Class Notes

James Mirabello and wife Erica’s son, Jacob, turned 1 in September. They write from their Northern Virginia home. James works at Spark Media, a documentary film company that creates socially conscious media. Their next project is No Evidence of Disease, about a rock ’n’ roll band of six gynecological surgeons who take the stage to raise awareness of women’s cancers.

Newlywed Sarah Crown Benbouzid of San Francisco has worked with Omni Hotels since returning from Honduras in 2007.

Jay Montepare married Elizabeth, an actress and writer, in 2011. Brad Poole, a groomsman, was among alumni who attended. The Montepares live in California with Maggie Smith, their rescued blue nose pit bull. Jay, a stand-up comedian and actor in Los Angeles since 2004, has headlined clubs and colleges nationwide, including Mary Washington; appeared in more than 30 national commercials and on NESN’s Comedy All-Stars with Tommy Davidson and NUVOtv’s Stand Up & Deliver; toured Japan performing for the troops; been a guest star on ABC’s Body of Proof, VH1’s Stevie TV, and NBC’s Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas special. Jay has a one-hour online stand-up special, The Sound That Jokes Make.

In March, Stacey Ladd Mulholland, a fifth-grade teacher, and husband Matt of Chelmsford, Mass., welcomed daughter Charlotte Faye, who joined brother Jacob, 3, and family dog Gilligan. Jill Ellis Frank welcomed second baby Katie in September 2012.

Alison Martin Simpson is a real estate agent with Prudential in St. Augustine, Fla. Kristine Reid Milne works at a Maryland fertility clinic. Annette Hibbert Nelson published her second book, Big6, Large and in Charge: Project-Based Information Literacy Lessons for Grades 3-6, and welcomed her first baby in September.

My old roomie, Ellen Perry Clark, husband Josh, and daughter Bonnie moved from Northern Virginia back to Virginia Beach, where they bought a home.

This past spring my husband, Chris Sicuranza ’98, and I took our 3-year-old daughter, Gaby, to her first lacrosse game. Ryan Wellner, assistant coach for the U.S. Naval Academy men’s lacrosse team, and girlfriend Kate hosted Mary Washington alumni, including Stu Sears, Bryan Eckle ’96, Kurt Feldman, Gerrit Visscher ’99, and Mickey Hughes, for the game versus Army.

I hope everyone is doing well. I’d love to hear from more of you!

Stephanie Brady left Sierra Vista, Ariz., to live in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, for two years. Her husband was assigned a new position with the U.S. Army 94th Military Police Battalion. She was on a leave of absence as a senior engineer with Booz Allen Hamilton but planned to transition to a new role within the firm. Before she left, Stephanie spent most of the summer visiting family and participating in races across the country. She planned to run her first international half marathon and do a polar bear plunge in 2014.

Dave Bristow, director of his church’s youth ministry, moved to a new home in the same town. Madelyn Marino purchased her first apartment in Manhattan. She and Annie Johnston traveled to Scandinavia and met up with Caroline Jarvis in Oslo, Norway.

Jonathan Williams and Erin Pickens Williams welcomed triplets Colin Thomas, Cash James, and Grace Catherine in June. They weighed a combined total of 8 pounds 10 ounces.

Tamara Garvey of Brooklyn, N.Y., quit her day job to pursue her freelance illustration and surface design work full time. Instead of an office, she can be found sketching in coffee shops and selling her drawings at craft markets and online.

After 12 years, I’m stepping down as Class Agent. It’s been great catching up with you. I’m sorry if a few updates slipped through the cracks over the years. Best of luck to my successor.

Brent Cornell earned a doctorate in management from the University of Maryland University College and holds a master’s degree in business administration. He is a program manager for Sony and was awaiting the birth of his first child.

Kelli O’Quinn Gaudreau and Jeremy Gaudreau started dating their freshman year at Mary Washington, married in 2007, live in Richmond, and welcomed baby Juliet in September 2012. Kelli works in state government relations at Hunton & Williams. Jeremy is principal real estate broker at New Home Partners.

Kristin Simmers plans to teach at a UN-affiliated international school in Thailand for the next few years. Catherine Messa Saadat has been with public accounting firm Thompson, Greenspon & Co. since college graduation and was promoted to manager last year. She and husband Cameron welcomed first child Lily in January. They live in Arlington, where they bought and restored the Harry W. Gray House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Darrel Graf works for Citigroup in Dallas, got married in Sydney, Australia, and expected his first child in September. Andrea Soltess, Esri global affairs account manager, married Jesse Huber in June 2011. Tina Francis and Emmanuel Rangel planned a November wedding. Rachel Smith is a student success specialist/transfer adviser at Boston’s Wheelock College.

Kristen “Kiki” Skove King, senior writer and technology coordinator at Advocates for Human Potential, moved to Hernando County, Fla., in December with husband of nine years Jesse and 2-year-old twins Miles and Emmett. The Kings became Herbalife wellness coaches, lost more than 35 pounds combined in six weeks, and help others improve health and fitness.

Rachel Keller Hoffman earned a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling at VCU, graduated summa cum laude, and became a certified rehabilitation counselor. She welcomed baby Gavin Carlyle Hoffman this past spring.
     Amber Knowles, who works for the National Estuarine Research Reserve Centralized Data Management Office, married Matthew Tortolini in 2011. Eric Horne and wife Logan Dolby Horne ’06 live with their five children in Kumbo, Cameroon, and teach at Saint Augustine College.

Jason Lancaster, a lieutenant in the Navy serving at U.S. Commander, Naval Forces Korea, lives in Seoul with wife Nathalie. Brian Reagan of Centreville, Va., married Kimberly Usowski, and Brian’s brother, Jim Reagan ’00, was in the wedding party along with Andrew Dawson, Matt Kapuscinski, and Bryce Perry.

Bridget Murphy Healey and Jason Healey ’03 welcomed first child Grace in July. Mary Katherine and Kory Jessen welcomed first child Alexa in July. Sameer Vaswani completed his PADI scuba diving certification and traveled to Jamaica with Tyler St. Clair.

Erin Price and Benjamin Schabert of Alexandria, Va., were married in Palisade, Colo., last May in a wedding awarded to them through the nonprofit, The Wedding Pink. Katie Anderson ’04, Brenna McErlean, Lauren Benere, Courtney Hopkins Lewis ’06, Morgan Applegate, Kelly Wolff Applegate ’06, Neil Stedman ’06, and Linda Fairall Stedman ’06 attended.

Meredith Dunham Potter ’04 and Jeremy Potter, in-house counsel for Norcom Mortgage and Insurance, moved to Canton, Conn. They welcomed daughter Tessa in February. Cara Stout, Northeastern University’s southwest regional director of admissions, lives in downtown Austin with goldendoodle Lily.

Jessica Amato and David Beekman of Richmond wed in October 2012 in Crozet, Va. Dave Buschenfeldt and Lydia Buschenfeldt, Jared Bankos, Katie Delaney-Graves, Brad Frost and Dana Frost, Peter Lubrano, Erin Lee, and Ginny Soenksen attended.

Whitney Gray of Warrenton, Va., was to marry Coleman Himes in Culpeper on Labor Day weekend, with KD Childs Klepper as bridesmaid. Whitney is a cybersecurity interagency coordinator for the Department of Energy.

After graduating, Kelly Ryan moved to NYC to work for the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, then to El Progreso, Honduras, to work for Students Helping Honduras. Kelly moved to Roatan, Honduras, in October to work as development director for Clinica Esperanza. Kelly still loves her Mary Wash guys and gals, and misses our D.C./NYC reunions!

Rebecca J. Barnabi of Waldorf, Md., is a features reporter for the Maryland Independent. Adam Rackliffe ’05 and Julia Haskins Rackliffe of D.C. welcomed daughter Lilian Larson Rackliffe in November 2012. David Dalton of Arlington, Va., works for the nonprofit Veterans Service Organizations in Alexandria.

Jay Sinha is an associate attorney in the Alexandria, Va., office of LeClairRyan, working with the data privacy and security team, assisting companies with data and cyber-security concerns. Jay was accepted into the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership in U.Va.’s Emerging Leaders Program, so he’ll get to spend some weekends in Richmond and Williamsburg.

Stephanie Tait McDermott, now an Army wife, married Scott McDermott in May. She is a social media and Web specialist for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Bethesda, Md., and earned a master’s degree in publications design at the University of Baltimore, where she won an Excellence in Writing Award.

Steve Esperon was accepted into a Northern Virginia fire/EMS academy. He started applying after he became a volunteer EMT and loved it. Steve is married to Mallory Frazier ’07.

Megan Martinez Thoen earned a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Texas Tech University, and plans to study for the Texas state psychologist licensure exam and pursue a job in the Lubbock, Texas, area. Marianne Shapiro Weiner earned a master’s degree and works with the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Va.

Suzanne Volinski Broadbent and Christopher Broadbent welcomed first child Elizabeth in May. Suzanne is a public relations representative at ARCADIS in White Plains, N.Y. Chris is a professional firefighter with the City of Stamford, Conn.

Davis Hand and Emily Timberlake of Portland, Ore., wed in June 2012. Parker Newman, Sean O’Neill, Cristy Falcone, Erin Richardson, Lizzie Bourret, Jenny Bryant, David Snellings, and Mike Pena ’10 attended. Davis earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and is an Intel validations engineer. Emily earned an international Montessori teaching certificate and is a Montessori teacher.

Jessica Smith ’10 and Leslie Worthington of D.C. plan to marry next fall in Baltimore.

Lindsay McClelland moved to Houston, works in social media and PR at an advertising agency, and was preparing to run her sixth marathon in D.C. in October.

Court Crenshaw and Katie Barkley married in June and honeymooned in St. Thomas. Rebecca Blackwell and Brad Kuller got engaged in June in Virginia.

Jessie Hager Bowden was expecting a baby boy this fall. Charlotte Rowell Sellier and husband Joel welcomed baby Penelope “Poppy” Marion Sellier in March. Talya Halpern Conroy and Jimmy Conroy welcomed baby girl Minnie this summer.