Class of 2016

I hope everyone has been keeping safe and well! I’m excited to share some new updates from members of our graduating class below:

After a five-year hiatus from any school and firmly believing he’d never go back to school, Alex Bateman made the decision in 2021 to go to law school. Fast forward three years to the past few months, and Alex has much to celebrate: His daughter turned 2, he passed the Virginia bar exam, graduated magna cum laude from Regent University School of Law, turned 30, has been happily married for eight years, and started full time as an associate attorney at Hanger Law in Virginia Beach. 

Conor Davidson and Elana Frank were married on June 15, 2024, at the Bronx Zoo. Heidi Crockett ’16, M.A.Ed. ’17 officiated, and the wedding party included 2016 graduates Greg Acosta, Brendan Brits and Caroline Stuart. 

Samantha Collins Wickman recently completed residency in internal medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, after which they will begin their new role as a chief resident there. 

On April 6, 2024, Wyndham Batchelor and Destiny Westbrook ’15 got married at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Bethesda, Maryland.

Laura G. Arreaza graduated from her OB-GYN residency this year after four years at WellSpan York Hospital. She completed her tenure there with an administrative chief resident position from 2023-2024. Laura will now be moving on to work for Capital Women’s Care at Inova Fairfax Hospital in September as an OB-GYN generalist.

Catherine Korizno celebrated her marriage to Vincent Dattilo on a beautiful spring day in Atlanta. The couple was surrounded by family and friends, including several William & Mary alumni friends of the bride. The couple resides in the Atlanta area, where the bride is an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Department of Justice and the groom, a graduate of University of Georgia School of Law, is a contracts attorney. 

Courtney Mizerak Eskay and Jackson Eskay welcomed their second child and first boy into the world on April 4, 2024: Robert “Robby” Lawrence Eskay III. Robby takes after his two namesakes, his great-grandfather Robert “Bob” Lawrence Eskay ’66, M.S. ’68, who played varsity basketball at William & Mary, and his grandfather Robert “Bo” Lawrence Eskay Jr. ’88, who played varsity soccer.

Will Manion and his wife, Abbey, are moving from Madison, Wisconsin, to Charlottesville, Virginia. Will recently joined a physician practice as the vice president of operations and became a seaplane pilot earlier this year. 

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Class of 2016, 

I hope everyone has been keeping safe and well! I’m excited to share some new updates from members of our graduating class:

Laura Wood and Daniel Dores got married on May 28, 2023, in Berkeley, California. Joey Stockton officiated, and the wedding party included 2016 graduates Scott Wieler, Lauren Thronson Rosenfield, and Haleigh Beckerman, as well as Hannah Kohn ’15 and Adam Rosenfield ’18. Daniel and Laura met their junior year at William & Mary.

Ross Anderson recently graduated with his Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling in December and now works as a therapist for LifeStance Health.

Brendan McNamara and Nic Querolo celebrated their wedding with family and friends on New Year’s Eve in Philadelphia. Many William & Mary graduates ranging from the classes of ’84 to ’22 attended. The couple lives in Brooklyn, New York, where Nic is a reporter for Bloomberg and Brendan is a Global Partnerships manager for Google.

Alexandra G. “Ally” Phillips received a Douglas N. Morton ’62 Young Alumni Service Award at a ceremony during Charter Day weekend. Ally is a founding member of the class ambassador program for the Class of 2016, encouraging her classmates to connect with and give back to the university. She was nominated to the Annual Giving Board just two years after graduating and has served on the Volunteer Engagement, Participation and Development Committees. 

Brian Jenkins ’16, executive director of the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP), was the guest speaker at the Association of 1775 and W&M Military & Veteran Affairs’ breakfast to honor W&M military service members and veterans. He was also named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30. He was recognized for his social impact with ASAP, which aims to combat isolation among veterans and improve their well-being through free classes and performances across an array of art forms. 

Kyle Vachris married Allison Johns ’18 on Nov. 18, 2023, in Arlington, Virginia. The wedding party included Anna Wilson ’17, Justin Fuller ’14, Ryan Corcoran, Brian Meyer ’17, M.Ed. ’19, Scott Vachris ’84 and Michelle Vachris ’84. Guests included over 30 alumni.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

I hope everyone has been keeping safe and well! I’m excited to share some new updates from members of our graduating class:

Sean Sheldon is currently entering his second season as an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz. He spent this past summer as an assistant coach for Team Finland in the FIBA World Cup tournament in Okinawa, Japan.

Krista Braun is currently a second-year student at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, where she is pursuing her passion for equine sports medicine. She is thoroughly enjoying every moment of her veterinary school journey! She has also recently entered a new chapter in her life by marrying Kyle Carter. Their wedding took place on Sept. 2, 2023, in Estes Park, Colorado.

Julia Canney and Timothy Schorr celebrated their wedding this past Labor Day on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, surrounded by family and friends. It was a true W&M affair with 26 alumni in attendance, including members of the classes of ’82, ’86, ’94, ’16, ’17, ’20, and ’21. Julia and Tim met during their freshman year at William & Mary, and now live in Boston, where Julia is completing her J.D. at Northeastern University School of Law. 

Jamie Garza (formerly Harris) and Christina Cisarik were married in an intimate and colorful ceremony in Chicago on Oct. 7, 2023. Jamie has developed a career as a community organizer and data analyst in her time since William & Mary. She is currently the senior data and analytics manager for the national racial justice nonprofit, Color of Change.

Amanda VanInwegen married John McGuinness J.D. ’20 in Richmond, Virginia, on Oct. 7, 2023.

Emery Lambert graduated with a Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis this August and is now glad to be back in the Washington, D.C., area.

Kiara A. Earle graduated from American University in 2021 with a Master of Arts in intercultural and international communication. She was awarded a Boren Fellowship to Japan but could not complete it due to travel restrictions at that time. Kiara is now a proposal operations specialist at an information technology company that services clients in the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

For the past two years, Kiara has been competing in Olympic weightlifting. This December, she will be competing in her second national meet as an 81-kilogram lifter. She is also expecting that her latest total will qualify her for The Nike 2024 USA Weightlifting National Championships Week in Pittsburgh next June. Fingers crossed!

Alison Dommel O’Shea married Trevor O’Shea ’17 on June 24, 2023, in Washington, D.C.! 

It was another Tribe wedding for Alison’s family. Her parents (Paul Dommel ’86 and Marilyn Flaherty Dommel ’87) got married in the Wren Chapel. During the wedding, they took a W&M group picture with representation from the classes of ’86, ’87, ’12, ’14, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’18, and ’19!

And finally, after graduating with a degree in linguistics, Max Mohr spent two years teaching English as a second language in Seoul, South Korea. Upon his return to the U.S., he built up a presence in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is currently the No. 2 man for Gig Strategic, a digital marketing startup. He is also active as a musician under the name Max Mandu, writing songs and playing shows across Central Virginia.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Class of 2016,

I hope everyone has been keeping safe and well! I’m excited to share some new updates from members of our class:

Meg Heim and Gabby Steinfeld ’15 celebrated their wedding with family and friends this past June in Lake George, New York. The couple have been together since summer of 2015 and met at William & Mary.

Meredith Lerner and Mick Sloan ’15 got married on May 28, 2023, in Crozet, Virginia. Their wedding was attended by dozens of W&M alumni.

After graduating with a degree in linguistics, Max Mohr spent two years teaching English as a second language in Seoul, South Korea. Upon his return to the U.S., he started the next phase of life in Charlottesville, Virginia. He currently works as a sales manager for Gig Strategic, a digital marketing startup. He is also active as a musician under the name Max Mandu, writing songs and playing shows all across Central Virginia.

Dillan Patel graduated in May with a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Rutgers University with honors and an award in Outstanding Academic Achievement. Dillan would like to thank Michael Tierney ’87, M.A. ’88 and Daniel Maliniak ’06 in the William & Mary Department of Government for their recommendations.

Alexander Lum and his wife, Laurel, welcomed a daughter, Wren Elizabeth Lum, to their family.

Catherine Korizno recently got engaged to Vincent Dattilo in Atlanta. Catherine continues her work as an intelligence analyst with the Department of Justice. and Vincent is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and works as a contracts attorney at NCC Group.

Micayla Costa is working at Fabletics in Tysons, serving as a mentor with Wedu, and working with CIBT Inc. in McLean, Virginia. If there is any interest, alumni may contact her directly at micaylajcosta@gmail.com or 904-537-1339.

And finally, William & Mary and Rutgers are the only two of the nine “colonial colleges” founded in British North America before the American Revolution to eschew the Ivy League and instead take on the roles of state universities. As a William & Mary alumnus working for the State Park Service of New Jersey, Paul Soltis enjoys a special place connecting and sharing the long histories of both colonial colleges turned public universities. Read his reflections in the Young Guarde blog.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

I hope everyone has been keeping safe and well! I’m excited to share some new updates from members of our graduating class:

Catherine Korizno recently got engaged to Vincent Dattilo in Atlanta. Catherine continues her work as an intelligence analyst with the Department of Justice and Vincent is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and works as a contracts attorney at NCC Group.

Meredith Randle and Mary Ellen Garrett ’17 got engaged this past summer (on Aug. 19, 2022, at the corner of Henry Street and Cranberry Street in New York City’s Brooklyn borough). Meredith is a past intern of the W&M Alumni Magazine, and we could not be happier for her and Mary Ellen!

Zack Perconti will lead the government affairs efforts at Government Affairs Solutions (GA Solutions), a new firm based in Churchton, Maryland, providing advocacy and other government-relations services to a growing list of clients. Beginning June 1, GA Solutions represents The American Pipeline Contractors Association and The Power & Communication Contractors Association, and more recently has signed on to represent the National Utility Contractors Association and the State Technical College of Missouri. This news was reported in the October 2022 edition of Utility Contractor magazine.

Matthew Groves and Sarah Maddox Groves welcomed their first baby, Mary Frances, on Jan. 13, 2023, at 2:22 p.m. She weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 20 inches long.

Claire Etheridge Philips accepted an offer to become a U.S. Foreign Service officer in September 2022. Claire and her husband, Henry Phillips ’14, will leave for her first assignment in New Delhi, India, in January 2023.

And finally, Ming Siegel assisted R. Joseph Barton ’91, J.D. ’00 and Colin M. Downes with establishing the law firm of Barton & Downes LLP based in Washington, D.C. As the firm’s paralegal, she assists in litigating individual and class action cases across the country on behalf of employees, veterans and servicemembers involving employment issues as well as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).  

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Class of 2016,

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since we first stepped foot on campus! I hope everyone has been doing well in the decade that has come to pass since those first memories at W&M. 

I’m excited to share an update of my own this issue. Earlier this year, after several years on the East Coast, I moved to Los Angeles for a role with Google managing the Universal Pictures business. It’s been great getting to know a new city and amazing as always to see how the W&M community extends far beyond Williamsburg.

Sean Sheldon recently accepted an assistant coach position for the Utah Jazz after spending the last four seasons working for the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff in the video scouting department. 

Michele Ricciardi got married to Alex Abrahamian on May 6, 2022, and they are now living in San Diego. 

Amanda VanInwegen got engaged to John McGuinness J.D. ’20 in Richmond, Virginia. Amanda is a neonatal critical care pharmacist at Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital and John is senior legal counsel at Allianz Partners.

Courtney Pierce ’16, M.Acc. ’17 and Robert Smutsky ’16, M.Acc. ’17 got engaged at W&M Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2021. Courtney and Bobby met at the business school during their junior year and have been inseparable ever since. They went on to complete the Master of Accounting (M.Acc.) program together and now live in Fairfax, Virginia. Courtney and Bobby look forward to celebrating one year of engagement at Homecoming this year and returning to campus for many years to come.

Claire Tito ’16, M.A.Ed. ’17 married Nick Becker in Richmond, Virginia, on July 9, 2022. Fourteen W&M alumni were present, including Ashley Woodards ’17 and Greg Tito ’14 in the bridal party. 

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Hello Class of 2016,

I hope that everyone is keeping safe and well! Please see some updates from our class below:

Matt Nelli successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis in organic chemistry at the University of Utah in March and moved to San Diego for a job in biotech. 

Alexa Hinrichs recently graduated with a Master of Social Work from University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

On April 9, 2022, Zack Perconti married his girlfriend of five years, Ariela Garvett, at a ceremony attended by friends and family in Purcellville, Virginia. The couple live in Alexandria, Virginia, with their dog, Sadie. 

Finally, Nathaniel Hatter graduated from the University of Texas School of Law and will be moving to London this fall to start his legal practice.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Class of 2016,

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 10 years since we first stepped foot on campus — I hope everyone is doing well! Please find some updates from the Class of 2016 below:

Jackson Eskay and Courtney Mizerak Eskay had their first baby on Dec. 26, 2021. Her name is Elle Mizerak Eskay, and she joins a long legacy of Tribe alumni: Her parents, her paternal grandparents (Bo Eskay ’88 and Jackie Bernard Eskay ’88), her paternal great-grandparents (Bob Eskay ’66 and Lalie Forman Eskay ’66), her two uncles (John Andrew Eskay ’22 and William Eskay ’18), her uncle’s fiancée (Haley Kavanaugh ’17), her great-uncle (Steven Eskay ’98), and her maternal aunt and uncle (Gabrielle Mizerak Aguirre ’13 and Carlos Aguirre ’13), are all Tribe graduates (excluding John Andrew, who will graduate this spring).

Rachel Rogers and fellow W&M grad Matthew Oplinger ’18 got engaged last July, and will be getting married at the Wren Chapel this coming December! It will be a real W&M affair, with Julia Canney, Madeline Schultz, Caroline Peterson and Emily O’Connell in the bridal party. Matthew’s brother Gavin Oplinger ’16 is one of the best men, along with his other brother, Michael.

Matthew Camarda married Kellie Strand on Nov. 14, 2021. Matthew and Kellie met at W&M and both graduated in the Class of 2016.

Paxton Long and Beni Yuzawa have started a band while living in Chicago called Midamerican Elevator. Beni and Paxton met at William & Mary through the a cappella scene, where they both sang in the group the Intonations. There are five members in the band, including one other W&M alumnus, Greg Taylor ’17. They are going to be releasing their debut album in the next few months.

Finally, Will Manion, an alumnus of William & Mary Men’s Swimming and former competitor at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, is now director of business development and strategy at Agrace.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Class of 2016,

It’s hard to believe it’s been nine years since we first stepped foot on campus — I hope everyone is doing well! Please find some updates from members of our class below:

This past summer, Wyndham Batchelor graduated from the University of Miami with a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and is now doing postdoctoral research in Bethesda, Maryland.

Yuezhong Zheng recently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to start a new job as the program manager of graduate programs in economics at the University of San Francisco. 

Alex Bateman currently lives in Norfolk, Virginia, with his wife. Alex’s family started a new brewery/coffee shop in Norfolk called COVA Brewing Company this past year. Alex also just started law school at the Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach. 

According to Columbia Climate School, “Aiyana Bodi has recently joined Project Drawdown as a senior associate with Drawdown Labs. After graduating from the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy program (MPA-ESP) at Columbia University in 2019, she began working as a summer research fellow for Mighty Earth, a global advocacy organization focused on reducing deforestation through global supply chains. During her time in this fellowship, her research focused on rubber agroforestry along with aiding in a campaign directed at forming a coalition on sustainable natural rubber.” 

According to the Daily Press, “The Bleed Virginia team and the Founding Fathers, primarily James Madison alumni, were chosen to participate in The Basketball Tournament, an annual event for non-NBA pros with a $1 million winner-take-all prize to be divided among the champion team.” Bleed Virginia’s roster included W&M alumni Terry Tarpey.

Domenic Martinelli ’16, M.Acc. ’17, Tribe Football alumnus, and Michelle Goss, Tribe Lacrosse alumna, were married on Aug. 7, 2021. 

Brooke LaRue and Alex Chadwick were married this September in Boulder, Colorado. 

On Oct. 8, Zack Jones got married to his husband, Asa Maurer. In attendance were a few classmates: Allison Givens, Aaron Thompson, Eva Cruz ’16, M.Acc. ’17, and Ashley Murphy Wang ’15 and Jason Wang ’15. 

And finally, Dennis Braden and Lexi Braschi got married in Ashburn, Virginia, on Sept. 25. A long list of W&M alumni were in attendance, including bridal party members: myself, Meaghan Morgan ’17, Jack Wehr (best man), Aaron Skonecki, Matt Filbert, Philip O’Brien ’17, Patrick Lockett ’15 and Constantin Fabian.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Hello Class of 2016,

I hope that everyone is keeping safe and well! Please see some updates from our class below:

As the pandemic carries on, vaccines are rolled out and mask mandates are lifted, Chelsea Dade is working with KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) to continue to support equitable access to credible vaccine information for those who need it most. As a Community Engagement Manager, she works alongside faith-based organizations, health equity groups and civic leaders to bring KFF’s Greater Than COVID vaccine info campaign, THE CONVERSATION, to Black and Brown communities. One of the high points of the campaign occurred recently when THE CONVERSATION’s co-developer and medical lead, Dr. Rhea Boyd, was featured in conversation with former President Barack Obama, discussing the campaign and COVID in communities of color.

This spring, Claire Glick graduated with honors from Shenandoah University’s Accelerated Second Degree BSN program. She will begin her nursing career at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, caring for critical and intermediate care patients in the Nelson Medical Progressive Care Unit.

Evan Jacquez graduated from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine in the spring and began an orthopedic surgery residency at Georgetown University Hospital this past summer.

After graduating with an M.A. in classical studies from Columbia University in 2020, Katy Knortz began a Ph.D. in classical art and archaeology at Princeton University. As a field archaeologist, she typically spends her summers excavating at various sites in Italy.

At W&M, Leslie (Wangxiaoqi) Sun double-majored in mathematics and accounting. After graduation, Leslie got a master’s in financial mathematics from Johns Hopkins University, and she is now working at Goldman Sachs in New York as a quantitative strategist. Since moving to New York, Leslie has picked up a few new hobbies (snowboarding and surfing) and has been spending most winter and summer weekends on them. Prior to pandemic, she had been volunteering at a local NPO for two years and is hoping to get back to it once pandemic ends.

George “Brody” Marino recently finished a master’s degree at the University of South Carolina and has taken a contracting position with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Brody will be soon moving to Mobile, Alabama, to better support disaster response capacity in the Gulf. Any Southern or Gulf Coast-based Tribe alumni are welcome to connect with him! 

Samantha Wickman graduated from UVA’s medical school this month and will be starting residency in internal medicine at VCU in July. 

On June 26, 2021, Beatrice Chessman married Paul Schumann at St. Cecilia’s Church in Brooklyn, New York, shortly after completing her M.F.A. in painting at the New York Studio School. 

And finally, Miranda Elliott’s ambient pop solo project Old Man of the Woods released its debut EP “Dissolve” in 2020. Miranda wrote, recorded and produced the record in her home studio, and is now working on her debut LP, slated to be released this fall with Totally Real Records.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Hello Class of 2016,

I hope that everyone is staying safe and well through these incredibly challenging times. In light of everything going on, I hope this edition of Class Notes can offer some positive news from members of our graduating class:

Nate Chen received his Formula DRIFT PRO2 license this year after winning the USDrift Shootout at the Battle on the Bay on Oct. 24, 2020. 

Catherine Korizno left her job as a news producer in Charleston, South Carolina, and joined the FBI as an intelligence analyst. After graduating from the FBI Academy in Quantico, she moved to Georgia and is now working in the Atlanta Division.

Laura G. Arreaza is now living in York, Pennsylvania, having started her OBGYN residency after graduating from medical school in May.

Deborah King is currently a second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Danny Clark and Megan Chaplin Clark ’17 welcomed their daughter, Molly Chaplin Clark, into the world July 13, 2020.

Finally, Claire Etheridge and Henry Phillips ’14 got married on Aug. 14, 2020, in a small family-only ceremony at the Williamsburg Inn. They are both double legacies and enjoyed celebrating with their parents: David Etheridge ’82 and Darlene Pastore Etheridge ’82, and Daniel Phillips ’86 and Kathryn Penney Wicks ’86. Some of the highlights of their wedding weekend were taking photos outside the Wren Building (scaffolding and all) and a carriage ride around Colonial Williamsburg.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Hello Class of 2016,

I hope that everyone is staying safe and well through these incredibly challenging times. In light of everything going on, I hope this edition of Class Notes can offer some positive news from members of our graduating class:

Claire Etheridge got engaged to Henry Phillips ’14 in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on November 26, 2019. Both Claire and Henry are double legacies, and Claire’s parents, David Etheridge ’82 and Darlene Pastore Etheridge ’82, were with the couple in Paris, while Henry's parents, Daniel Phillips ’86 and Kathryn Penney Wicks ’86, couldn't wait to celebrate once they got back to the U.S. They were planning their wedding for August 2020 at the Wren Chapel.

Amanda VanInwegen graduated with her doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2020. Amanda is now working as a resident pharmacist at University of Virginia Health System.

After graduating from W&M, Sarah Henry went to UVA for a master’s in school counseling. Sarah is currently a school counselor at Northumberland High School in the Northern Neck of Virginia and in 2021, will start on a Ph.D. in counselor education at the Ohio State University. 

Laurra Sperry Bond married Jason Bond on March 28, 2020. Due to the pandemic, they ended up having a living room elopement instead of their traditional ceremony. 

Ellen Nguyen graduated from her master's program this past May with a degree in applied biomedical engineering and is now working for Inari Medical, a medical device company at the forefront of venous thrombectomy treatments.

Lauren Chunias recently moved to New York City’s Brooklyn borough and launched two businesses: @SpaceToThriveDesign, a virtual interior decorating service, and @UnderdogCandles, a cheeky hand-poured candle company that celebrates everyday underdogs. She also became an even prouder big sister when her brother Teddy Chunias joined the W&M class of 2023!

Jill Williamson Alty and Isaac Alty were married on July 4, 2020, in Stanardsville, Virginia. Isaac graduated from Harvard Medical School this past May and has started his residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Jill is finishing up a Ph.D. in chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill, anticipated to be completed next March. 

Johnny Mac Yates and Caroline Cassidy '17 were married May 30, 2020. After meeting Caroline in Yates Hall during their freshman year, Johnny Mac convinced Caroline into going out on a date to Jamestown Beach. With the help of a Cook Out milkshake, he won her over and they have enjoyed five happy years since. They are excited to return to the 'Burg to celebrate.

On May 2, 2020, Amanda Williams married Zander Meitus ‘15 in their Washington D.C., backyard with their family and friends cheering them on via Zoom. Not the wedding they'd planned on, but a wonderful moment all the same. 

Marriages

Matthew Howard Keimig ’16, M.Acc. ’17 to Holly Reynolds Keimig, 6/29/19.

Madison Elizabeth Miller to Zachary B. Giddes, 8/24/19.

Aine Cain ‘16 interviewed James Comey ‘82, LL.D. ’08 at a W&M advancement event in June 2019 (photo courtesy of Margaret Strolle ’15).

Marriages

• Moncure Matthiessen Chatfield‑Taylor to Alexandra Chatfield‑Taylor '17, 10/06/19.
• Matthew David Groves to Sarah Frances Maddox, 9/15/18.
• Stephanie Blake Lauterbach '16, J.D. '19 to Jason Diaz, 9/21/19.
• Jonathan Dylan Rigby to Augusta Grace Martien, 8/24/19.

Hello Class of 2016!

I hope everyone is doing well. It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven years since our first Yule Log Ceremony in the Wren Courtyard. Much has changed since then, but one thing that has not changed are the incredible things our class continues to accomplish.

For example, many members of our class have achieved impressive career milestones:

After graduating, Kassandra Leal made her way to Florida for summer training to start her two-year commitment of missionary life with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). She served on college campuses for three years at the University of Alabama, University of Florida and Angelo State University in West Texas. She is now back in Virginia in her home Diocese of Richmond serving as the new director of Catholic Campus Ministry for Hampden-Sydney College and Longwood University. 

Noella Handley recently graduated from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa with a master's degree in linguistics. They recently moved to Petaluma, California, and works as a freelance editor.

Christine Bruinsma completed her degree and certification as a medical laboratory technologist and is working in a full-service hospital lab.

Karen Alvarez graduated from Northeastern University in May with a master's (M.S.) and Certificate of Graduate Studies (C.A.G.S.) in school psychology.

Yuezhong Zheng moved to Tempe, Arizona, to start a new job in August this year at Arizona State University, working as a program coordinator for the International Students and Scholars Center after graduating from the University of Michigan in their master’s program in Higher Education. 

After working as a learning specialist at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Danielle Shulkin left to join the Peace Corps as a volunteer in the Teaching English, Leadership, and Life Skills sector. She is now living on an indigenous reservation in Panama with no cell signal and no electricity, but lots of arroz con pollo.

Margaret (Daisy) Horning is currently working as an advancement associate for the Miller Center of Public Affairs, which is a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia that specializes in presidential history and public policy. She lives in Charlottesville with another W&M alum, Cameron Beasley ’15, and their two cats and one kitten.

Many members of our class also celebrated major life events:

Hiba Vohra got engaged this past July to Abdelrahman Aboulatta ’18.

Taylor Ferguson and Hunter Atkins were married at the Wren Chapel on October 12, 2019.

Courtney Mizerak and Jackson Eskay got married on August 17. The Tribe was in full force at their wedding — 46 total alums in attendance, spanning three generations. 

Daniel Alexander Clark '16 and Megan Nella-Marie Chaplin '17 (now Megan Clark) were married in Shenandoah National Park on 9/7/2019. The ceremony was officiated by Stephen Israel '16. They currently live in Washington, D.C., where Danny is completing his master of public policy degree at Georgetown University. 

And finally, Jonathan Rigby and Grace Martien-Rigby were married on August 24 in Oxford, Maryland. They were surrounded by family and friends, including 35 William & Mary alumni! Grace and Jonathan currently live in Connecticut where Grace is completing her final year at Yale Divinity School and Jonathan is continuing his joint degree program at Yale Divinity School and Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. 

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Marriages

Daniel Alexander Clark '16 to Megan Nella-Marie Chaplin '17, 9/7/2019.

Lauren Diana Dong to William James Hollingsworth ’16, M.Ed. ’18, 9/2/18.

Taylor Ferguson to Hunter Atkins, 10/12/19.

Grace Martien to Jonathan Rigby, 8/24/19.

Courtney Mizerak to Jackson Eskay, 8/17/19. 

Hello Class of 2016! 

I hope everyone is doing well. It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven years since we first set foot on campus, excited to start our journeys as members of the Tribe. It has been truly incredible to see and celebrate the things our class has gone on to achieve since those very first steps on the cobblestones.

Many of you have achieved recent career milestones in the three years since graduation. To name a few:

Esther ‘Esty’ Byrd graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Queens University of Charlotte Presbyterian School of Nursing as a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She successfully completed her boards and will be starting as an RN in the Emergency Department for Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, this summer.

Zack Fetters is currently teaching Special Education in the Williamsburg-James City County School Division, and will be teaching at Laurel Lane Elementary School in the fall.

Micayla Costa is a master’s of public administration degree candidate at University of North Carolina, in addition to being a 2U admissions counselor at the University of California, Berkeley Master of Information and Data Science program. She is also a business resource network member, a research associate intern in diversity and inclusion at Center for Labor, Human Services and Population at Urban Institute to Teresa Derrick-Mills on diversity in the workplace, a BIED Society Senior Fellow and D.C. metro-area manager, a InterNations D.C. ambassador and a Wedu Mentor.

Catherine Korizno now produces the 5 p.m. news broadcast for the Charleston, South Carolina, NBC affiliate station WCBD, completed her first active year with the Junior League, published two pieces in their magazine “Cobblestones,” and was invited to be a part of the Leadership Board for the Charleston Alumni chapter for W&M.

Anthony Smith has been busy handling the finances at Oleta Coach Lines, Inc. and running his own driving school business that is based out of Richmond (Blessed Driving School, LLC). In addition to this, he has been working to establish the first dairy processing plant in Williamsburg, where has been partnering with Professor Ronald Monark ’61 of the Raymond A. Mason School of Business. Anthony’s farm is actually the oldest laboring farm in the United States!

Paige Stuhlmuller ’16, M.A.Ed. ’17 moved from California, where she was working as a marine educator, to Oregon, where she is teaching middle school science in Portland.

Yuezhong Zheng graduated with her Master of Arts in Student Access & Success in Higher Education from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in May this year.

And finally, Linh Vinh received her master's degree in sociology from the University of Virginia and is entering her third year of her Ph.D. program. She is a legal observer coordinator with the National Lawyers Guild where she works with the People's Coalition for Criminal Justice in Charlottesville, Virginia, in support of the establishment of a Police Civilian Review Board. She also works with Lending Hands, an organization which helps ex-offenders re-enter the community, and advocate for pretrial justice in Virginia.  

For others, the recent months have been filled with exciting news on love and relationships:

Jen Vogl will be marrying Charles Loughery J.D. ’16 on Sept. 21 in Gwynedd, Pennsylvania. Mimi Carolus-Hager will be her maid of honor.

Jackson Eskay will be getting married to Courtney Mizerak on Saturday, Aug. 17. The following Monday he will start class at Emory Law School. 

Laurra Sperry became engaged to Jason Bond and graduated with her master’s in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center. She recently moved to Binghamton, New York. 

Erin O’Brien and Meade Nelsen will be getting married in October this year in Northern Virginia.

Alex Lum married Laurel Hopkins (now Laurel Lum) on December 16, 2018, in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Victoria Gum and Waverly Garner ’17, M.A.Ed. ’18 were married in the Wren chapel on June 22, 2019.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.

Marriages

Kayla Schoomaker to Edward Powell, 6/23/2018.

Emily Stites to Will Manion, 7/6/2019.

Patrick Savage and Christina Devon were married at the Williamsburg Inn on Dec. 28, 2018.

Hello Class of 2016!

I hope you are all doing well. It’s hard to believe that it’s been six years since our first Yule Log Ceremony in the Wren Courtyard. This holiday season, it’s been truly awe-inspiring to reflect on the time that has passed since then, and to celebrate all of the incredible milestones our class has surpassed.

Many of our own are embarking on new career opportunities. In June, Ross Anderson moved to Boulder, Colorado, to start a job at the University of Colorado Boulder in human resources, specifically, their organization and employee development unit. He has been living out here for about three months and welcomes any and all W&M alumni to reach out via email (Ross.W.Anderson@colorado.edu), Facebook or LinkedIn.

Raven Baytops is back in Virginia after spending two years in Pennsylvania. She is currently living it up in Virginia Beach working at a high school as a college counselor. In her own words, “I feel I peaked in college, so it’s only fitting I spend eight hours a day talking about it. I'm happy to be back and can't wait for the new adventures that lay ahead.”

Erik Berg recently finished his two-year analyst program at The Carlyle Group and started working as an analyst at Rev1 Ventures in Columbus, Ohio. Rev1 is an investor startup studio that combines capital and strategic services to help startups scale. Rev1 has more than $90 million in capital under management and has been named the Most Active VC in the Great Lakes Region for the past three years in a row. Erik recently published a blog post about his experience getting a job in venture capital here: https://abergseyeview.com/blog/2018/8/25/vc-and-me.

Paige Stuhlmuller ’16, M.A.Ed. ’17 just finished teaching a year at an outdoor educational camp on Catalina Island, California. She switched from informal marine education to teaching middle school 7th and 8th grade science in Portland, Oregon.

Jillian Lineburg has accepted a position as a laboratory genetic counselor with Children's National Health System in Washington, D.C.

Victoria Gum recently had the opportunity to give her presentation, “It’s the Pits: Civil War Camp Features at Gloucester Point, Virginia,” at the quarterly meeting of the Gloucester Historical Society.

On the higher-education front, Linh Vinh is a second-year sociology Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia studying race, law and social movements. She is an intern with the Civil Rights and Racial Justice program of the Legal Aid Justice Center, working on bail reform in Virginia. She is also a legal observer coordinator with the central Virginia chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

For many members of the class of 2016, love is in the air. Grace Martien became engaged to Jon Rigby in August while they were in Hawaii with his family. They are currently studying at Yale University in Connecticut. Grace is attending Yale Divinity School and Berkeley Divinity School while Jon is a joint degree student at Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and Yale Divinity School.

Sarah Maddox and Matthew Groves will be married as of Sep. 15, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee, and Jena Gray and Matthew Kitchen ’17 will be getting married on Oct. 6, 2018 in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Thank you to everyone for your updates! Best wishes until next time.