Class Notes
1967
Terry (Thiele) Rasmussen of Fort Collins, Colo., has run 58 half marathons in all 50 states, D.C., Mexico, and Scotland since 2010. Terry is currently running 5-milers, 4-milers, 5Ks, and 10Ks.
1975
John Bradtke of Palm Coast, Fla., is retired.
Steve Mineck of Elmhurst, Ill., is a volunteer with Project C.U.R.E., a global medical relief organization.
Chuck Storla of Acworth, Ga., wrote his debut novel, a humorous murder mystery titled Murder Two Doors Down.
1976
Tom Stark of Madison, Wis., illustrated his wife Kathleen’s recently published children’s book, The Armadillo Family and the Secret Tunnel.
1977
Mark Scharff of St. Louis, Mo., stepped down as coordinator of the NACO-Music Project after 15 years of service. Mark also toured Europe with the Myron Heaton Chorale of Las Vegas.
1978
Eric Holey of Lakeville, Minn., is a ceramics instructor at Lakeville Area Arts Center.
Jan (Connell) Lovell of Clear Lake, Iowa, published a book, Our Better Selves: A Journey of Love amid Life’s Storms, available on Amazon.
1981
Tammy Anderson of Morrison, Ill., retired from Bethesda Lutheran Church.
1985
Kris Thomas Dreifuerst of Gallatin, Tenn., is senior associate dean for academics and a professor at Vanderbilt University.
1990
Pete Behrens of Louisville, Colo., published his debut book, Into the Fog: Leadership Stories from the Edge of Uncertainty.
Vanessa (Grima Baldacchino) Frazier of New York is special representative of the secretary-general for children and armed conflict for the United Nations.
Jane (Vaaler) Roets of Wethersfield, Conn., is a clinician at Growing Well Counseling. Jane also serves as a member of the Wethersfield Town Council.
1992
Stephanie Agresta of Little Silver, N.J., is the managing director for Ascendancy Events.
1994
Jon Trouten of Iowa City, Iowa, is a social work navigator with Johnson County and also serves as a dog park attendant for the city.
1995
Kristen Larsen-Schmidt of Decorah is pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
1996
Erin (Blagsvedt) Jorgensen of Taylor Ridge, Ill., is senior director of communications and editor of Rental Management magazine at the American Rental Association in Moline, Ill.
1998
Gayle (Dunkel) Gort of Castle Rock, Colo., is area vice president at NewRocket in Vista, Calif.
2000
Kelly Nye-Lengerman of Dover, N.H., is a research professor at the University of Maryland.
2001
Sarah (Woltjer) Brekke of Homestead, Mont., is an English teacher at Medicine Lake (Mont.) Schools.
Mazhar Hasnani of Potomac, Md., is global strategy and capital advisor at Agrilift.ai.
2003
Melissa (Maas) Richardson of Washington, D.C., is director of middle grade choirs at National Cathedral School.
Janet Tisinger of Lancaster, Pa., is associate director of legal services for the Immigration and Refugee Program.
2004
Andy Meyer of Northfield, Minn., is a visiting assistant professor of Norwegian at St. Olaf College.
Jeff Miller of Eagan, Minn., is senior manager at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.
Scott Rheinschmidt of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is chief financial officer of CRST, a transportation company.
2005
Phil Hoesing of Nampa, Idaho, is itinerant director of bands at Adams, Riverside, Trail Wind, and White Pine elementary schools in Boise, Idaho. Phil is also manager and bass trombonist of the Boise Modern Jazz Orchestra.
Cat (Komornick) Lubinski of Wellesley Hills, Mass., works as corporate relations coordinator, MIT Sloan Masters of Business Analytics.
Martha McCreight of Stratford, Conn., is pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Stamford, Conn.
2007
Jeff Hoden of Oakdale, Minn., is quality engineer at Andersen Windows and Doors in Bayport, Minn.
Blake Nellis of Minneapolis is self-employed as a photographer, dancer, and educator.
Luke Wigle of Justin, Texas, is supervisory emergency management specialist for FEMA in Denton, Texas.
2010
Carson Christen competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship Triathlon in New Zealand in December 2024, finishing 13 of 387 participants in the male amateur division, age 35–39. Carson is owner of a professional endurance coaching company, Torden Multisport in Milwaukee, Wis.
Ross Schultz of Ann Arbor, Mich., is chief department administrator of neurosurgery at the University of Michigan.
Mitch Zoelzer of Chicago is assistant principal at Chicago Public Schools.
2011
Brett Epperson of Lodi, Calif., is director of choral studies at the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music in Stockton, Calif.
Haley Gibbons of West Des Moines, Iowa, is director of Valley Singers, with whom she performed at the National American Choral Directors Convention. Haley also received the Outstanding Choral Educator Award from the Iowa Choral Directors Association.
Kate (McDonald) Sutherland of North Kingstown, R.I., is head of middle and upper school at Rocky Hill Country Day School in East Greenwich, R.I.
2013
Jordan Burkhart of Auburn, Maine, is director of operations at Correlation One.
Shannon Curtis of Minneapolis is director of bands and music production at Buffalo (Minn.) High School.
2014
Sarah Loberg of Longmont, Colo., earned a master’s degree in physical education from the University of Nebraska–Kearney.
Lilli Petsch-Horvath of Milwaukee earned an MSW from the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and is a psychotherapist at Be The Change Health and Wellness.
Ashley (Brown) Swanson of Cedar Falls, Iowa, is a licensed mental health counselor at A Couple of Therapists.
2015
Aaron Busch of Northfield, Minn., earned a coxswain certification and advanced to E5 (petty officer second class) in the Coast Guard. Aaron also works in field maintenance for the Metropolitan Airports Commission.
Christine (O’Brien) Deignan of La Grange, Ill., is founder and CEO of Middle Kid Musicals.
Katherine (Langston) Houdek of Rochester, Minn., is director of cellular, molecular, and bispecific education at Mayo Clinic.
Josh Swanson of Cedar Falls, Iowa, is a licensed mental health counselor at A Couple of Therapists.
Justin Velzke of Owatonna, Minn., is a financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial.
2016
Rachel (Wiebke) Bellrichard of White Bear Lake, Minn., is quality engineer II at Medtronic.
Matthew Gausmann of Cambridge, Wis., is a religious studies teacher at Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart in Madison, Wis.
Katie (Wolter) Sorenson of Bristol, England, is a flood risk activity permitting officer with the Environment Agency in the United Kingdom.
Emma Tebben of St. Paul, Minn., is a secondary music teacher at George Washington Academy in Casablanca, Morocco.
Laura Thoms of St. Louis, Mo., is a teacher at Intersect Arts Center.
2017
Hank Dickey of Rochester, Minn., is strategic sales advisor at Genograms.com.
Emily Holm of Minneapolis is learning and development manager at Field Nation.
2018
Jamie Herman of Greencastle, Ind., earned a PhD in philosophy of education from The Ohio State University and is associate director for educational and professional initiatives at DePauw University’s Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Jeffrey Lackmann of Kaneohe, Hawaii, is a postdoctoral researcher with the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii.
Samantha Rabang of Burnsville, Minn., is a licensed professional clinical counselor at Affinity Psychological Services in Apple Valley, Minn.
2020
Megan Carmean of Alexandria, Minn., is a registered nurse at Alomere Health.
Claire Honl of Houston, Texas, is a nurse practitioner at MD Anderson.
Madeline (Ajack) Lannon of Minneapolis is director of youth ministries at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Jena Lisowski of Minneapolis is an attorney at Faegre Drinker Biddle and Reath.
Ozzie Suarez of Des Moines, Iowa, earned an MS in construction management from the University of Texas–El Paso and is field engineer at Foth Infrastructure and Environment in Johnston, Iowa.
Dirk Umbanhowar of Washington, D.C., is regional research director with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
2021
Piper Wood of Decorah is assistant director of engagement at Luther College.
2023
Ethan Bellendier of Brookfield, Wis., is clinical research coordinator I with the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Katie Bevers of Decorah is an admissions recruiter for Upper Iowa University.
Hallie Johnson of Edinburgh, Scotland, earned an MSC in comparative education and international development from the University of Edinburgh.
2024
Marina Beachy of Wellman, Iowa, is a labor and delivery nurse at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
Morgan Coy of Mantorville, Minn., is grades 5–12 band director at Triton Public Schools in Dodge Center, Minn.
Newelle Dalton of Ramsey, Minn., is a third-grade literacy teacher at Anoka Hennepin Schools in Blaine, Minn.
Grace Parrott of Madison, Wis., is an agricultural research technician at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Blake Storby of Fairmont, Minn., is a certified personal trainer and assistant director of sports performance at Cutting Edge Fitness of Fairmont.
Kaylee Turney of Adams, Minn., is grades 5–12 band teacher and drumline director at Southland School.
Elise Wilson of Ankeny, Iowa, earned an environmental education graduate certification from Hamline University and is a school groups and summer camp coordinator at The Works Museum.
2025
Ryan Adams of Fairmont, Minn., is an eighth-grade science teacher at Fairmont Area Schools.
Kamden Goering of Rochester, Minn., is a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic.
Megan Miller of Urbandale, Iowa, is a client executive at Holmes Murphy and Associates.
Ricardo Portilla Ruiz of Rochester, Minn., is a patient care assistant at Mayo Clinic.
Judith Zimundi of Rochester, Minn., is a laboratory education support associate at the University of Minnesota–Rochester.