News

Class Notes

August 5, 2025

Notices as of Aug. 1, 2025

1975

Duane Anderson published two poetry books in 2025: "The Life of an Ordinary Man" and "In the Eyes Of," available on Amazon.

1978

Kurt Jensen retired after 40 years with oral and maxillofacial surgery at The Oral & Facial Center Ltd. in Rockford, Ill., which he founded. He served more than an estimated 100,000 patients during his career.

1984

Beth Venn was selected by The Wyoming Committee for the National Museum of Women in the Arts as curator for the “Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution” exhibition. This biennial exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., will showcase underrepresented and emerging women artists from around the world. Beth is executive director of the University of Wyoming's Neltje Center for Excellence in Creativity and the arts and managing director of the Jentel Artist Residency.

1991

Lori Getz Kyger retired from her position as an English teacher, department chair and National Honor Society sponsor at Rock Falls (Ill.) High School after 34 total years in education.

1992

Ann Tenold Rogan was named the executive director of The Buchanan Center for the Arts in Monmouth, Ill.

1997

Malik Khaliq was recognized as one of the Top 3 financial advisors in the state of Iowa. In addition, his team “Khaliq Group” was recognized as one of the Top 10 teams in the state of Iowa.

2002

Tobias Ortega placed 10th in the 2025 United States All-Round Weightlifting Association's national meet in his age group.

2004

Jimmy Juliano's second novel, a horror/mystery story titled "13 Months Haunted," was published by Dutton Books and Penguin Random House and is available on Amazon.

2009

Wyatt Brieser was named CEO of Hammond-Henry Hospital in Geneseo, Ill.

2012

Samantha Keil's article, "Glymphatic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease: A critical appraisal," published in the July 2025 issue of Science Magazine.

Fricke and Duran — Susan Fricke '13 and Abe Duran '14 in Banff in Alberta, Canada

2013

Susan Fricke and Abe Duran '14 were married on July 7, 2025.

Devon and Meredith Skala Pace had a son on Feb. 14, 2025.

Devon Pace is a general surgeon based in Philadelphia, Penn. He completed his M.D. with honors at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 2018 and pursued a surgical residency at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University until 2025, where he served as the administrative chief resident.

Samantha Lack Sperlak and Douglas Sperlak had a son, Bruno Sebastian, in May 2025.

2014

Abe Duran and Susan Fricke '13 were married on July 7, 2025.

2016

Danielle Schneider-Webster is the medical director at VCA Woodstock Veterinary Clinic. She married Brandon Webster in December 2024.

2021

Daniel Cuneo is the business and facilities director for the Rock Island Public Library.

Katlyn Haeflinger earned a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Augustana College.

2025

Cristal Moreno Aguilar is an events coordinator with Renewal by Andersen.

Ocean Akau is pursuing a master's in applied behavior analysis at Brigham Young University.

Gracie Benstine is attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison to earn a master's in environment and resources.

Jessica Cotturone is attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science.

Mia Fernandez is pursuing a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at Augustana College.

Nicole Grafon is attending veterinary school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Mikey Hamilton is at Deloitte Tax in Chicago with the Global Investment and Innovation Incentives team.

Christina Harvey is attending Marquette University to earn a master's in speech-language pathology.

Ryan Kammerzell is teaching with the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program.

Gavin McCorry is a reinsurance actuarial trainee at Aon Re, Inc., in the company's Chicago headquarters.

Paige Meyer is attending Simmons University in Boston, Mass., to pursue a master's in library and information science.

Rim Nassiri is in the Digital Leadership Development Program at Raytheon Technologies, starting her first rotation as a software developer at Collins Aerospace.

Charlotte Newport was awarded a $10,000 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship for her excellence in academics and water polo. She is attending The University of Texas School of Law this fall.

Anyango Okech is on the audit and assurance staff at Deloitte.

Lizzie Pelzman is pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy at North Central College.

Mary Sabo is enrolled in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Ischool to earn a master's in library and information science.

Katie Sanders is enrolled at Johns Hopkins University in pursuit of a master's in museum studies.

Jaclyn Schmidt is attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison to earn a doctorate in occupational therapy.

Dakota Serra is pursuing a master's in entomology and plant pathology at Oklahoma State University.

Holden Siena is enrolled in the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis.

Syd Tajkowski is attending the University of Illinois at Chicago, pursuing a Master of Public Health in environmental and occupational health sciences.

Rachel Witt is enrolled in the library and information studies graduate program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Audrey Zettler is pursuing a Ph.D. in the geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago.

Lazlow Ziebel is serving as a teaching assistant for undergraduate courses at the University of Iowa, while pursuing a master's in urban planning.

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