class 
notes
Fall 2024

Scotty Evans writes, “Fritz Delbrueck was one of the greats of the Class of 1957 and a very special friend to many of us. We knew him as a wonderful storyteller with a marvelous sense of humor that came shining through his serious side. In the years that followed our graduation, his love of CMC showed in his numerous alumni activities in hometown Portland, Ore., and the Northwest. We visited Fritz and dear Nancy SCR’58 at their lovely home in Portland and family beach house in Gearhart. Among the many highlights were Sunday mornings with Fritz preparing his famous pancake breakfasts. It was quite the production as you can imagine, and the pancakes were great. His recipe remains a regular with us. (Available on request.)

“We remember many on-campus reunions with the Delbruecks, of course, and the off-campus gatherings with close friends at Tahoe and Baja. Grand times! We stayed in touch by phone. The agenda seldom changed: our spouses, our friends...and the Army. Fritz and I took considerable pride in being the only cadets in our ROTC class to be selected for the Infantry. We loved talking about the Army—and reminiscing about our somewhat embellished active-duty experiences. Sadly, our very strongly held belief that peace and harmony would come to our country simply by requiring every 18-year-old kid to serve three years in public service will never happen.”

Jack Stark GP’11 writes, “I am going to be 90 in September. Jil (Harris) Stark ’58 GP’11 and I are still driving 330 miles north to spend at least four months at our 1924 cabin on Silver Lake, located in the June Lake Loop. This summer all 23 members of our large family joined us there for a week of fun, meals, hiking, and water play; 20 adults from 19 to 90, and three GREATS, a 1-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 6-week-old, plus two dogs! The rest of the year finds us at a great retirement community, located in Claremont and Pomona, Mt. San Antonio Gardens. Twenty-one members of this family live in Claremont, so we stay very happy and busy. Greetings to all members of the Class of ’57.”

Peter Keady ’57 P’86 GP’23

Walter Parry ’57

Sherman McClellan happily celebrated his 90th birthday in July 2024.

John Baker and his wife, Dorothy, have moved closer to their family in Hudson, Wis. They are enjoying time with their daughter, grandsons, and three great-granddaughters.

Bob McCrary ’58 P’92

Our 65th Reunion in June was attended by Glenn Hickerson and Sheryl Hickerson, Howard ‘Buck’ Jones and Kitty Jones SCR’59, and Bob Beasley and Amy Beasley (by Zoom). The Beasleys’ flight plans got trashed when their flight from Canton never got off the ground, so they missed their connection to Ontario and the reunion. But a Zoom call later from Allyn Scheu’s home got everyone together. On a later Zoom call, they would be joined by Bart Brown. If any classmates want to join us for a future Zoom call, let Bob know.

Meanwhile, Glenn Hickerson writes, “We’re off on a round-the-world trip related to our sailboat “Radiance” which has unfortunately been in work in a shipyard in Brisbane (for the past) year and needs more final care which we expect will be in Turkey.”

Bob Beasley ’59

Pete Adams GP’21 and Rebecca Adams GP’21, his wife of 60-plus years, live in Santa Barbara, Calif. His story is included in our class anthology, and since selling his businesses, they have been involved in local enterprises, including the building of their church and local museum of art. Pete attended CMC for two years and left to serve in the Army. He reentered CMC after his service. Recently he has been dealing with a form of melanoma for which he has been receiving treatment and recovering.

Marty Aufhauser lives in Moraga, Calif., and has just returned from Poland and Lithuania. He has belonged to an organization called the American Jewish Committee for over 50 years and has made numerous trips with them through the years. Marty describes them as a human rights organization that advocates for Israel and the elimination of anti-Semitism. Marty spent his career in investment banking with Morgan Stanley.

Hugh Blue P’86 resides in Sun Valley, Idaho, with his wife, Sue. They moved there 25 years ago after he retired. Hugh is involved in several local activities, the principal one being Swiftsure Ranch Therapeutic Equestrian Center. Hugh has been around horses most of his life. He has seven grandchildren, and several have graduated or are about to graduate from college.

Bob Bulla traveled to Europe this past spring and enjoyed the tulips in Amsterdam.

Jim Craft resides on the east side of Pittsburgh. Jim has spent his career in education. He received his PhD in Labor Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. He taught briefly at Purdue University and retired at the University of Pittsburgh. His wife passed away, and he has two daughters—one lives in Vermont and the other in Atlanta. The older daughter was married for eight years to Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle. In his retirement, Jim stays active in community affairs.

Peter Drewliner is currently in Honolulu where he has lived since he left the Army following graduation from CMC. He retired from the Bank of Hawaii 20 years ago and has taken up the hobby of working with ceramics. He has participated in two ceramics shows this year and is preparing for a third.

Stan Hinman is living in Ottawa, Kan. He is now fully retired and is still active with his local church. He reports that he is physically fine except for type 2 diabetes and problems with balance.

Frank Pellkofer resides in La Habra Heights, Calif., and is doing well. He and his wife, Ann, moved 20 years ago back to his old homestead from Huntington Beach, Calif.

Gill Powers lives in Mercer Island, Wash. He and his wife, Pam, spend their summers there near their family and winter in Mexico.

John Rice writes, “We sold our $39K-purchased home for $1.3M and followed our kids to Vancouver, Wash., by way of Bend, Ore. We bought/built a house overlooking the Columbia River and wetland reserves in a gated community for $800K all-in. Now worth $1.4M. Timing, location, timing, location.

“Still in contact with my best man, Buzz Woolley ’59 P’90 P’92. Besides the wound care my left foot/ankle requires, I pretty much use a walker to tool around. Otherwise, I’m healthy with no real medical needs; just dodging comorbidity issues, keeping all of my marbles in a row, and dodging the grim reaper.”

Mel Roberts lives in Encino, Calif. He grew up in Los Angeles and at CMC was a Management-Engineering student. He opted not to go to Stanford and instead received his Engineering degree from the University of Arizona. He also received his MBA from USC. He worked at Hughes Aviation and earned a Law degree from San Fernando College of Law in 1979. He worked until 2003 at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena in various capacities for 30 years, retiring in upper management, and consulted for them until 2015. There he specialized as product manager in developing spacecraft and instruments. He maintained a close friendship with Professor John Ferling until he passed away.

Andy Sarkany is teaching Hungarian to a group of men of Hungarian ancestry. He has been doing this for a year and notes that it takes time to prepare materials and schedule meetings. They meet at the Glenview Public Library for two hours a week. He plans to go to South Carolina to fix up a home there.

Bill Slater has spent a portion of his year navigating a cancer surgery and recovery. So far so good. “Rather than travel or accomplish big and important things, I’ve put much effort into forming a men’s group of older men (now 45 members). Our purpose is to foster a sense of community, form deep and lasting friendships, improve our well-being, and have fun in the process. We do something interesting at least once a week.

“Presently, I am developing a website for the group so that we can coordinate ourselves and reach out to a broader community. I’ve discovered that people don’t write articles from scratch anymore. They use AI. OMG, now I’m learning how to expertly ‘prompt’ AI so that it will create the website content I want. The world is speeding up as I’m slowing down.

“Recovering my physical fitness post-surgery is my other priority. Also joined a men’s book club, which has been great. In general life is good. My wife and I are well for our age. We enjoy our beautiful garden and living in the present moment.”

Dave Smith writes, “I am doing OK for an 85-year-old male.” He attends Rotary Club and Sigma Chi meetings and enjoys his time with both organizations. He is retired and makes his home in Santa Ana, Calif. “I live with my son, David Smith, his wife, their puppy dog, my daughter Corrine, and her husband—all of whom I enjoy.

“No new accomplishments, but a long time ago, I graduated from San Diego State University and the University of Southern California with an MBA after leaving CMC.”

Rob Stanberry retired from the banking business in Salinas, Calif., and moved to Prescott, Ariz. He was originally from Glendale, Calif., and attended Culver Military Academy in Indiana prior to enrolling at CMC. He was in ROTC and served in the Army in Germany and Joliet, Ill., for four years. After discharge, he moved back to Los Angeles and received his master’s degree in Accounting at USC. At that time, he met his wife, Joen, at Venice Beach, Calif. He obtained his CPA and worked several jobs in accounting, initially at Hughes Aviation and later some large accounting firms. One of his accounts was NBC in Burbank, and he indicated that while there he signed Johnny Carson’s salary check. He later entered banking and managed several regional banks.

Tom Thuresson P’92 P’97 GP’24 GP’26 visited CMC many times this past year to visit his granddaughters, Elise Thuresson ’24 and Ava Thuresson ’26. Elise recently graduated from CMC. “It was a great occasion because we were able to see friends and relatives who we had not seen for a while. My two sons, Michael Thuresson ’97 and Peter Thuresson ’92, also attended CMC, and some of the friends we saw were contemporaries of their classmates and parents. Our granddaughters were active in the arts, one helping to produce and direct a student play and the other performing in an a cappella concert at the Athenaeum. We also had the opportunity to stay in San Diego with our daughter and attend an alumni meeting where President Hiram Chodosh brought us up to date on the College.”

Tom recently made trips to Tokyo, Palm Springs, Calif., and Glenview, Ill., to visit family members. He saw many people in the span of two weeks!

He and his wife, Sally Thuresson P’92 P’97 GP’24 GP’26, are now back home. She is a consultant in food nutrition and retired from Kraft in 2019. Tom was a limo driver for 15 years. He drives himself and occasionally uses Uber and Lyft. When he can, he volunteers as a school crossing guard. Tom and Sally stay active in their local church.

John Tone lives in Des Moines, Iowa, and is doing well. He recently made a trip to Nova Scotia, Canada, with his daughter to visit elderly relatives.

Class Liaison Tom Thuresson ’61 P’92 P’97 GP’24 GP’26 also checked in with Daryl Butcher, Anthony Espinosa, Harry Fay, Bill Jetter, and Bill Selman. They enjoy keeping in touch and report being well and in good spirits.

Tom Thuresson ’61 P’92 P’97 GP’24 GP’26

Andy Sarkany ’61

Tony Wain shares his recent trip to the Azores. “Our news is about a wonderful cruise around the Azores including seven of nine islands with great excursions on each, quite different but beautiful and very volcanic. Lindblad/National Geographic was the cruise line and Tauck was the bus tour operator, both top-line travel companies. A couple of highlights were a class two rafting trip in Jasper National Park in Canada and hiking in the volcanic islands in the Azores. And in June, a terrific small bus tour through the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park in Montana.”

Peter Armstrong Hall writes that he is still living vicariously through his children. “Felix is completing his MA at Delft in Water Management and is working in Zimbabwe on a water treatment plant. Caroline, after a year with OECD in Paris, is returning to Baghdad as a legal officer to help wrap up UNITAD. I am keeping up with my Harvard Business School colleagues and contributing to events, such as the transformation of Dutch football where I was able to bring in the eight principles from John Kotter’s book, Our Iceberg Is Melting (Kotter is Professor Emeritus). Otherwise, I give thanks every day for being alive and nearly 80 years old. Only wish I was closer so as to stay in touch with friends from CMC. My best to all.”

Richard Peterson sent this message from the Netherlands: “Dear Former Classmates, at age 80, I look back at the youngster I was in 1964 when I left Claremont, shortly after pulling off my famous flagpole prank at Pomona, together with Scott Campbell. Fast forward: two years spent hitchhiking around the world, marriage of nearly 50 years, trained at Esalen Institute and built a career in the Netherlands as a group leader and Gestalt therapist. Did rock climbing and tree climbing as extreme sports at ages 40-61. My life achievement has been restoring an Eccles showman’s living wagon (or Gypsy caravan) built in England in the late 1920s. It’s now a museum piece and acclaimed to be ‘undoubtedly the world’s finest Eccles showman’s living wagon,' please visit my website if this piques your curiosity. You should not use the word ‘awesome’ until you have seen this antique trailer. For more details and photos, please navigate to www.eccles-caravan.com.

Robin Bartlett ’67

Doug Campbell contributed the following to the Class Notes: “Fran and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary in June with a trip to Paris and a cruise on the Seine River. The cruise included an excursion to Normandy, where we walked on the sand at the Omaha Beach D-Day landing site on June 3 and spent time at the American Cemetery overlooking the coastline. To say it was an emotional experience is putting it mildly. It was truly the trip of a lifetime. Earlier this year (January) my mom celebrated her 100th birthday, and we had a nice party in her honor that was attended by many family members. I continue to volunteer at golf tournaments and work at the 2023 U.S. Amateur championship. I am scheduled to be a marshal committee chair for the 2025 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Life continues to bring many blessings as Fran and I enjoy our retirements.”

Ted Mogey wrote to say, “Hello, fellow CMC classmates. At 78 years old, I guess I am slowing down. I had a successful career with Boeing as a payload specialist for GPS. Jackie and I have now lived in College Springs, Iowa, for 36 years. I am incredibly involved with our church, Church of Christ, teaching and being a leader. In August, we are taking a Viking River Cruise in France for our 56th anniversary. We have taken a few ocean cruises but found there were way too many people and extra charges for everything. At our age we like the fact that everything is taken care of for us, such as side excursions, beer, and wine. We also like that there are no young kids running around. This will be our fourth Viking Cruise. My best to all of you.”

Michael Houghton posted this note from Melbourne, Australia: “My wife, Susan (Whittier College ’68), and I have just signed a further 10-year lease for our business, Bikram Hot Yoga Fitzroy. While I never used my CMC degree in psychology in a professional career, over the past 20-plus years I have used that knowledge, plus my 35 years of experience as a practicing chiropractor, to work more effectively, as a yoga teacher and studio owner. While many people still imagine yoga as something only young, flexible women practice, our students demonstrate a wide demographic of ages, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as well as histories of physical, mental, and emotional trauma. We are inspired to continue with this important work, not just for the benefits our students receive, but also in support of our own physical well-being, through practice, and the emotional well-being we feel from the social contact we enjoy by teaching and participating in 4-5 classes per week.”

Richard Osmanski commented, “Audrey and I are of course older but healthy and are now grandparents to two beautiful girls. We are still living in Merida, the Yucatan, Mexico, traveling around the country and venturing farther afield when we can. If you don’t know it already, this country and these folks are wonderful, creative, tenacious, and generous people. In some parts they are tougher than others, of course, but here in the Yucatan there is a tradition of calm, most likely an inheritance from the Mayan peoples who lived here. We could learn a lot from them and how they manage their struggles, many of which we have brought upon them. The one downer is my stubborn resistance to learning a good level of Spanish and Mayan. I guess because folks around here speak or understand enough English that it is really not a problem. I’m still at it, though.”

David Abel wrote to say, “I don’t believe I have ever contributed to CMC Class Notes before, but given that I recently walked through the campus, I share the following summary. We visited CMC to meet up with a long lost ‘luv’ from Scripps—herself briefly in Claremont to participate in a ‘Scripps Camp.’ I was struck by how much larger and more contemporary the campus has become. The visit also reminded me that my long professional engagements with private/public enterprises and civic affairs truly stem from memorable classes with Professors Orme Phelps, Martin Diamond, and Procter Thomson. Today, I remain active consulting with foreign companies interested in expanding to the U.S. and California, hosting a global energy/sustainability conference, and publishing newsletters. Lastly, even though I am now a radical centrist, I continue to be politically engaged with and curious about governance in the 21st century.”

Rick Akers tells us he’s been traveling a lot these last few years since COVID took his late wife, Reyna, in March of 2021. “I was in Colombia for a month starting early June and now in Peru. Machu Picchu is fantastic. Steve Tessler also visited MP a month or so before me. I’m going for a four-day jungle excursion from Iquitos tomorrow. I’m living in Merced vs. Long Beach most of the time with a lady friend who is a UC Merced professor. We’re traveling to places where she attends academic conferences and combining that with as much vacation as possible. I’m pretty much retired with my kids running my company, ESNA Logistics, in Fullerton, Calif.”

Robin Bartlett ’67

Robert Bills writes, “(Class Liaison, ready to train my replacement. Volunteers?) I have been retired for almost 10 years, still have my home in California’s ‘North State,’ but spend most of my time in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, one of the most magical of Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos. I continue to go off road in jeeps, but now have a converted 4WD Sprinter van for exploring the desert southwest and Baja California. Life is good. I still have my health and most of my hair and may have just met my next ex-wife. I don’t see many CMCers in Mexico, but I do have a Claremont Men’s College ball cap that I wear from time to time in hope that a fellow CMCer will see it and strike up a conversation.”

Bob Archibald writes, “I have been retired as a CPA since 2018, after my partner and I sold our accounting practice. My retired science teacher wife, Wendy, and I have been married for almost 48 years, so far. We have a 76-year contract! Our daughter lives in Maine and her two daughters live in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Our son and his teenage son, with whom we share the best golden retriever ever, live in Oregon. We travel a lot, eat delicious food, drink tasty wine (mostly great Oregon pinot noir), read a lot, and enjoy life in Oregon—both in Portland and Cannon Beach. On our recent road trip, Wendy and I spent time catching up and wine tasting with Jay McNab ’71 P’11 P’14 and his wife, Margaret McNab P’11 P’14, in Sonoma County wine country and then, later, in Oregon wine country.”

Brian Back P’05 P’07 P’11 reports, “I recently met with William ‘Bumpy’ Worthington. He still plays the fiddle and now the harmonica. His jokes are still bad. I also had lunch with Eugene ‘Geno’ Hyman recently. Geno is a retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge. We often get together with Mike Caponigro and his wife, Glenna, in San Diego. I am stoked to be honored this year by the Ventura County Family Justice Center for my work with kids and victims of trauma while I was on the bench. As my wife, Kathy Johnston Back SCR’73 P’05 P’07 P’11, says, it’s nice to be honored while out to pasture (retired in 2018, working on assignment).”

Tom Barger writes, “I met my future wife, Doreen, at a square dance mixer for first-year students in 1969 when I was a ‘big brother’ to a group of CMC freshmen. I was not supposed to go, but I could not pass up the opportunity. We married in August 1972 and will celebrate our 52nd anniversary in 2024. We have three children who have given us five grandchildren, ages 8-18. We are fortunate that all live within an hour’s drive. I earned my JD at George Washington University in 1975, and a Master in Tax Law in 1976. We then moved to the Bay Area where we remained. I first practiced with a small firm in San Mateo, then went out on my own to practice estate planning, probate, and trust administration. I retired in 2021. My son, a graduate of Hastings School of Law, took over my practice. My current hobby is working on old cars. I have two 1963 Rambler Americans, the same type of car I had at CMC. One is my project car; the other is for parts. While in practice, I had pictures of my cars in my office and offered a 10% discount to any client who could name the make and model. None ever could. Most had never heard of a Rambler.”

Craig Beller writes, “After 42 years in education, both public and private, and nine years as the executive director of The William McCaskey Chapman and Adaline Dinsmore Chapman Foundation, I am trying my hand at retirement. I spent 10 years in the classroom, and 32 years as a principal or district administrator, and as much fun as I have found philanthropy, it is time to slow down. I have fond memories of CMC, especially as a member of the Stags baseball team (1969-1972) playing for Dr. Bill Arce P’80 GP’21.”

Reid Bishop writes, “I happily settled in Switzerland 30 years ago. I could have stayed in England forever, having done my PhD there, but fate had other ideas, and it was Switzerland where I fortuitously met my wife while looking after my ill parents. Soon thereafter came our picture-perfect daughter and all the pleasures of being a father while I improvised my way after leaving behind my doctoral interests (architecture and psychology). CMC allowed me to create my own major in Environmental Studies. Living either off-campus or at Pomona College did not exactly help to get to know many of my Claremont Class of 1972, but among them were Bob Davis and Robin Williams ’73. I see Bob very occasionally in Minneapolis, where he has been a star actor at the Guthrie Theatre. We all know what happened to Robin, but I count myself lucky to have had the chance to ski the moguls at Lake Tahoe with him during the winter of 1969. My rare visits to the Colleges leave me utterly confounded; nothing is where I remember. But my overriding thought is how I managed to get any work done in such a wonderfully enchanting setting!”

Stevenson Browne reports, “I am in San Francisco where I am the owner of Monetary Management Corporation as an investment advisor. We invest in the stock market for clients who wish to outperform the market averages using mathematical investment formulas.”

Joe Buehl writes, “Linda Glimn and I moved in together when she graduated from Pitzer in 1974, and we have stayed in the Los Angeles area. We recently celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We had two kids, and they have multiplied into five grandkids. Over the years I had a series of software jobs in a variety of industries. I took a career detour for a few years in the early nineties remodeling houses but went back to building software. I worked for Time Warner Cable, Ericsson, and a couple of smaller companies developing digital video distribution software. Since retiring at the end of 2012, I have been spending my time doing home improvements, building electronic gadgets, and writing home automation software. Five years ago, we began doing a lot of traveling, but COVID put a hold on those plans. We are now making up for the lost time. I went to the CMC 50th Reunion and reconnected with Pat McGuire and Frank Cahill.”

Fred Colby writes, “Like Gregg Ireland, I transferred to CMC as a junior and lived off campus with my new bride, Theresa. She worked at PacBell in Riverside, while I toiled away at CMC, writing my thesis for Professor Ward Elliott and discovering the joys of pre-law courses. After graduating, my wife and I returned to San Diego where I found my real passion of working with nonprofits and educational institutions. It was a great career, after which we moved to Colorado to be near our two daughters and four grandchildren. My wife passed away in 2015, which prompted me to write Widower to Widower: Surviving the End of Your Most Important Relationship. I have enjoyed being able to help my fellow widowers through my book and blogs.”

Father Patrick Conroy, SJ, ret. writes, “After leaving my chaplaincy at the House of Representatives in early January 2021, I have spent three and a half years at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., weathering the COVID era of social interruption. This has allowed me the opportunity to go through 10 years of documents from the Capitol. Not sure what I will do with them. I was recently assigned to Missoula, Mont., where I will be serving as an associate pastor (read senior priest) of St. Francis Xavier Parish downtown. There are three other Jesuits serving there, so I am hoping my duties will be supportive of their ministry. I plan to continue being a fan of the Missoula Paddleheads Baseball Club, no longer from afar but from the stands. The Paddleheads are owned by our classmate Pete Davis. I joined the Wohlford alums in gathering at Myrna (widow of Ward Elliot, RIP) Elliott’s house during the Class of 1974 Reunion weekend. Sorry, but I did not take roll, and I do not want to name names I remember and not the forgotten names I should remember.”

Bruce Freidman writes, “I am a mediator and arbitrator at JAMS. I enjoy my work resolving disputes. Last year I was elected chairman of the board of JAMS. My family life is wonderful. I’m blessed with a loving wife, stepson, daughters, and grandchildren. I am a proud graduate of CMC and so impressed with the College’s reputation and accomplishments.”

Arne Hendrickson writes, “I am semi-retired (https://www.thincpartners.com) and living in Knoxville, Tenn., near three of our four grandkids. Two years ago, on a whim, I auditioned for a background role in a movie and was cast as a physician. That experience led to being signed by an agent. I have been steadily cast since then in ‘true crime’ reenactment roles for my type, ‘old dude, has hair, no tats,’ and have started doing local commercials typically as the ‘grandpa.’ In addition, I’m also the foreperson for the Knox County Grand Jury. Family life is great! My wife, Linda Hendrickson PIT’72, and I are celebrating our 51st anniversary this year. Our three ‘kids,’ Sarah (Emory), Mark (Seattle Pacific), and Susan (NYU & LAMDA), are doing well. We would love to connect with CMC/Pitzer alums traveling through Tennessee.”

Jack (John) Hillbrand writes, “I survived plebe year at the United States Naval Academy, then transferred to CMC in 1969. I thoroughly enjoyed the study of economics, mathematics, quantum physics of chemical structures, philosophy, and art. After an independent study of First Order Logic in the Netherlands and an audited Philosophy of Language class at Oxford, I became more interested in urban settings. I traveled throughout Europe, including Britain, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Sweden, to broaden my social and cultural knowledge and an emphasis on architecture. Upon my return to the U.S., I pursued a degree in architecture, and when completed we moved to Greenwich Village, New York City, where I was involved with many project types from celebrity homes and renovations to high-rise towers. I have over 40 years as a licensed architect.”

Eugene Hyman reports, “In June, I met for lunch with Brian Back P’05 P’07 P’11, his wife, Kathy Back P’05 P’07 P’11, and two of his daughters, both CMC graduates, plus one granddaughter (future CMCer?). Brian has not changed a bit, except perhaps for a bit of gray hair. Brian occasionally sits on assignment with the Ventura County Superior Court now that he has retired from the bench. Otherwise, he and Kathy visit with their grandchildren. I frequently communicate with B.J. Cruz, from Guam. B.J. is still fighting the good fight and still getting into ‘Good Trouble’ in the tradition of the late Congressman John Lewis. I continue to teach/present/write about domestic violence prevention, my passion, since I retired from the Santa Clara County Superior Court in 2011. I am trying to get into ‘Good Trouble’; however, I am not as successful as B.J.!”

Gregg Ireland writes, “Hi to all, especially my fellow Berger Boys! I’ve been reflecting on my two years at CMC (I transferred in as a junior). I enjoyed it all. I remember vividly the first people I met in the dorm: Michael ‘Peach’ Goodwin, Roger Winsby ’73, and Tom Amundson ’73. Our dorm was outrageous. I recall one night that we ran out of orange juice and invented the ‘clear screwdriver.’ Another time we raided a Scripps dorm, someone pulled a hose through the window and chaos ensued. It is amazing that we were not caught and expelled! Truthfully, we should have been. We were lucky. But we did a lot of crazy things. Fun times! Now, I am retired and living in North Carolina. I have four adult children in their 30s, and seven grandkids. Many of you know how great it is to have grandkids. My main passion is promoting better services for adults with autism. My youngest, Vinnie, has what we call ‘profound’ autism. It is very different from higher-functioning autism, and both have their life challenges. We started an employment model program for Vinnie, and others like him, and it has been very successful. Please check out ExtraordinaryVentures.org and our short documentary, ‘Extraordinary People.’”

From Robert Kawaratani, “After living in and near Tokyo since 1984, I moved to Kyoto at the start of the pandemic and now live in the house my wife inherited from her parents. Living in Kyoto is quite a different experience than living in suburban Tokyo. While there are shrines and temples in the suburban area of Tokyo, they are not like the large temple and shrine complexes in Kyoto. Also, living on the east side of Kyoto, it is nice to see the green forested hills only 10 minutes away by bicycle. Do not hesitate to contact me if you plan to visit Kyoto.”

Samuel Metz, MD, writes, “I live in Portland, Ore., with my wife of 14 years. My 24-year-old son, who is trans, gay, and adopted, lives happily nearby with his partner. After a 40-year professional distraction by cardiac anesthesia, my retirement inspired a return to the dream that brought me to CMC in the first place: influencing public policy through writing and speaking. I work on healthcare policy reform at the state and sometimes multi-state level. Occasionally my work appears nationally, but not often. This is an uphill battle. My wife, a native Oregonian with her own career, advocates for reproductive rights and documents the lives of local Black artists. We run a high-activism household, as befits a home with an aging CMC graduate in residence.”

Courtland Palmer reports, “I reentered the CMC Class of 1972 as a sophomore after a tour in Vietnam. I originally entered CMC in 1964. When I first matriculated, I lived in Wohlford; upon my return I lived off campus (story for another day). I went to law school in San Diego and practiced there for 15 years before going to the dark side: insurance defense. That ended with a Los Angeles firm at their Orange County office. It took 10 more years to get my soul back as the owner and partner of a small firm in Orange County doing injury law and immigration. I retired in 2013. After a brief venture into internet gaming for mobile devices, I now serve on the board of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, travel, play golf, and fly fish. I have so far visited every continent except Antarctica. I have ‘stepchildren’ in Quebec; but I am widowed and single now.”

From Dave Riley, “I was drafted after CMC, and I did my national service as a conscientious objector, as a Head Start teacher in East Los Angeles, and as a wildland firefighter in the Sierra. After that, Dan Goodsell and Carol Granger SCR’72 took me in, and I eventually joined their stoneware pottery business in Paradise, Calif. A decade after CMC, I returned to graduate school, and from there to a professorship at University of Wisconsin-Madison. My former students are now professors all over the world. I have a terrific second wife, a soul mate whose interests and values are so much like my own that we amaze each other. I have learned, although I do need to be reminded from time to time, that what is important in life is not a successful career, it is love. Over the years my CMC friendships have endured, although I am a lousy tender of those loves. I think often about and occasionally contact Dan and Carol, Nick Kukulan, Miles Merwin, Chuck Cunningham, and Linda Stabler SCR’72. I saw quite a lot of Harvey Saver and his family over the years. In his junior year at Claremont, Harvey was diagnosed with diabetes. It took over 40 years to kill him, a little each year, but if you knew Harvey, you will not be surprised to hear he had a sense of humor about it to the end. He died feeling the love of his family around him. May we all learn from Harvey.”

Jim Roberts writes, “I was fortunate to do a ‘gratitude tour’ in 2022 and spent time with Professor Ed Haley in Palo Alto. He was leading a poetry class at the ‘V’ in which one of our dear friends from Sun Valley, Idaho, was a regular. He looked fantastic, and I cannot believe he is gone. Before that, I was honored to spend time with Professor Bill Rood before his passing with my friend of 60 years, Justice Terry O’Rourke ’69. My one regret from our 50th Reunion is that I was not able to say goodbye to Professors Dick Wheeler and Ward Elliott. I am completing my 25th year as a full-time mediator in San Diego and still loving my work. Thanks to Zoom, I can now handle cases in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Hawaii without the hassle and grind of travel. In my spare time, I spoil my grandkids, play with my vintage cars, and vacation in fun places. This summer Julie and I will be in Sun Valley, Lake Tahoe, the Berkshires, Maine for a windjammer cruise, Austria, and Croatia. As we enter the fourth quarter, I am reminded to be very thankful for good health, a loving wife and family, devoted parents, and a perfect city in which to live. I will always feel blessed to have attended CMC.”

From Mike Rothman, “I am living a happy life in retirement in Walnut Creek, Calif., with my wife, Judith, of nearly 44 years. As much as I enjoyed my working years, my retirement years are proving to be the happiest of my adult life. Friends who remember the big guy I was during my CMC days will be glad to know that I now weigh in at just under 200 lbs. and am healthy for a 73-year-old geezer. I’m treasurer of my local men’s club, do a fair amount of hiking in our local hills, and still love amateur photography, reading, and animals. At home, we have a labradoodle, and at a nearby barn, an Arabian gelding. We have two granddaughters, one about to start UCLA law school, and the other an on-air news reporter for a Reno television station. Our daughter lives in Berlin, which gives us the excuse to travel, and our son is in nearby Piedmont. In retirement, I have taken to studying the Jewish side of my family, the Rothmans who immigrated between 1890 and 1920 from Yarishev in what is modern-day Ukraine. It is a typical immigrant story but of course my story, and I hope to write about it, if only for future generations of my own family. I’m just outside San Francisco. If any of you are in the area, let me know.”

Ed Tewes writes, “At the annual Monterey Jazz Festival, I met Howard Slayen ’68 who claims that he and his fellow Berger boys celebrated the first Andy Choka Day.”

David Williams writes, “The only thing I have accomplished since CMC is going from broke to making a lot of money in the market and retiring at 43. I just read online that my fifth-grade rival secretly gave money to SMU football players in the ’90s and got SMU suspended from the NCAA for a year. He jumped out of planes 4,000 times and set the record for the most people holding hands while parachuting. On jump 4,001, in 2005, his chute didn’t open. So, although I haven’t had a very exciting life, at least I am alive. I just read a good new library book, The End of Everything by Victor Hanson, about the conquest of the Aztecs.”

Robert Bills ’72

As usual, lots of stuff going on in the lives of a bunch of guys in their early 70s—both extraordinary and regular. As we age, either category is great.

Tim Taylor starts us off: “Dean Taylor visited me in late February as he was in the Phoenix area for spring baseball training. Dean and I also text, email, and speak regularly — mostly about his Dodgers and USC football and my SF Giants and any team other than USC. Bruce Flaxman and I communicate regularly about politics, UCLA Basketball, both of which we agree on, and the Dodgers (on which I disagree) and the Giants (on which he disagrees). I also communicate on a regular basis with Corrie Foos. I talked to Mike Manning, Gary Smith, and Glen Martz ’72 this past spring. Being in contact with these classmates means more than ever as we age and deal with related issues.” Well said.

A sad note from Mark Chipman: “My 94-year-old father passed away just short of my birthday in June 2024. I had always praised him, so I thought his passing (for me) was worth mentioning.” Mark, very sorry to hear. Our thoughts and best wishes are with you.

Paul Beninger P’09 is still actively employed. “I achieved a career highlight last year when I served on a select committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—the Committee on Developing a Framework to Address Legal, Ethical, Regulatory, and Policy Issues for Research Specific to Pregnant and Lactating Persons. It was a great experience. I met interesting and dedicated experts in the area, attended lots of meetings, did lots of writing, and did some traveling to Washington, D.C. In addition, I’m still actively teaching at Tufts University, and I serve as the co-editor-in-chief of Clinical Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal of drug therapy.”

A good-news item from Joe McNaught: “I’m pleased to announce the birth of our fifth grandchild, Margaret McNaught, in Knoxville, Tenn., in December 2023. While I still live less than 10 miles from where I grew up in Portland, Ore., our children and grandkids are far-flung. In addition to Tennessee, they are in Brooklyn, Sri Lanka, and Madrid! Everyone is getting together in one place for the first time in many years in Madrid in July 2024 for our daughter’s 40^th birthday party. We’ve been abroad twice in the last 11 months, and despite being fully vaccinated and boosted, I’ve come down with COVID upon our return both times. Fingers crossed it won’t happen again! Also, I saw Roger Winsby in May, and we had fun hiking in the Columbia Gorge + beer + sushi.” Congrats big time on your granddaughter—and hope you stayed COVID free.

Dean Taylor updates us that he is “a proud great grandfather of Roam Wayne Smith, born June 11, 2024.” He adds that both parents are doing well. Our biggest congrats on your new addition—and on your new title! Is Dean the first great-grandfather of our class? Who else?

And an update from Jeffrey Allen-Young: “Darcy Allen-Young SCR’73 is still putting up with me since the day before graduation. Am still working a little to support my boat-building habit.”

Good to hear from George Smith: “Sorry to miss the reunion last year, but our first month-long trip cruising among Canada’s wild Inside Passage in our boat claimed precedence—and it was marvelous. I’m now enjoying my fifth year of retirement after practicing law in Seattle-Bellevue for over 40 years. Now I spend most days hiking, skiing, boating, working on our properties in the Pacific Northwest, or playing with our two beautiful grandchildren. Life is good.” Yes, ain’t retirement great?

And glad to hear from Carl Falco: “We just returned home from our more or less annual trek from North Carolina to Oklahoma and Texas. It took most of the month of June and 2,500-plus miles. We saw our daughter and family in Tecumseh, Okla., where her husband is a professor at Oklahoma Baptist University. They have three kids (ages 1, 4, and 6), several goats, sheep, chickens, and a few turkeys. It was a great visit except for the six-foot rat snake in the chicken coop. Its removal was uneventful, at least for the humans, although our 6-year-old grandson wanted to keep it. Then on to Fort Worth, Texas, to visit our son and his family. By now the temperature had gotten up to the mid-90s. Lucky he has a pool! Lots of good Tex-Mex food and some good smoked beef. As usual, the visits were capped off with a variety of projects for me. All in all, a very enjoyable trip. Now I just have to catch up on all my own projects. Don’t know how I ever had time to work. If anyone gets out to NC and needs a place to sleep, look us up.”

Mark Rosenthal continues his work on pain management. He reports he is making “major progress” and has treated “over 700 patients with results far better than any current pain treatment available.”

“I’m making major headway on an atomic project which repairs damaged tissue electrons and results in a 50% improvement for the patient. All this should help a huge number of people since chronic pain is the No. 1 medical problem in the world. I also just completed compiling a list of celebrities with whom I’ve had contact—the total number is in the hundreds. One person I knew was Jack LaLanne, whose training regimen I follow. I now do five sets of 1,000 push-ups daily, in spite of my 44 years of multiple sclerosis.”

Dave Denenholz P’09 P’11 also has some very good news: “I am delighted to report that my daughter, Heidi Denenholz ’09, got married in August 2024, in Carmel Valley, Calif., to Jonathan Ng. Her maid of honor was her sister, Laura Denenholz ’11. We toasted CMC and all that it has done for us!!” Dave, congratulations all around. A family and CMC event!

Just in time is this update from Don Waddell: “I spent part of July in the Czech Republic (Czechia) umpiring the Little League Europe-Africa Junior League Baseball championships. This is the 13- and 14-year-old level of play. We had teams from Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Czechia. There were three American umpires, one from France, and four from Czechia. All played in a very small town in northeast Czechia. I’m on my way home now, sitting in the British Airways lounge at Heathrow awaiting my flight after missing my first flight due to a late departure from Prague. All in a day’s travel!”

And a note about the Class of ’73 Facebook page: For those of you looking to join it, don’t. It’s out there, but not used or monitored. We set it up a long time ago, aren’t maintaining it, and are looking for a teenager to help get rid of it.

Ken Gilbert ’73

Nohemi (Gutierrez) Ferguson P’17 writes, “Frank Ferguson P’17 and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary this year. CMC holds a very special place in our hearts because we met there on the first day of freshman year. This spring, we also had the honor of attending the dedication of Valach Hall on April 19. The Hall is named after Ken Valach and Janie (Parker) Valach, who also met at CMC and celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary in June. In attendance at the Valach Hall dedication were several classmates from the Class of 1982: Meggan Knott, Christopher Townsend, Gigi Birchfield P’12, Michelle (Davis) Stratton, Amie (Friedlander) Yehros, Cindy (Schwartz) Goldberg, Carl Howell, Bruce Colin and his wife, Pat, Jerry Schwartz, Karen Jacobson ’83, David Mgrublian P’11 and Margaret Mgrublian P’11, Jim Gervang and his wife, Cara, Jon Stott, and Steve Eggert P’15.”

Anne Ames and Suzy Parker write, “We had the best and most amazing time on the CMC Alumni Wild Galapagos Escape! The wildlife was nonstop inspirational. We saw teeming white tip and black tip sharks, leaping rays, cheeky sea lions, and elegant penguins. We snorkeled with green turtles and sea iguanas. We spent time with giant domed tortoises and blue-footed boobies, and saw messes of iguanas basking in the sun. All of this while getting to know other alumni both older and younger and their friends and families. Everyone we met was interested and interesting. We look forward to another nature-focused trip with CMC.”

Stuart Williams P’19 writes, “I did a CMC triple header a few weeks ago. On Thursday, I had drinks with Kimberly Reason. She has a DEI, communications, and strategy firm working with the Frye Art Museum, where I am on the board.

“On Friday, Doug Beighle and I had our annual birthday celebration. We had a few drinks and repeated the same stories from the year before.

“On Sunday, my wife, Lucy Williams P’19, and I had brunch with Lee Geiger and his wife, Anne, who were in town to visit their son, Keith, who lives in Seattle. Lee, Anne, and I all worked together at Lloyds Bank California in the early 1980s, and that is also where Lee and Anne met.”

Nohemi (Gutierrez) Ferguson ’82 P’17

Shari Weintraub writes, “Another great reunion in the books! CMC knows how to throw a party chock full of events, it’s true. But the highlight for me was to visit with all our classmates back on the campus where we met in 1980, and parted in 1984! Happy to report that even after 40 (!) years, everyone was totally recognizable—it’s like we hadn’t aged a day!

“Did you know that we have several classmates who married each other?! (Paige Keene Bingham and Mike Bingham and Eric Swanson P’25 and Debbie (Serbin) Swanson P’25. There is somewhat of a debate as to whether Jackie (Staten) Stilwell married a classmate or whether Jon Stilwell ’85 abandoned our class for that of 1985’s!). Jim Burgess P’20 attended with his wife, Elizabeth Casey Burgess ’85 P’20. Soren Hovgaard traveled the farthest (Denmark) just for the CMC weekend! Lisa (Balk) Paul and her husband, Greg, traveled cross-country; and Esther Saidman (with her husband David Thorne) flew down from Northern California. Andy Gordon came out from Las Vegas, Nev.; Zenobia Walji made the drive out from the O.C. each day of the weekend! Glenn Rippey traveled out from Denver (he said it was to see his classmates, although I think the weather may have had something to do with his decision!). Bill McColl made a mad roundtrip dash from/to San Diego, Calif., just to see everyone on Saturday night for the special Class Dinner! It was fabulous seeing Rob Gilliland and Dennis Marchand try not to get into too much trouble—although there was the FaceTime/video message to some non-attendees that may have been slightly, well, rowdy is a tame word for it (think of it as the 21st-century equivalent of the late-night drunk calls of the 1980s!). It was great to also see Jeff Gamer, John Galloway, Robert Jenness, Tricia Knott, and Joe Martinetto. It made my heart so full to see so many old friends just relaxing and catching up.

“The Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement (particularly Nika Clark) did a fantastic job of putting on a full weekend of events to show the campus off in its best light, including President Hiram Chodosh’s ambitious 10-year plan that is aiming to restructure the landscape (literally) and education within the next five—Oh, the things we will see and hear at our 45th!

“But I have to say, it was the efforts of Reunion Committee members Jerome Haig P’22, Glenn Rippey, and Andy Gordon, who brought their hearts and souls to make the weekend successful on so many personal levels. Big thanks to everyone who traveled from far and near and everywhere in-between, by whatever mode of travel was available, to celebrate this very special 40th anniversary of our graduation! Just a reminder—all the professional photographer’s photos are uploaded to the CMC website. Make sure you go through those and relive the weekend vicariously! And be sure that we missed so many of you who were not able to make it this time around (Liz La Manna, Laurie Tett Rynties P’20, Bob Hammett, Dave Prather, to name just a few). I am hoping that anyone who missed this reunion—talk with those who attended, get excited, and make those plans to come for our 45th in 2029. Not that I’m competitive much, but the Class of 2019 had over 150 attendees from far and wide attend the entire weekend this time around! We can beat them; I know we have it in us! We have five years to motivate ourselves and each other to attend. You will be so happy that you did! Be well! Be happy! We will see YOU ALL in 2029!”

Rod Streeper is keeping busy running two window and door screen businesses in San Diego—a franchised residential installation company (Screenmobile of El Cajon) and a wholesale distributor (Phantom Screens of San Diego). His wife, Jeannine, is still working at Grossmont Community College, son Steven is working as a game designer for escape rooms, and daughter Irene is looking to graduate in December from UNLV with an Environmental Science degree.

Eric Swanson P’25 writes, “Debbie (Serbin) Swanson P’25 and I thoroughly enjoyed the recent reunion weekend. It was great to see and catch up with the Benson Boys and other classmates who attended! We’ve known each other for a long time now, and it’s comforting to hear how we are all going through different versions of life’s challenges and joys with careers, kids, schools, etc. I was fortunate to have dinner in Los Angeles two weeks after the reunion with Mitch Gold. We have four wonderful boys (now men) and now a daughter-in-law and a 10-month-old granddaughter; our eldest three currently live in the L.A. area so we are able to see them every week, while youngest, Noah Swanson ’25, is a rising senior at CMC and is interning in Washington, D.C., this summer. Everything is good with us, thank G-d, and we look forward to the next reunion!”

Robert Stempler writes, “Sorry that I missed you guys at the 40th Reunion this year. It’s been a very hectic time, and I hope to see everyone in five. I’ve kept in touch with a couple of CMCers, in particular I saw Jim Burgess P’20 in March 2024 for my baptism at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in West Hollywood, Calif.”

Finally, from Jerome Haig P’22, “You’ve seen the other posts, but I just want to add how much fun we had at our 40th Reunion. CMC did a fantastic job of planning. We all felt welcome. And we talked and laughed all weekend. Our class had a good showing but we’re hoping for even more for our 45th in 2029. As for me, I’m getting used to my new role as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. I’m currently assigned to a misdemeanor trial court in Compton. It’s challenging, but I love it! I enjoy spending my free time with my wife of 31 years, Lori Haig P’22. Our son, Noah Haig ’22 (CMC/HMC ’22), is a lieutenant junior grade in the U.S. Navy and assigned to an attack submarine out of San Diego, so we get to see him when he’s not under the ocean somewhere. Our daughter, Danielle, lives in Vancouver, works as a UX designer, and loves her life in Canada. And we enjoy visiting as often as we can! I also still manage to hit the tennis courts as much as my body will allow.”

Jerome Haig ’84 P’22

Dave Neault writes, “Spent a great Fourth of July week with Tom Whittemore, his wife, Leslie, their son, Tait (heading off to his freshman year at Whitman College in Washington in the fall; he’ll be playing soccer), and their daughter, Maggie (who attends Redlands East Valley High School), Jim Cranford and his wife Robin, Brad Munroe ’85 and his wife, Laura, at the home of Bob Moore ’88 and his wife, Kris, in Park City, Utah. I had my wife, Sharon, and my girls with me: Brenna, Stanford Class of 2025 (of note, her gymnastics team finished fifth nationally this year), and Dana, UC Davis Class of 2027. They’re both doing well, and Sharon and I are adjusting to being empty nesters. We all had a wonderful time visiting each other over those few days, remembering how lucky we are to be such good friends after all these years. I am still brokering commercial real estate and like the work, living in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., as I have since 2001. Tom Whittemore and I were talking about not having missed a reunion to this point. We aren’t going to miss the next one! See you all there! Go Stags!”

Jen Tsang ’86

Kevin Macpherson returned to his hometown of Beaverton, Ore., in 2021, alongside his wife, Priya. He works at WestEd, focusing on projects in state-level special education policy and higher education. In August 2023, Kevin and Priya welcomed their daughter, Mila.

Harvey Liu finally achieved a lifelong dream of moving to NYC! In many ways a homecoming, finally back within arm’s reach of Aravind Swaminathan, Will Kahn, Diggory Rycroft, Dan Lee, and Maddy Busacca ’13.

From Chris Temple, “With several other alumni, I recently launched a new program for CMC students called the Optimist Creative Fellowship! It’s a year-long program for students to get hands-on experience in film, media, and social impact entertainment. The program is culminating with a showcase on campus in the spring where any alumni are welcome!”

Angelica Quicksey and her husband went to Sundance with April Weathers and Milan Reed ’11 in January, enjoyed their honeymoon in Hawaii in the spring, and tried to avoid travel and just stay in Seattle for once for the summer. Angelica stepped down from the CMC Alumni Association Board, but her group chats with CMC alums around the world are still going strong.

Carlos Rivas is currently running for Chicago’s first-ever Elected School Board! Election day is in November. Carlos is currently the director of public affairs for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the independent agency that investigates police misconduct and plays a pivotal role in Chicago’s police reform efforts.

Paige McCleary writes, “Unfortunately, I am recovering from a soccer Achilles injury! Otherwise, I have been working in Los Angeles as an internal medicine physician. We have an upcoming mission in Tanzania to provide medical supplies and care, including surgery, for anyone interested!”

KC West reports, “Just a quick update from San Francisco! I’m still here, still teaching science at Lowell High School, and still loving it. Who knew teenagers could be so enthusiastic about genetics and marine invertebrates? Okay, maybe not all of them, but I like to think I am winning some of them over! Life in SF is as fantastic as ever. Between dodging the fog and indulging in too much sourdough, there’s never a dull moment. I’ve been hiking, exploring national parks, and enjoying the city’s quirks, all while adjusting to a late-life diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.”

Jordan Rosenberg is an emergency room doctor and medical educator in Chicago.

Elliot (Godzich) and Erin (Franks) Corvinova are celebrating the birth of their second daughter this year. The two little ones bring a lot of joy to their lives and keep them quite busy. Erin is completing her 10th year of service doing finance for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Mika Kasuga has been keeping busy traveling to Portugal for her honeymoon, visiting Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto) for her one-year anniversary trip, and decorating her apartment in Brooklyn with her husband—as well as debating whether or not to get a dog.

Dave Meyer and Maren Hotvedt celebrated five years of marriage in August at their home in Boise, Idaho, with a ceremony hosted by Chris Jones ’11 and several other CMC alumni. They both took sabbaticals in 2023 before returning to software maker Atlassian, where Maren is a lead designer and Dave recently became head of product for Jira. They were happy to make return trips to CMC twice in 2023, once for Professor Ward Elliott’s memorial service and again for the Rose Institute’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Jessica Mao-Heaton (JMao) writes, “After working in education or being further educated for the past 12 years since our CMC graduation, I have recently taken a new remote role as a senior data visualization engineer for a private tech company in their data solutions/consulting practice. Funny, my first big project is with a medical school, so the education connection faintly remains. This new chapter of my career has set in motion some big plans to move from Colorado back to Southern California, where both my husband and I are from and where our families still reside. We’re so excited to be back closer to family so our beloved little boy, John, can also see his grandparents more often. It’s hard to believe he is turning 3 soon! The move is happening in August, and we’ll be just 20 minutes west on the I-210 from Claremont. If you live in the area or come to visit and want to connect, please reach out! Looking forward to being closer to the CMC action again.”

Saumya (Lohia) Agarwal writes, “I miss CMC. I started a wellness retreat two years ago in Haridwar, India, and we just got Travelers Choice of the Year Award. Additionally, I have a baby who is 6 and just participated in the Delhi State Chess Championship and stood 29th.”

Clinton Paulus is based in Denver with his wife, Kelly, and their two children. He invests in public and private markets, and manages a private equity fund and its investments in home services.

Jacob Kass writes, “All is going well! I live south of Washington, D.C., with my beautiful wife, Allison. Bought our home in 2020, big yard, one pool, six chickens, zero kids. I operate one of the top fitness centers in D.C. Keep it low key. Miss CMC and all of you though; wish California was closer to the East Coast!”

Tom Boerigter and his husband, Garrett, continue to thrive in Chicago alongside their two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Broccoli and Dragon. They thoroughly enjoy spending time with other CMCers in Chicago, predominantly Milan Reed ’11 and April Weathers (on the rare occasions April is in town and available). They’re currently in the midst of the adoption process and hope to welcome a child by EOY 2025 (fingers crossed—it’s a journey!). If anyone has questions/commiserations associated with the adoption process, reach out!

Jeremy Merrill and Megan Merrill SCR’12 welcomed their son, Isaac, to the world last year. They love spending time with this bright-eyed, smiley, and mischievous young man. They all live in Atlanta.

Aisling Scott married Quico Spaen at the top of Point Arena Lighthouse on April 13, 2024. While it was a very small wedding, CMC over the years was well represented. Christina Mainero ’10 officiated the wedding, Mark Munro gave the man of honor speech, Nina (Kamath) Boyko ’16 gave a cheesy (read amazing) toast, and Max Mautner ’10 took fun photos when the official photographer wasn’t around. Aisling also celebrated on the East Coast with a coed bachelorette with Mark Munro, Cameron Hanson ’10, and Alan Mitchell POM’12. She also had virtual celebration calls with Greg Zahner and Jeremy Merrill.

April Weathers is still in Chicago with Milan Reed ’11 and is excited by the expanding number of updates from her class. Keep
it coming!

April Weathers ’12

Cathy Ye M’18 writes, “I recently moved to Chicago and joined Discovery Partners Institute, a part of the University of Illinois system. My job entails connecting the research from U of I’s professors to relevant corporations. Being new to Chicago, I’d love to meet more alumni, so hit me up if you are in the area!”

Kevin Javier Covarrubias Mercado writes, “Since graduating from CMC, I have pursued advanced degrees, completing an MA in Chinese Applied Linguistics and Modern Chinese Literature at San Francisco State University, followed by an MA in Political Science from Columbia University. Upon completing my MA at Columbia, I took the highest-level Mandarin course offered at the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, through the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship program.

“My professional journey thus far includes my current role as a senior counselor and transfer admissions manager at InGenius Prep, where I assist students globally in applying to top U.S. universities and colleges. In my efforts to give back to my hometown of Oakland, Calif. (or the ‘Town’), I was also recently a top two finalist for a vacancy on Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission, which allowed me to connect with fellow CMC alumnus Nicolas Heidorn ’06. Further, I serve as a mentor for Oakland Promise, guiding Oakland Promise Scholars in navigating their first year in college.

“A favorite memory from CMC is camping in Joshua Tree and hiking to hot springs with the Outdoor Initiative during my freshman year. The experience remains unforgettable.”

The first half of 2024 has been a big year professionally for Mariah Rigg! Along with advancing to candidacy in her PhD at the University of Tennessee, she was awarded a 2024 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Creative Writing and sold her first book to Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins. Titled Extinction Capital of the World, Rigg’s short story collection takes inspiration from her childhood in Hawaii and will be in bookstores next summer.

Matt Shuman writes, “Johnny Brandt and I just played in the California State Amateur. We were two of four Stags in the field. We’re also going on a golf trip with Chris Brandt ’85 P’14 P’18 this summer.”

Christian Rafla reports, “I graduated from medical school and started my anesthesiology residency at Loma Linda University. Now, I’m living in Ontario with my brother. It’s been a rewarding journey so far, and I’m excited for what’s next!”

David Atilano writes, “Since graduating I have found my calling in life. Claremont was always a place to build connections, help one another, and use our gained wisdom to mentor those around us. I studied science, took home a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and realized that I could not suffer to be in the laboratory. Instead, I have since discovered a passion for teaching.

“I decided back in 2019 to attend Whittier College’s Master of Education and teaching credentialing program. I attained both my master’s degree as well as my California Teaching Credential and promptly was hired by the second-largest school district in the nation, the Los Angeles Unified School District. I now work as a Biology and Health teacher to mostly freshmen and sophomores. I love my job. I work with students every day, I help to build their skills up, and encourage cooperation, community building, and leadership along with Biology curriculum.

“I believe that when life changes, it happens in an instant. But when I look into the future, I still see myself at the front of the classroom. S’co Stags!”

Tim de Silva finished his Finance PhD at MIT and plans to move back to California with Jenn Mace ’19 where he will be a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Brian Landeros started his career in investment banking in New York, and he traveled the country working for founder-focused private equity firms. He’s also picked up some operational experience, briefly serving as the No. 2 guy at Wall Street Oasis.

He’s now a fully-fledged digital nomad and founder of Gold Street, where he focuses on placing high-achieving college students into top jobs on Wall Street.

He has dedicated his time outside of work to various causes, including serving as a Big Brother, nonprofit board member (Resonance Center for Women) and president of the Revival Scholars Program. He also engages in recreational AI engineering, where he develops applications for founders seeking to minimize cash burn throughout their early-stage operations.

His most notable role includes serving as talent agent for his cat, Quant, who has amassed ~2M views across social media platforms like TikTok.

Aman Raghuvanshi writes, “Professional update: started a company with a Harvey Mudd classmate, went through Y Combinator and am about to hire my first CMCer! Life update: living bicoastal between SF and NYC. And my sister, Anya Raghuvanshi ’25, is a rising senior at CMC!”

Tarah Gilbreth writes, “I live in Golden, Colo., with Collin Barraugh, and I work on the investments team at a real estate development company in Denver. I caught a lot of fish in Alaska this summer, and I’m learning to surf! I’m also hosting the Fourth Annual Denver Alumni Whiskey Tasting in the fall; come join if you’re in town!”

Tarah Gilbreth ’18