Class Notes, November/December 2006
Saturday November 18, 2006 Category: Archives Permanent Link
Greetings, Sixers! As you read this, I hope the memory of the oppressively hot summer is slowly receding into the recesses of your mind, and you are enjoying all the splendor of the fall. Autumn was always my favorite time in Ithaca (well, all six days of it), and this year, I have vowed to leave the Bay Area in search of some foliage and flannel shirts.
But enough about me. I’d like to share with you some of the excellent musings of our fellow classmates that they have included in their Class of ‘96 news forms. Bravo to those of you who took the time to really ponder where you are, where you’d like to go, and what you appreciate about life at this time. Robin McLean is a New Jersey Department of Agriculture Education Planner (an FFA specialist, for those of you in the know). Robin’s current “after-hours” activities are riding motorcycles, reading on her deck, and traveling abroad. She’d rather spend less time at work and more time traveling around the globe. One of Robin’s fondest Cornell memories is eating breakfast at Trillium while reading the Daily Sun. And Becky Cady ‘95, if you’re out there, Robin would love to hear from you!
Sayira Valdez works as an administrative secretary and lives in Philadelphia. Her present activities are crafts, biking, gardening, studying drawing and painting, and falling in love with a beautiful woman (rock on, Sayira!). Sayira misses “the beauty of campus, the constant energy and excitement about learning all around, and the great Ithaca gorges and thunderstorms.” And Sayira would like to hear from her long lost Cornell friend Ellie Kim. Alison Derow Gaudet is a pediatrician in private practice in Pittsburgh. Alison, husband Michael, and daughter Caroline welcomed Julia Rose into the family on April 14, 2006. Congratulations to the Gaudets!
Patricia Gaigals Bolduc is a small-animal veterinarian in Bellingham, MA. Her present after-hours activities include being a mom and a wife, and she and husband Dave ‘94 recently managed to add a new addition to the clan, second daughter Caroline Rose, born February 15, 2006. Caroline’s older sister Natalie Grace recently turned 3. Thinking about the future, Patricia would someday like to bike the south of France wineries and go wine touring. As for fond Cornell memories, Patricia writes, “Playing in the Big Red Marching Band and going to Cornell hockey games!” Bridget Lowell recently left Capitol Hill (where she was working for Democrat David Price, not Republican Joe Pitts—and by the way, Bridget still wants to know who spread such slanderous lies about her!) for a job as the senior manager for media relations at the Nature Conservancy’s worldwide office, just outside Washington, DC. And speaking of D.C., Samantha Klein is bidding adieu to corporate law life in New York City and heading down to take Dupont Circle by storm.
Dave, MD ‘01, and Lauren Kalter Hass and daughter Samantha welcomed Ethan Lee into the world on October 17, 2005. Lauren writes, “Big guy at 9 lb. 10 oz. So basically that’s our life—not much time for anything else!” The Hasses live in Ossining, NY, where Dave is a gastroenterology fellow and Lauren is a consultant to non-profit organizations.Hootan Yaghoobzadeh updated us on his long-lost freshman-year roommate, Yuly Lyandres, who along with wife Evunka, are the proud parents of two little girls, Lilina, 2, and Lulu, 3 months. Yuly is starting up his medical practice on Staten Island. Antonio Mastroberardino writes that he is a research associate in Upstate New York.
Lucky for Lisa Kubicki Bedford, she gets to get in some good summer days in Central New York. Lisa lives in Ithaca and works for Cornell. Lisa’s started in a new MBA program at the Johnson School in July. She writes, “It’s the Executive Boardroom MBA joint program between Cornell and Canada’s Queen’s School of Business—17 months long and I’ll have two MBAs (one from each school) upon completion in November 2007.” And speaking of dual degrees, Ian Shea recently started the joint executive MBA program between Berkeley and Columbia.
Lisa Wright was married to Alex McAulay (Brown ‘96) on October 8, 2005, and is living in Chapel Hill, NC. Lisa’s brother Mark “Koni” Wright ‘98 was in the wedding party. Lisa works at UNC, and Alex is a novelist. Alex’s first novel, Bad Girls, was published last summer by MTV/Pocket Books and is being turned into a movie by MTV Films. His second novel, Lost Summer, is being released this August, also by MTV/Pocket. Congrats to Lisa and Alex, and hey—can I trade you my official Class of ‘96 wine opener for an invite to the premiere?
And lastly, I wanted to give some well-deserved props to Darcy Peterka, who recently completed his doctorate in chemistry at Berkeley. Don’t worry, Darcy—I will make sure to study hard, and not devalue your degree. Congratulations! Please keep the news coming, folks! It’s always a pleasure to hear from you and document your wonderful adventures. –Sheryl Magzamen, slm1@cornell.edu; Courtney Rubin, cbr1@cornell.edu.
