Class Notes
These are the unedited class notes as submitted by class agents and other alumni. Edited notes appear in the print edition.
If you prefer to submit Class Notes by mail, send to:
UMW Magazine – Class Notes1301 College Ave.
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2000s
2001
Annie Johnston
anniebatesjohnston@gmail.com
August 2020 marked Virginia Green Bartlett’s 10th year at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she’s assistant director of the Center for Healthcare Ethics. She lives in Los Angeles with her kids, Sophia, 11; Ellison, 7; and Latham, 4. They have two cats, Magic and Oneder, and a geriatric dog, Indy.
Sherri A. Hayhurst Trudeau lives in a 55+ community in Aurora, Colorado, with her 27-year old son, who has high-functioning autism. In June, Sherri completed her 10th year teaching for a charter school, first as an elementary classroom teacher and then as a building resource teacher and reading interventionist. Starting this school year, she’s a special education learning specialist for the charter’s middle and high school students. Her son works part time in a grocery store and is active in Special Olympics.
Matt Selwyn and Ariel Hatfield Selwyn live near downtown Fredericksburg and work at the Navy base in Dahlgren. They have four children. Ariel just wrote her first book, Though the Mountains Be Shaken, and co-wrote Dust to Salvation. Ariel also received her health coach certification from the Dr. Sears Institute and is a certified hydrotherapist. She works part time for Bellah Modeling Agency and part time for the Juice Plus Co. Matt teaches part time for Strayer and Stratford Universities.
In June 2020, Madelyn Marino and husband Michael Walker welcomed their first child, Jonas Marino Walker – named after Madelyn’s favorite song by her favorite band, Weezer. Jonas couldn’t wait to join the party and arrived several weeks early. The family lives in New Jersey, but Jonas was born in New York City, making him a native New Yorker.
I, Annie Johnston, continue to work in corporate real estate as a senior occupancy planner for Jones Lang Lasalle and live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Since March, my work has drastically shifted from regular workplace planning and strategy to COVID-19 response and workplace re-entry planning. I’ve used my extra time at home to upgrade my house, but I can’t wait to take vacations again.
2002
Travis Jones
tljones8@hotmail.com
Carolyn Murray Spencer
turtlecjm@yahoo.com
From Travis:
Earlier this year, Michelle Tartalio was promoted to partner at Clarkston Consulting, a management and technology consulting firm serving companies in the life sciences, consumer products, and retail industries. She is responsible for marketing and corporate strategy. Husband Dave Befumo and daughters Cece, 9, and Ali, 7, are proud of her accomplishments.
After a three-year term as Fairfax Education Association president, Kevin Hickerson
is back in the classroom teaching English at Chantilly High School. He is on the executive committee of the National Council of Urban Education Associations and represents Virginia on the National Education Association board of directors. He and wife Lauren Legard Hickerson ’04
live in Centreville with daughter Hannah.
Sean Walsh and Dana Allen Walsh ’03 have been married for 17 years and live in Andover, Massachusetts, with children Leighton, 7, and Emerson, 3. Emerson was named for the late Claudia Emerson, poet and UMW professor. Sean is K-12 visual and performing arts coordinator for Andover Public Schools. He has taught English and theater and holds an MFA in creative writing. Dana graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary and has been an ordained minister for nearly 15 years. She is the first female senior pastor of South Church in Andover, a large, progressive United Church of Christ congregation.
State Farm agent Brian Topping has opened a full-service insurance agency in the Oceanview neighborhood of Norfolk, Virginia.
Brandon Robinson was named CEO of the Associated General Contractors of Virginia in July. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in political science, Brandon earned a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University in 2004.
2004
Sameer Vaswani
sameervaswani@msn.com
Jeremy Gaudreau and Kelli O’Quinn Gaudreau live in Richmond, Virginia, with children Juliet, 7, and Mae, 4. Jeremy is a real estate broker with eXp Realty, and Kelli is director of operations for the Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association. They met early in their freshman year at Mary Wash, so it’s 20 years as a couple for them.
Jason Lancaster completed his tour as operations officer at Destroyer Squadron 26 and moved to Alexandria, Virginia, for a new job at the Pentagon. He had completed 135 days of the 170-plus days underway as part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group. Son George turns 2 this winter.
Shawn Gremminger is director of health policy for Pacific Business Group on Health. He holds a master of public policy degree from George Washington University.
2006
Shana A. Muhammad
email.shana@gmail.com
Kate Kelley graduated from Northeast Ohio Medical University and was completing her residency in family medicine at MetroHealth Hospital in Cleveland, where she lives with husband Matt Kirk ’05, a high school chemistry teacher.
Kiera Evans was working in nonprofits in Saint Paul, Minnesota. An avid traveler before the pandemic, Kiera more recently focused attention on rebuilding her community after upheaval stemming from the murder of George Floyd. Kiera was leaning into discomfort to better understand her role in making our future better.
In October 2019, Emily Walsh became a partner at Miller Zeiderman & Wiederkehr LLP, where she practices matrimonial law in New York City. In April 2020 she gave birth to a baby boy, Roman, who joins big sister Kenley.
Emily Lovins Fenichel and Ethan Fenichel welcomed a son in June. Emily is an assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University, and her digital humanities project was funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The One on One show on Kansas Public Television Station recently featured Jaci McClain Kelly, city attorney for Bel Aire, Kansas. Jaci talked about her childhood in Zimbabwe and life in the United States. Jaci was featured in the spring/summer 2019 issue of the University of Mary Washington Magazine.
2007
Jay Sinha
Jay.Sinha@alumni.umw.edu
Daniel Clendenin
daniel.clendenin@gmail.com
Sarah Eckman
sarahje@gmail.com
From Daniel:
Since 2018, Andrew Greeley has been an account and print production manager for Journey Group, an independent design company. His main client is the United States Postal Service, for whom Journey Group designs the quarterly Philatelic catalog and the seasonal Gift catalog and stamp Yearbook. Andrew and wife Tyler, who married July 13, 2019, welcomed daughter Isla Rose Elizabeth Greeley on June 11, 2020. The couple renovated a house in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Tyler is a physical therapist at Martha Jefferson Hospital.
In 2019, Andrew and Tyler purchased the Monticello Wine Company. Tyler’s parents own Afton Mountain Vineyards, and the Monticello Wine Company is a second label for the wine they produce.
From Jay:
Sarah Sherman and Jacob Schwing ’06 welcomed their second son, Walter Benjamin Schwing, in February 2019. They live in Collingswood, New Jersey, and both Sarah and Jacob teach in public schools outside Philadelphia.
2008
Trish Lauck Cerulli
trish.lauck@gmail.com
Alyssa Lee
alyssa.linda.lee@gmail.com
In August 2020, Conor Beardsley became president of Ovation Fertility, a network of clinics helping couples overcome infertility.
Heather Shott Russell is the 2021 elementary teacher of the year for Chesterfield County, Virginia. She teaches STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts, and math – at Ecoff Elementary School.
2009
Elizabeth Jennings
elizabethsjennings@gmail.com
Alexandra Meier
alexandra.m.meier@gmail.com
From Elizabeth:
Ali Meier graduated from Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine in May 2019 and matched at the University of Virginia for her psychiatry residency. She is glad to be back in Virginia after 10 years away and loves living in Charlottesville.
Joyce Metzler Bodoh earned an MBA from the College of William & Mary in May. She is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society. Also in May, she and her husband welcomed their third daughter, Marie. Joyce works in government affairs for Rappahannock Electric Cooperative and resides in Fredericksburg.
Tom Roberts is director of community and economic development for Buena Vista, Virginia. He and his wife, Elizabeth Emmel Roberts ’11, bought their first house, a turn-of-the-century cottage only five blocks from his office in City Hall. They expected a third daughter in October.