graduation. Brennah Toomey graduated with her Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Stetson U College of Law in December. She got engaged in November 2019 and will be married in April. Randy Balletta and Emily Greentree are engaged, and their wedding is planned for February 2022. Brent Kennedy is engaged to Stephanie Lednak. Will Bottema proposed to Kellsey Wiser ’18SMC on campus in November. Their wedding is planned for July 16, 2022, in Binghamton NY. Robin Seay is engaged and will be married in June. He passed his preliminary examination for PhD candidacy in cell and molecular biology in September. Best wishes to members of the Class of 2018 who were married recently. Leah Tzakis and Patrick Stepien were married Sept. 1 after getting engaged on graduation day May 20, 2018. They met in gen chem lab in the fall of their freshman year. Connor Colvin and Abigail Veres were married in August 2019. Patrick Koehr is married with his second child on the way. He received his Wings of Gold as a Naval aviator to fly the P-8 Poseidon. Maxwell Ujdak and Katie Wall ’17 were married in the Basilica on Oct. 24. They met as members of the Band of the Fighting Irish and became engaged at the 2019 USC game. Courtney McMahon married Patrick McMahon ’17 on Jan. 4, 2020, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Casey Dugan-Kaplan was married on Feb. 29, 2020, on Long Island, right before COVID hit New York. On June 13, Sophia Kiernan and Nathan Miller were married at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Green Bay WI. Justin McCurdy married Heather Williams ’17SMC, ’20SMC-MS on June 13. Erin Bradford and Marc Parzianello were married in August. Daniel Munoz and Genevieve Tuite, both graduates of the Program of Liberal Studies, married on Aug. 12. Their fellow PLS classmate, Jesse Shank, served as the officiant. They met in the halls of O’Shag and fostered their relationship over many coffees at Waddick’s. Daniel will graduate from law school this spring, and Genevieve will graduate from medical school in 2023. — Matthew Peters; mgpeters96@gmail.com
18MBA Class Secretary Wanted
The Alumni Association is in search of a class secretary for the MBA Class of 2018. Interested parties should email Alumni Editor Joanne Norell at jnorell@nd.edu using the subject line “Class Secretary 2018MBA.”
18JD Class Secretary Wanted
The Alumni Association is in search of a class secretary for the Law School Class of 2018. Interested parties should email Alumni Editor Joanne Norell at jnorell@nd.edu using the subject line “Class Secretary 2018JD.”
19 Forging Ahead
The pandemic has paused many aspects of daily lives, but members of the Class of 2019 are forging ahead while navigating the new normal. Quincey Hogue, a graduate in neuroscience, works at a clinical research site studying COVID-19 and looks forward to starting medical school this fall. Gaby Llano, a second-year medical student at the U of Miami, shared how the pandemic has shaped her education. She writes, “As a medical student, it has been frustrating to feel a duty to do more with the pandemic, but to still be in my training years and not yet be qualified to see patients on my own. I have instead supported my community in other ways, such as volunteering on COVID relief initiatives like my local COVID hotline, helping to keep the student clinic that I am project manager of running so that underserved and uninsured patients can get the care they need, and by receiving and promoting the COVID vaccine to all. It has been a challenge balancing personal wellness and my medical school studies with the many restrictions that come with the virus, but being a student during this time has shown me the true value of medicine, the importance of healthcare, and reminds me why I am pursuing my lifelong dream of becoming a physician.” In a year of service as a Jesuit volunteer at the Immigration Counseling Service in Hood River OR, Bridget Komyatte helped the non-profit immigration law firm with many tasks such as translating interviews between Spanish and English, drafting case documents, and serving as a point of contact for clients with questions on their applications or case status. Bridget also volunteered at a local DACA renewal clinic, by organizing Know Your Rights and Immigration 101, teaching Spanish GED math classes, and offering her talents on a local bilingual radio station. Since completion of her year of service last fall, she has been working as station manager at the non-profit Spanish/English radio station in Hood River called Radio Tierra. Her responsibilities include supervising DJs, screening new applicants, managing training, event planning, community outreach and fundraising. Computer science major Natalie Alvarez has been working at Apple as a software integration engineer on the Apple Watch. If we listen closely, we can hear the Basilica bells chiming to congratulate Michael Aumann and Bianca Jurewicz on their engagement. They are planning a December wedding at Notre Dame. Please reach out to the class officers or email us at the address below to share your life updates. We would love to hear from you. — Jane Driano, Michael Conlon, Dan Hopkinson, Eddie Griesedieck; notredameclass19@gmail.com
19MBA Class Secretary Wanted
The Alumni Association is in search of a class secretary for the MBA Class of 2019. Interested parties should email Alumni Editor Joanne Norell at jnorell@nd.edu using the subject line “Class Secretary 2019MBA.”
19JD Class Secretary Wanted
The Alumni Association is in search of a class secretary for the Law School Class of 2019. Interested parties should email Alumni Editor Joanne Norell at jnorell@nd.edu using the subject line “Class Secretary 2019JD.”