Class Notes
The Class Notes section of Leaves includes items submitted by Lasell University class secretaries and alumni, along with information gathered from press releases, news stories, and websites. Notes in this issue, edited for space, are based on material received by August 15, 2019. Unfortunately, we cannot verify factual content of submissions. In the interest of protecting alumni privacy, it is the policy of the Office of Development and Alumni Relations to not share personal information. Please contact the office if you wish to connect with a classmate. If you are interested in being a class secretary, please contact David Nathan, director of communications and stewardship, at dnathan@lasell.edu.
1950s
1950
Jackie Hauser was a part of the "Art in Bloom" exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Boston. She is a member of the Sudbury Garden Club and was given this piece of art (pictured left) to interpret with a flower or garden display.
1953 | Class Secretary: Shirley Gibbons San Soucie
1955 | Class Secretary: Bobbie Jennings
Mary Lee Gowdy Belcourt keeps in touch with a "great bunch of gals" who lived in Briggs, including Joan Murano Swanson and Diana Hendley Cooper.
Bobbie Jennings has connections with Lasell community members beyond just her own classmates. For years, she corresponded through handwritten letters with faculty including Ms. Hoag (English), Ms. Josephs (typing), Ms. Chapman (shorthand), Ms. Tri (athletics), Ms. Smith (cafeteria), Ms. Landau (Bragdon office), Ms. Watts
(athletics), Ms. Mac (athletics), Ms. Solimene (class advisor), and Dean Ruth Rothenberger. Now, her frequent letters are between herself and Trudy Kauffman '42 and Pam Barry '49.
Audrey Silver Rogers '55 P'78 had a fond memory to relate - the great winning crew team that she and Bobbie Jennings were on (pictured right). She is pictured in the front row, far right, and Bobbie is in the back row, far left. "Note the checkered blouses," she says. Bobbie adds to the memory: "Despite the warm spring weather, we were required to wear our long winter coats while walking from campus to the Charles River boat dock. We wore shorts and were not allowed to show our legs - a bit of Boston culture from the 1950s!"
1956 | Class Secretary: Margaret Kraft
1960s
1960
Barbara Adelstein (pictured right, fourth from right) celebrated her husband's 80th birthday at Longfellow's Wayside Inn in June with her whole family. Her daughter lives with her family in Newton, Massachusetts, and her son and his family live in Albany, New York. She is very proud of her grandchildren in elementary, middle, and high school! She looks forward to a tour of campus soon.
1961 | Class Secretaries: Elaine Butler Ryan and Laura T. Jensen
Karla Robinson Dunham recently returned from a vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii, where she had lunch with her freshman college roommate, Kimi Kathleen Cook, who lives there. After almost 60 years, it was a fun reunion. "We had a lot of catching up to do," she says.
Nan Sparks Hunter says that her granddaughter, Christina, graduated from Harvard this past May and will move to New York. Nan is retired and loving it! She has two new great-grandchildren: one in Minnesota and one in South Carolina. She enjoys volunteering, which keeps her busy. If you are nearby in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, feel free to contact her at 843-655-3232.
Members of the class of 1961 met for lunch in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They were happy to welcome Charlotte "Charlie" Siders Morgan back to the East Coast from California. Charlie's husband, Tom, passed away unexpectedly last November. The group sends their best to Lasell and hopes to see some of their classmates for their 60th reunion! Pictured left, L to R: Barbara "Twink" Carberry Haddad, Donna Skillings Kessler, Sharon Handley House, Charlotte "Charlie" Siders Morgan, and Carolyn Bird Murray (standing).
1962 | Class Secretary: Joan Curtin
1965
Gay Urban Ferrie is retired and lives in both Boston and on Cape Cod. She is lucky to have her daughter living close by, as well as a wonderful baby grandson.
Ellen Sweeny Fox married Ted Fox in Newport, Rhode Island, 49 years ago. They have lived in College Station, Texas, for over 45 years. They have two daughters, a son-in-law, and two granddaughters. They love to travel and enjoy these special years. "I look forward to hearing from other Lasell alums," she says.
Peggy Jacobs Kleimon has lived in Naples, Florida, since 1999. She and her husband, Murray, have three daughters, six grandchildren, and three sons-in-law. She still commutes to Concord, Massachusetts, to work as a nurse.
Joan Brignano Scanlon has lived in Hawaii for 50 years. She does not miss winters at all! She has four grandkids and does a lot of child care.
Sue Schaller Young retired in 2013 after a 32-year career as an academic advisor at Temple University. Her days are busier than ever! She enjoys time with her four sons and their families, which include 11 grandchildren (six boys and five girls) ranging in age from 12 to 19 years old. She hopes this note finds everyone healthy and enjoying this wonderful time in life.
At Lasell's 50th reunion for the class of 1965, several Bragdon/Ordway House gals rekindled their friendships. They have since taken yearly mini-reunions in fun cities across the country, with lots of laughs and special memories.Pictured right, L to R: Linda Foster Nixon, Joan Brignano Scanlon, Peggy Jacobs Kleimon, Sue Schaller Young, Ellen Sweeny Fox, and Gay Urban Ferrie.
1967 | Class Secretary: Katherine McDonough Ryan
On July 29, 2019, the family of Betsy Webb Cheney came to view the study room on the third floor of the Science and Technology Center at Lasell, which was dedicated to her class. Pictured L to R: Melanie Hyslop (Betsy's sister), Jack Webb (brother), Matthew Cheney (son), Ann Thurston (wife), and Kathy Lucey (classmate).
1968 | Class Secretary: Cynthia Rardin Crawford
Cynthia Rardin Crawford celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with her husband, Richard Crawford.
Elizabeth Brown Koss celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with her husband, Paul Koss.
Heather Heath Reed shares with profound sadness that her beloved Bill died on February 7 after a sudden and brief illness. Bill had a great respect for Lasell and its philosophy of education and lifelong learning. He loved attending reunions and hearing stories from both past and present. He had a wide and wonderful smile and an infectious laugh, and was a kind, gentle soul. She thanks the community for welcoming him so completely.
1990s
1992
Amy Kaddaras became engaged over the summer.
Kristin Lakacha (second from right) attended the Pan-Mass Challenge Night at Fenway Park with her two sisters in June. All are breast cancer survivors.
1993 | Class Secretary: Tracey Provost
1995 | Class Secretary: Deb Blumenthal
Andrea Gallien just moved to Miami, Florida, after living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She began a new job as a third grade teacher at Franklin Academy.
2010s
2010 | Class Secretary: Heather Oblon
Kelly Barden works as a real estate attorney at Spillane Kane Barden, Attorneys, in Hanover, Massachusetts. She lives in Weymouth, Massachusetts, with her husband, Issa Handal-Azrak. Kelly and Issa were married on September 14, 2019.
Jessica Cipri Elliott and her husband, Mark, welcomed their first child this fall.
Kayla Lee lives in Danvers, Massachusetts, with her boyfriend and their new puppy in a wonderful old farmhouse that they purchased this year. She works as a buyer at HighRes Biosolutions, a company that creates laboratory automation systems.
2011 | Class Secretary: Kimberly Hooper Gladman
2012 | Class Secretary: Kasey Looney
2013 | Class Secretary: Carrie Kenniston Goodwin
Samantha Boisclair welcomed a baby girl in the fall.
Martha Hertel '67 met Brandon Chase '13 (pictured left) by chance on Quonnie Beach in Rhode Island by noticing his Lasell T-shirt. 1967 meets 2013!
Calvin Finemore and his wife Christina Finemore (formerly Annicelli) share a home in Northfield, New Hampshire. Christina is a high school English teacher at Parker Academy, and Calvin is the food and beverage director at Highland Mountain Bike Park.
Carrie Kenniston Goodwin welcomed a daughter, Emma, in January 2019. She has since returned to work as an assistant district attorney in Hampden County, Massachusetts.
Philjay Solar graduated with his JD from New England Law Boston this past spring. He intends to work for the federal or state government. He was also recently appointed by State Auditor Suzanne Bump as commissioner of the Asian American Commission of Massachusetts. He is the youngest commissioner appointment in its history.
2014 | Class Secretary: Flannagh Fitzsimmons
2015 | Class Secretary: Shannon Pasco
Nour Alsabban had their second child, Ibrahim, in December 2018. Nour also received an entrepreneurship certificate from the University of Toronto, and is starting a Master of Management program at York University this fall.
Caitlin Fitzgerald was promoted from associate writer to project writer at Great American Group in Needham, Massachusetts.
Emily Kochanek Ketner and new husband Alex (BU '13) were wed on August 4 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, where they celebrated with their Lasell alumni friends. Emily and Alex live in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston.
Jonathan Peirce began a new position at Markforged in Watertown, Massachusetts, in March 2019. Markforged is a 3D printing startup leading the charge in additive manufacturing. Jonathan moved to Watertown with his girlfriend and their dog, Beanie.
Samantha Smith married Mitchell O'Brien on May 6 at Glacier National Park in Montana. They purchased their first home together on August 2 in Columbia Falls, Montana.
2016 | Class Secretary: Jordan Dalpe
Francesca Ceppetelli will teach sixth grade humanities at Veritas Prep.
Rebeka Costa returned to school for her nursing degree, which she received from Utica College. She now works as a registered nurse in the transplant unit at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Zachary Gavin married Molly Brennan '14 (pictured right) on March 2, 2019.
Jessica Bouchard Gayle married Dennis Gayle, Jr., on July 14, 2019. Jessica graduated with her master's degree from Florida Gulf Coast University in May 2019. She is still an accountant and hopes to become a CPA soon.
Garbriella Giangregorio and Skylar Beckerman moved out of Massachusetts to a condo in Lincoln, Rhode Island. They also brought a new puppy, Oakley, into the picture! Oakley (pictured left) is a shiba inu and collie mix who can sometimes be found walking around Lasell's campus when Garbriella brings her into work.
Rose Leger is leaving New York City after three inspiring years there. She will begin her master's degree in textile science at the University of Rhode Island this fall.
Jared MacDonald is moving to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to work as a sports reporter at the Bowling Green Daily News.
Tatum Schladenhauffen married Alec Brown on August 19, 2019.
2017 | Class Secretary: Megan Hanlon
2018 | Class Secretary: James Rossano
Kimberly Protocollo began a new position as a paralegal with Fazzio Law Offices in Hoboken, New Jersey, and New York City.
Ryan Saber got a job as a broadcast associate at Harvard University and as a mobile application developer using 3D augmented reality tools at Motim Technologies.
Brianna Tata will be traveling through Europe for work, with stops in Italy, Spain, Mallorca, Portugal, and the Netherlands!
2019 | Class Secretary: Rebecca Van Spall-Hood
Olivia Addington was hired as an admissions counselor at Lasell, and is also the assistant coach for the women's volleyball team!
Erika Badger networked at Lasell for her sales development position at SmartBear Software. She is moving to Boston.
Nick Carlino works at Fidelity Investments and is working on obtaining his finance licenses. He will get an apartment in Greater Boston.
Elizabeth Castaldi got a job as an associate designer at Kiel James Patrick in her hometown in Rhode Island. She is extremely excited for her designs to be featured this fall.
Nicholas Escobar is a merchandising manager at the Old Navy corporate office, as well as a substitute mathematics teacher for the Department of Education. After graduation, he went to Europe for a week and thoroughly enjoyed himself!
Colin Froment is a freelance reporter for Franklin Archer Publications in Chicago, Illinois, though he works from home in Rhode Island. His secondary job is at Vector Marketing, where he presents Cutco kitchen supplies.
Sara Gaebe will finish her first semester of the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. She is planning her wedding for October of next year.
Kevin Joyce will take advantage of the fifth-year option at Lasell this fall.
Lauren Liscio traveled to Panama City after graduation. She was hired as a lab assistant in lab processing at MelroseWakefield Hospital in Melrose, Massachusetts, and still works part-time at T.J. Maxx.
Alex MacDonald moved to Italy and will be working as a tour guide for students studying abroad.
Dave Marsell works as a finance manager for a cannabis cultivation company, Ecoland USA, in northern California.
Mariana McCarthy got a job at Babson College as one of their newest athletic trainers.
Cody McCormick bought a brand new 2019 Honda Civic for himself, lost 40 pounds since graduation, and got a new job at Stonewood Products.
Dannon McGarrity has a full-time position at Kevin P. Martin & Associates, which is where she interned while a student at Lasell. She enrolled in the online master's program at Southern New Hampshire University to earn her Master of Science in Accounting with a focus on auditing. She hopes to graduate by 2021.
Dan Menachemson started a job as a loss prevention specialist at The TJX Companies. He traveled to Spain and Portugal with family over the summer.
Cassidy Murray got a job at Wellesley College as an athletic communications assistant. She works with Wellesley's director of sports information on game days.
Lauren Muszysnki moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to start her career in product development at Kohl's.
Katy O'Connor moved out on her own to North Providence, Rhode Island.
Molly Parrot works full-time at the Waltham Boys and Girls Club, a job that grew out of her Lasell foundation internship. She will move to Waltham, Massachusetts, soon.
Alexandra Talarico is the new program coordinator for IMPACT: Ability, where she teaches adults with disabilities. She teaches curriculum on verbal and physical self-defense skills, sex education, healthy relationships, boundary-setting, and more.
Rebecca Van Spall-Hood moved to Boston and got a job at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as a clinical administrative support specialist in their lymphoma program. She will travel to Trinidad and Tobago in February 2020 for Carnival.
Zach Williams works full-time with Aberdeen in Waltham, Massachusetts, as a marketing specialist.
Karlianne Wilson spent two summers interning in the fabric and sales departments at Lafayette 148 New York, a women's fashion brand. She now works there full-time as a supply chain assistant.
Carly Zdanek has a new job as a merchandiser at a nonprofit, Catie's Closet.