1960s
Raymond Hoffman ’63 is a retired mortgage brokerage business owner; taught business courses at Dwight Eisenhower High School in Blue Island; resides in Orlando, Florida.
Appears InDr. Richard Manahan ’65, M.S. ’71, Ed.D. ’75, received the Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award from East Tennessee State University (ETSU) College of Business and Technology; was a vice president for finance and administration, vice president of university advancement, and accounting teacher; resides in Johnson City, Tennessee.
John Schwanke ’67, M.S. ’69, earned a gold card from the Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity for his work on Broadway.
A group of former classmates and their spouses met in person for the first time in 40 years in September 2023. Celebrating their 50th class reunion, the group visited campus and the Stephen and Sharon Hagge Innovation Institute, established in 2022 by a gift from Steve ’73 and Sharon (Wurl) Hagge ’73. The group included, standing from left, Steve Hagge; Sharon Hagge; Mike Somers ’73; Bill Hoelting ’73; Vicki (Menser) Gray ’77; Bob Gray ’73, MBA ’77; Elaine Tenhaeff; and Dr. Steve Tenhaeff ’73; and, seated from left, Betsy (Fitzgerald) Hoelting ’74 and Nancy Somers.
Judy (Peecher) Davenport ’68 is a retired elementary school teacher; has visited all 50 states and traveled internationally; resides in Pittsfield.
Carol (Cease) Skinner ’68 is retired from Jefferson County (Ky.) Schools after 43 years as an educator; resides in Crestwood, Kentucky.
Carolyn (Lauing) Finzer ’69 received a 55-year pin from the Girl Scouts of America; submitted a quilt, titled United for Ukraine, to the International Quilt Museum that raised $27,000 for Ukrainian refugees; has been married for 54 years to Melvern Finzer ’67, a retired United Airlines pilot; they reside in Naperville.
Cheryl (Moore) Paglia ’69 is retired from the City of Hidden Hills after 30 years as city clerk and city manager; resides in Palm Desert, California.
Ronn Baker ’69, M.S. ’72, is a retired junior high English teacher; published his first book, A Search for Eden; resides in Streator.
1970s
Marie Roman ’70 is an artist, novelist, and poet; resides in Tinley Park.
Dr. Billiamin Alli ’71, M.S. ’72, published Not Just COVID: Bacterial, fungal, and parasitic epidemics and pandemics and Yoruba Animism: Acculturation and Religious Nationalism; has published six books and over 200 articles in medical journals; owns 12 patents.
Russ Thomas ’71 is retired from State Farm after 40 years in its information technology department; resides in Bloomington.
Michael, M.A. ’72, and Deborah (Best) Blaz ’73 celebrated 50 years of marriage; are retired educators; Deb taught French for 44 years in secondary and collegiate settings; Mike taught at Trine University for 47 years before retiring as a full professor; Deb received the William Hatfield Distinguished Lifetime World Language Teaching Career Award from the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association in 2023; they reside in Chicago.
John ’72 and Carol (Sherry) Cogswell ’73 celebrated 50 years of marriage in 2023; reside in Zionsville, Indiana.
Darlene Kluka ’72, M.A. ’76, is a research associate with the University of Pretoria in South Africa; is retired from Barry University as dean of the School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences; resides in Gonzales, Louisiana.
Tracy Orr ’72 is a retired associate professor of anatomy and physiology from the College of the Mainland; resides in Texas City, Texas.
Audrey (Poterek) West ’72 and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary; is retired from Des Moines Public Schools after teaching special needs students for 30 years; worked for the University of Northern Iowa as a student teaching supervisor; resides in Ankeny, Iowa.
Jerry Jiter ’73 retired from a teaching career that spanned 48 years; resides in Antigo, Wisconsin.
Joseph A. Wagner ’73, M.S. ’78, teaches part-time at Hampshire High School; resides in East Dundee.
Dr. David Wesse ’73 is vice president for fiscal affairs at the College of the Mainland; resides in Hitchcock, Texas.
Marilyn Crawley ’74 is a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, where she resides.
Maria (Montminy) Kauffman ’74 is retired after 48 years of teaching high school math; resides with her husband in Winthrop, Maine.
Kimberly (Snyder) Zupec ’74 is a retired education administrator; coaches principals and supervises student teachers; resides in Elgin.
Pamela Grove ’75 is retired from a career in sales and marketing; is a ceramic sculptor; resides in Pittsburgh.
Mark Wright ’75 is a retired agriculture education teacher and crop claims adjuster; resides in Georgetown.
William “Brad” Albion ’76 was named international exchange coordinator for the Coachella Valley, greater Palm Springs, and Southern California; coordinates the placement of international high school students attending school in the United States.
John Richards ’76 is retired from Chicago Electric Company after 45 years of service; volunteered at the Chicago International Film Festival; is a member of the Art Institute of Chicago; attends performances of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and at the Steppenwolf Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, and the Goodman Theatre; resides in Forest Park.
Dr. David Brinza ’77 is retired from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory after a 40-year career; resides with his wife in Sequim, Washington.
Dr. Marlane Speed ’77 retired after 41 years as a special educator; resides in Waldorf, Maryland.
Gary Gillespie ’78 is retired from a 43-year career with Gardner Denver/Ingersoll Rand; held numerous positions, including senior vice president/general manager; resides with wife Jane (Kamm) Gillespie ’78 in Lewistown, Missouri.
James Knodell ’78 is retired from careers with the Secret Service, Department of Defense, and Health Care Service Corp.; resides in Ashburn, Virginia.
Don ’78 and Linda (Crawford) Yunker ’80 are retired; Don was a project manager in the staffing industry; Linda was an audio/video teacher in schools in Cherokee County, Georgia; they reside in Marietta, Georgia.
Michael Babicz ’79 was inducted into the Southeast Wisconsin Short Track Racing Hall of Fame in 2023; was inducted into the Lake County High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2022; works part-time at Libertyville Manor Generations of Care; has officiated high school sports for nearly 50 years; volunteers for Special Olympics Illinois; resides in Antioch.
Stephanie (Holmes) Bermke ’79 is retired from Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast; resides in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Maria (Ramirez) Lindberg ’79 is a retired instructional coach; resides in Belton, Texas.
Thomas Machalek ’79 is retired from a 45-year career as a business executive in commercial printing and direct mail marketing; resides in Wheaton.
Dr. Iqbal Memon, MBA ’79, is an adjunct professor of finance and business administration at the University of Maryland; previously taught at Lewis College; previously served as a data processing manager for Pakistan International Airlines; resides in Belleville, Michigan.
Brian Parker ’79 is an assistant vice president for Great American Insurance; resides in Lenoir City, Tennessee.
Lisa (Hoover) Steinwart ’79, M.S. ’81, has an audiology and speech pathology practice in Yorkville; resides in Montgomery.
Janie Wilson-Cook ’79 is a retired multimedia communication specialist from Northern Illinois University; is a career graphic designer, videographer, and technologist; is active in the League of Women Voters of Greater Rockford; resides in Rockford.
1980s
Dr. Barbara Caldwell, M.S. ’80, Ed.D. ’91, was promoted to professor; has taught in Iowa State University’s Department of Art and Visual Culture for 27 years; resides in Ames, Iowa.
Barbara (DeAcetis) Golden ’80 is retired from a full-time teaching career at Joliet West High School, where she taught business education and computer classes; still substitute teaches there; resides in Joliet.
Dr. Patrick Highland ’80, M.S. ’86, retired from the Iowa City Community School District as director of career and technical education; remains an adjunct professor in the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa; resides in Iowa City.
Cindy Powell ’80, M.S. ’83, retired as a secondary and post-secondary education teacher; taught in Poland, Korea, and Eritrea; resides in Palmer Lake, Colorado.
Susan O’Neal ’81 is a commissioner on the Peoria city and county’s Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity; is an assistant public defender assigned to drug court and pretrial detention hearings; resides in Peoria.
Barry Winterland ’81, MBA ’88, is a retired general manager and regional finance director; resides in Bloomington.
Susan (Beck) Grossius ’82 is in her 19th year as a customer training instructor with Sysmex America; celebrated her 20th anniversary with her husband; resides in Round Lake.
Jennifer Murray ’82, M.S. ’84, is retired after 34 years with the Coca-Cola Company; resides in Atlanta.
Cheryl Wieczorek ’82 is an account officer for Northern Illinois University Foundation; resides in Sycamore.
Nickey Yates ’82 is retired from the United States Marine Corps; earned master’s and doctoral degrees from Florida A&M; is a member of the board of fire and police commissioner in Kankakee; resides in Kankakee.
Jack Alpers ’83 retired from Illinois State University Grounds Services after 25 years; farms in Central Illinois; resides in Ellsworth.
Perry Bentsen ’83 is retired from a teaching career of 38 years; resides with his wife in Rock Island.
Kevin Hieronymus ’83 was inducted into the Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame as “Distinguished Media”; has been sports editor of the Bureau County Republican in Princeton since 1986.
Dr. Janine Holc ’83 published The Weavers of Trautenau: Female Jewish Forced Labor in the Holocaust with Brandeis University Press; is a political science professor at Loyola University Maryland; resides in Baltimore.
Lisa Lindesmith ’83 is a retired veterinarian; resides in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Brent Parker ’83 is semi-retired with over 30 years of service to the Colorado Department of Corrections; is a master trainer at Desert Waters Correctional Outreach; resides in Florence, Arizona.
Al Goodwyn ’84 won first place in the 2023 Green Eyeshade journalism competition for editorial cartooning; following retirement as a board-certified health physicist, began work as a syndicated editorial cartoonist; his cartoons have appeared in the Washington Post and New York Post; resides in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Alice (Kaufmann) Lowry ’84 is a senior vice president with Globe Life; resides in Frisco, Texas.
Catherine O’Hara ’84 celebrated 10 years as director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Cincinnati; resides in Cincinnati.
Rick Schmitt ’84 is a retired school superintendent; taught eight years at Rockford Boylan High School; provided 30 years of service to Sandwich Community Unit School District 430 as an assistant principal, principal, and superintendent; is a past president of the Illinois Association of School Administrators; resides in Sandwich.
Jodi Schoeck ’84 is retired after 33 years of teaching and coaching; resides in Lake in the Hills.
Gary Czosek ’85 retired from Bell Flavors & Fragrances after 35 years as a senior scientist and manager; resides with his wife in Wadsworth.
Joseph Glynn, M.A. ’86, is a cartographic technician with the United States Census Bureau in Jeffersonville, Indiana; published an essay, “No Respect: A Tail-End Baby Boomer’s Elegy,” in The Boom Project: Voices of a Generation; resides with his wife in Louisville, Kentucky.
Kathleen (McHugh) Oranger ’86 got married; is vice president of finance and administration at Plaspros; resides in McHenry.
Troy Thiel ’87, M.S. ’90, is a real estate sales and development consultant for Real Broker; resides in Madison, Wisconsin.
Stephen “Steve” Bergman ’88 is a voiceover artist and producer; teaches driver’s education; resides in Buffalo Grove.
Debra Bethard-Caplick ’88 is a lecturer at Kennesaw State University; resides in Holly Springs, Georgia.
Jenni (Lang) Dunlap ’88 retired from teaching middle school English in Libertyville District 70 after a 35-year teaching career; resides in Mundelein.
Darcy (Phillips) Rutan ’88 is a retired teacher; resides in Clinton.
Charles “Charlie” Simpson ’88 is senior vice president of marketing and communications at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in Chicago; resides in St. Charles.
Luan (Rickard) Statham ’88 is the director of special education at Galesburg CUSD #205; resides in Galesburg.
Lynn Warren ’88 is a weather catastrophe claim specialist at State Farm; resides in Normal.
Ann Brubaker Greenleaf Wirtz, M.S. ’89, published Our Lives in Verse: Everyday Poetry in print and audiobook; resides in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
Rob Claus ’89 is the director of education for the Certified Commercial Property Inspectors Association in Boulder, Colorado.
Bruce Shabino ’89 is a licensed professional geologist with Carlson Environmental; celebrated 28 years with the company; resides in Oak Park.
Dr. Diane (Devlin) Wolf ’89 ’92, M.S. ’94, Ed.D. ’15, retired after working for 30 years in education; resides in Bloomington.
1990s
Karen Preston ’90 retired from the Valley View School District as a high school counselor; resides in Bloomington.
Maggie (Young) Hauser ’91 joined Buffalo, New York-based M&T Bank as a business systems analyst; resides in Normal.
Dr. Regina (Mee) Nottke ’91 is assistant superintendent of student services for Park Forest-Chicago Heights School District 163; resides in Flossmoor.
Karen (Kaiser) Walker ’91, M.S. ’17 ’20, has been a special educator for over 33 years; is currently a vocational coordinator for Normal Community High School’s transition program for students with disabilities; plans to retire in 2025; resides in Normal.
Patricia Morales ’92 is senior director with Mirum Pharmaceuticals; resides in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania.
William Warren ’92 is retired from Rachel Cooper Health Center; is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel; resides at Mercy Creek in Normal.
Monika Hunter ’94 was ordained as a pastor at Hillsville Christian Church; resides in Hillsville, Virginia.
Rob Wendlick ’94 is a social studies teacher, football coach, and assistant athletic director at Minooka Community High School; will celebrate 30 years as an educator in 2024; resides in Bourbonnais.
Dr. Rey E. de la Cruz, Ed.D. ’95, won Best Original Story for Ballesteros on My Mind–The Film at the Prague International Film Festival in July 2022.
Dr. Jason Fichtel ’95, M.A. ’97, is a professor of English at Joliet Junior College; was named chair of its English, philosophy, and world languages department; was re-elected to the board of trustees of the Westmont Public Library, where he serves as president of the board; resides in Westmont.
Raegan Carter ’96 earned a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); is a veterinary technician at UIUC; resides in Champaign.
Valerie Holly Lyons, M.S. ’96, is an assistant and translator in the multilingual department at Bloomington Junior High School; resides in Normal.
Bret Phillips ’96 manages a team of data scientists for the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs; resides with his wife and children in Dallas.
Janice (Jimenez) Gont ’97 is pursuing a doctorate in education leadership; is an assistant professor and chair of the initial licensure and special education programs at Aurora University; resides in Naperville.
Leza Kirshenbaum, M.S. ’97, is a learning behavior specialist at Pepper Ridge Elementary in McLean County Unit School District 5; resides in Bloomington.
Nicole (Haskin) Radford ’97 is vice president of laboratory services at Florida Cancer Specialists; resides in Fort Myers, Florida.
Robert Bartnick, Jr. ’98, M.S. ’00, has spent the majority of his career in technology consulting, primarily in the supply chain space; has worked for IBM, Capgemini, Tata Consultancy Service, and PwC; has consulted for HP, AT&T, United Airlines, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and Walmart; resides in O’Fallon, Missouri.
Paul “P.J.” Giamanco ’98 was promoted to assistant superintendent for Bridgeport Independent School District in Bridgeport, Texas; resides in Colleyville, Texas.
Stacey (Craine) Kopiczko ’98 has taught for 25 years; is a high school special education teacher; resides in Oswego.
Jennifer (Federighi) Lauermann ’98 is a middle school teacher whose students researched and submitted proposals to select a state rock for Illinois; their proposal for dolostone was designed as the state rock in 2022; she resides in Lisle.
Brett Darrough ’99 is a retired musician; resides in Fremont, Indiana.
Yolanda Grandberry Pugh ’99 earned a doctorate in K-12 educational leadership from Western Illinois University; is an English teacher in the Rock Island/Milan School District; resides in Rock Island.
Michael Hornyak, M.F.A. ’99, is an art teacher; recently relocated to the Midwest; resides in Youngstown, Ohio.
2000s
Jeromy Bentley ’00, M.S. ’02, was the recipient of the Chicago Section of the American Chemical Society’s 2023 Teacher Excellence Award, recognizing outstanding teachers of high school chemistry or a chemical science; teaches at Naperville Central High School.
Mary Brady ’00 is the P-12 director of Teaching and Learning at Decatur Public Schools #61; resides in Decatur.
Robert Gomez ’00 is a certified registered nurse anesthetist; resides in Hilliard, Ohio.
Aja Holmes ’00, M.S. ’02, is the assistant dean of students at the University of San Francisco; resides in San Francisco.
Joshua Sterns ’00 was promoted to director of educational technology in Shiloh School District after 24 years of classroom teaching; resides in Belleville.
Karen (Becker) Bishop ’01 owns an award-winning boutique photography business; had had work featured in magazines nationally and internationally; resides in Moline.
Anna (Manwaring) Hanrahan ’01, M.S. ’05, is an education specialist with ed tech company Trafera, based in Minneapolis; previously taught elementary school for 20 years; resides in Heyworth.
Peter Thompson ’01 teaches technical theatre in San Antonio; resides in San Marcos.
Kristi (Langford) Hotchkiss ’02 ’06 is a second grade teacher in Heyworth; resides in Bloomington.
Dr. Jessica Hurt ’02 earned a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at Northern Illinois University; is in her first year as principal at York Community High School in Elmhurst; resides in Downers Grove.
Elizabeth Nystedt ’02 is in her 20th year of teaching elementary general music at Coleman Elementary School in Elgin; resides in Lisle.
Christian Castro ’03 ’22 teaches English as a second language at Mt. Zion High School; resides in Decatur.
Rebecca Freehauf ’03 is in her 20th year teaching in the Harlem School District in Machesney Park; resides in Roscoe.
Damon Stewart ’03 is the owner of IGA Talent Management & Consulting; launched a new record label, IGA Digital, distributed through Warner Music.
Joe McQueen ’04 is principal of alternative education at Regional Office of Education #33 in Galesburg; published Calming Young Minds: Understanding Mental Health, De-Escalation, Trauma, and Restorative Practices in Teens; is a military veteran; resides in Galesburg.
Anthony Myers ’04 ’08 is a member of NASA’s Safety and Mission Assurance Team focused on safety in constructing and modifying facilities at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. Myers additionally supports NASA’s public relations team during launches and provides safety support to the Space Station Processing Facility.
Alison Swanagain ’04 is scheduled to complete work this spring on a master’s degree in Christian ministry from Liberty University John Rawlings School of Divinity; resides in Chicago.
Kirk Nordwahl ’05 joined Hanson Professional Services’ Peoria office as senior design technician; was previously an industrial designer for Crane Equipment and Service Inc. in Peoria.
Yolanda Gibson, M.S. ’06, won a Telly Award for her documentary, Wisdom From The Brooklyn Bridge; resides in New York City.
Karla Renae Harris ’06 is a teacher in Chicago Public Schools; earned a master’s degree in education; is certified to teach special education; resides in Riverdale.
Keith Schumacher ’06 retired from nursing last year; is the former president of the Illinois Society of Paranesthesia Nurses; resides in Mason City.
Angela (Battisti) Kumler ’09 is a career and technical education teacher in Township High School District 214; attended with her students the Future Educators Conference at Illinois State last year; resides in Roselle.
Rebecca McDowell ’09 is an employee experience specialist in the human resources department at Dallas College; will celebrate 10 years with Dallas College this year; resides in Dallas.
2010s
Jennifer Bruhn ’10 recently became engaged to be married; works for the University of Texas at Austin; resides in Elgin, Texas.
Brekke Day ’10 is the elementary program director at the Montessori School of Champaign-Urbana; trains and leads elementary staff, writes policy, designs curriculum, and engages with students and families; resides with her husband and daughter in Urbana.
Melissa (Ritter) Leyendecker ’10 is a reading specialist in Burbank School District #111; is continuing her education with online classes; resides with her husband and two boys in Oak Lawn.
Aaron Witz ’10 is entering his third season as a massage therapist with the Chicago Cubs; resides in Elk Grove Village.
Eddie Baron ’11 started working in research and development at a coil coatings company after graduation; rose through the ranks and was managing a small team of chemists and technicians by 2015; became director of research and development for his company’s domestic sites in 2020; became regional director of research and development in 2022, leading teams in seven countries; resides in Carol Stream.
Amy (Rourke) Jones ’11 is the director of annual programs and advancement communication at Illinois College; resides in Springfield.
Sam Alex ’07, center, made his debut as guest announcer at the Grand Ole Opry last June. Alex is the creator, executive producer, and host of the nationally syndicated radio program, The Sam Alex Show, nominated for Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards. He is the founder and director of Camp Broadcast, a workshop for aspiring hosts, and has made several acting cameos, including in the ABC drama Nashville.
Adam S. Cameron ’13 is a locksmith assistant at S.A. Morman in Grand Rapids, Michigan; resides in Holland, Michigan.
Lainey (Parrott) Hicks ’13 earned a master’s degree in education, curriculum and instruction; is a teacher at Marseilles Elementary School; resides in Ottawa.
Kristen Houlihan ’13 is in her 10th year of teaching; is an art teacher in Cook County School District 130; resides in Orland Hills.
Elise (Freemon) Jarvis ’13 earned a master’s degree in speech pathology; got married; resides in Chicago.
Chiara Archer ’14 is engaged to be married; has been a special education teacher for eight year; resides in New Lenox.
Joe Christian ’14 is the sales and sponsorship manager for the Peoria Park District; resides in Washington.
Tierra Reed-Marquez ’14 has served the State of Illinois for six years; has traveled to Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic; will travel to Thailand in 2024; resides in Springfield.
Kelly Alm ’16 joined Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Springfield headquarters as an administrator for Hanson’s platform in Workday, a cloud-based human resources information system.
Bianca (Davies-Mears) Godsil ’16 is a teacher in Clinton Community Unit School District #15; resides in Normal.
Audrey Sanders ’16 is a fourth grade teacher in Community Consolidates School District 62; resides in Glenview.
Dr. Samantha Shebib, M.S. ’16, completed a Ph.D. in communication at Michigan State University; is an assistant professor and associate scientist in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; resides in Hoover, Alabama.
Majerle Tsenes ’16 is a police officer for the City of Phoenix; resides in Glendale, Arizona.
Sharvelle Bullock-Hamilton ’17 joined Illinois State’s University College staff as communications and marketing coordinator; resides in Bloomington.
Dr. Jennifer Davidson, Ph.D. ’17, is assistant vice president of education at the College of Lake County; works with vice president of education to fulfill instructional mission and goals of the college; supports excellence in teaching and learning; has worked in higher education since 2000.
Samantha (Brody) Kida ’17 earned a master’s degree in special education; is a life skills teacher; resides in Kewanee.
Ashley Walls ’17 is a registered dietitian licensed in four states, currently working in outpatient nutrition counseling; is enrolled in a master’s program; resides in Orland Hills.
Desire Akahome ’18 ’19 is pursuing a doctorate of nursing practice from Mennonite College of Nursing; resides in Chicago.
Charlea (Schueler) Fredstrom ’18 earned a master’s degree in music at Butler University; resides in Seymour, Indiana.
Jennifer Furlong ’18 is a pediatric oncology nurse with Lee Health; resides in Fort Myers, Florida.
Simonne Harris ’18 earned a master’s degree in social work; is a corrections assessment specialist for the State of Illinois; resides in Plainfield.
Vishaljeet Sandhu ’18 graduated from law school; is a law clerk with RAFF LAW; resides in Chico, California.
Rachael Schoepke ’18 is pursuing a doctorate in audiology; resides in Mesa, Arizona.
Lauren Smith ’18, M.S. ’23, is a special education teacher in Bloomington School District 87; earned a master’s degree; resides in Bloomington.
Dr. Ayisha Stanley-Washington ’18 earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Chicago State University College of Pharmacy; works in the pharmaceutical industry; resides in Naperville.
Leia Atas ’19, M.S. ’21, is a volunteer engagement program manager at the University of Colorado Boulder; resides in Loveland, Colorado.
Amanda Campbell ’19 is in her fifth year of teaching kindergarten and first grade; is pursuing a master’s degree and certificates at Illinois State University; resides in Tinley Park.
Megan Ciapponi ’19 has been a nurse for four years, including the past two as a labor and delivery nurse at Elmhurst Hospital; resides in Lo bard.
Megan Jackson ’19 is an event coordinator for Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis; resides in Greenwood, Indiana.
Austin Moore ’19 is an account manager with Walmart Connect; is engaged to a fellow Redbird; bought a house; resides in Madison, Wisconsin.
Lauren Simpson, M.S. ’19, is in her fifth year employed by Cornell University; recently accepted a new position as a major gift associate in the College of Engineering’s Alumni Affairs and Development division.
Eric Tecuanhuehue ’19 is in his fourth year teaching in Indian Prairie School District #204, the district he once attended; is a technology and engineering educator instructor; earned tenured status at Metea Valley High School last year; earned a master’s degree in curriculum in instruction from Aurora University; resides in Aurora.
Lillian (Pawlowski) Tenorio ’19 is in her fifth year teaching at Oswego East High School; resides in Plainfield.
2020s
Marinna Barone ’20 is in her fourth year as a kindergarten and first grade special education teacher; resides in Schaumburg.
Triston Brown, M.S. ’20, is a sixth and seventh grade history teacher at a private school; resides in San Jose, California.
Kylie Guyon ’20 is in her fourth year of teaching; is a fourth grade teacher in Canton Union School District 66; resides in Pekin.
Meaghan Heimbach ’20 is a student life coordinator at East Tennessee State University, where she earned a master’s degree; led a weeklong service trip to Ecuador, and another to England; works closely with the school’s Changemaker Honors Program, focused on helping students find creative solutions to social issues; resides in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
Kayla Kaspari ’20, M.S. ’21, is a food technologist and dietitian with Glanbia Performance Nutrition; resides in Wood Dale.
Jessica Lardizabal ’20 is a fully remote school nurse serving a school in Florida; started an art business, Goth.Milk; resides in Round Lake.
Brittney Mcdaniel ’20 is a case manager with Brightpoint’s Butterfly Porject, a nonprofit benefitting individuals impacted by domestic violence; resides in Bloomington.
Shelby Nekola ’20 is tenured at Manteno High School, now in her fourth year of teaching; resides in Tinley Park.
Nacia Patterson ’20 is a family and consumer sciences teacher and cheerleading coach at Freeport High School; resides in Freeport.
Morgan Peters ’20 is the director of activities at a skilled nursing facility; is implementing music and music therapy into programming for residents; resides in Denver.
Mary Wallace ’20 earned a master’s degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio; is a licensed professional counselor associate; resides in San Antonio.
Jennifer Wright ’20 is a fourth grade teacher in Beach Park School District 3; finished work on a master’s degree; resides in Antioch.
Erik Zdansky, M.S. ’20, is a grants and quality assurance manager at Marcfirst; resides in Normal.
Victoria Anelli ’21 is in her third year of teaching third grade in Community Consolidated School District 15; resides in Addison.
Tanya Bandela ’21 is an underwriting service assistant at State Farm; resides in Bloomington.
Jamie Donahue, M.S. ’21, is engaged to be married in November; is a therapist with Children’s Home Association of Illinois; resides in Bartonville.
Ryan Dugan ’21 will graduate from law school in May and move to Nashville to work in the Tennessee Attorney General’s office; currently resides in St. Louis.
Eric Garcia ’21 is enrolled in a graduate occupational therapy program at Governs State University; is a rehab aide with Athletico Physical Therapy; resides in Tinley Park.
Sara Herrera ’21 is pursuing a master’s degree in social work; is a youth specialist with Housing Opportunities for Women; resides in Glenview.
Dr. Carrie Hruby, Ed.D. ’21, had her first book, Comfy Shoes and Keychains: Tips for Women in Leadership, published by Rowman & Littlefield; is superintendent of O’Fallon School District 90; resides in O’Fallon.
Nicole Jasinski ’21 earned a master’s degree in speech-language pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; resides in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Laura (Hanson) Jones ’21 is a music therapist working in Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa; resides in Galesburg.
Kelly Larkin ’21 is a paralegal with Condon Family Law & Mediation; resides in Charleston, South Carolina.
Vincent Pray ’21 is a financial manager for Graybar Electric who recently took over responsibility of the Detroit region; resides in Taylor, Michigan.
Jace Sassatelli ’21 is a configuration toolset administrator working in information technology for the State of Illinois; resides in Taylorville.
Jordan SooHoo ’21 is in her third year as a second grade teacher in Oak Lawn-Hometown District 123; resides in Palos Hills.
Peris Story ’21 is teaching in Texas; resides in San Antonio.
Ben Villwock ’21 is a data annotation lead for Tesla; resides in Draper, Utah.
Members of AsiaConnect, a faculty and staff group committed to the enhancement of the academic, social, and cultural environment of the Asian community, gathered for a potluck dinner at the start of the 2023-24 academic year. The group was joined by other members of the campus and Bloomington-Normal communities, including representatives from the Bloomington Police Department.
Thannia Arteaga ’22 is enrolled in Northeastern Illinois University’s human resource development master’s program; resides in Addison.
Aleks Beygel ’22 is an account executive working in advertising at an NBC affiliate in Tampa, Florida; resides in Odessa, Florida.
Remi Davis ’22 is a legal assistant at Wright Law Office; resides in Bloomington.
Andrew Goger ’22 is in his second year teaching first grade at Oakdale Elementary School; resides in Gurnee.
Randi Goodwin ’22 is enrolled in the school psychology Ph.D. program at Illinois State; resides in Bloomington.
Helen Gregson ’22 is pursuing a master’s degree in sports administration at Northwestern University; resides in Waterloo.
Megan Herrera Vega ’22 is bilingual pre-K teacher in McLean County Unit School District 5; resides in Bloomington.
Shanice Muirhead ’22 is teaching in McLean County Unit School District 5; plans to return to Illinois State for graduate school; resides in Normal.
Jessica Racine ’22 earned a master’s degree in social work; resides in Westmont.
Madison Steines ’22 is enrolled in graduate school pursuing a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University; resides in Morrison.
Sarah Warfield ’22 is in her first year at SIU School of Law; resides in Jacksonville.
Jamairrah Woods ’22 is a customer service representative with COUNTRY Financial; resides in Normal.
Katie Appleby ’23 is a family and consumer science teacher at Larkin High School in Elgin; resides in Glen Ellyn.
Kaelah Banks ’23 is an accountant with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; resides in Normal.
Sydney Brust ’23 is a crew member in AmeriCorps; resides in Normal.
Michael Fiala ’23 is an accountant with Occidental Chemicals; resides in Dallas.
Allison Hoffman ’23 is a general music teacher and choir director in Lincoln Elementary District 27; resides in Bloomington.
Grace Larson ’23 is a social studies teacher at Westville High School; resides in Champaign.
Jennifer Martin ’23 is a research analyst for the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies; resides in Bloomington.
Isabel Paniagua ’23 is a dual language first grade teacher in Illinois School District U-46; resides in Pingree Grove.
Wyatt Steidinger ’23 passed the National Council Licensure Examination; is an ICU nurse at Carle BroMenn Medical Center; resides in Normal.
Marissa Stoffel ’23 is a third grade teacher at Dwight Common School; resides in Reddick.
Audrey Strunewitz ’23 is director of marketing for Luxe Motors in Lisle; is writing at TV pilot script; resides in Lisle.
Sierra Wirebaugh ’23 is a crisis counselor for the Center for Human Services in Bloomington; resides in Canton.
