1997
Michelle Trombetta
3109 Atwater St.
Minnetonka, MN 55305
blondebombchelle@yahoo.com
After graduation, Elizebeth Bedell LaFontaine was a research associate in northern Virginia. A year later, she and boyfriend Christopher loaded the car with all their belongings, including their cat, and headed west. They settled in Ocean Beach, Calif., married in 1999, and are now the proud parents of Nicholas, 5. Elizebeth is a senior associate scientist working to find a long term transplant for insulin-dependent diabetics. She studies Bikram yoga and hopes soon to take instructor certification. Christopher is a paralegal for a large law firm in La Jolla, Calif.
Erika Ehland married Andrew Benowitz in May. They work in the pharmaceutical industry and live just outside of Philadelphia with their two cats, Felix and Jackie. Julie Newell Leslie and her husband, Nathan ’94, attended the wedding after a gloriously relaxing vacation in Sun Valley, Idaho. Mike Bystrowsi ’99, who works for the National Automobile Dealers Association, also attended Erika’s wedding.
Bridget Stinger married Daniel Murray in Virginia Beach in April. Mary Washington grads who attended included her sister, Maureen Stinger ’95; Mary Knarr Smith ’00, who was expecting her first baby in September; Debbie Fleming Elkins; Jamie Simpson and Phil Stoneman ’94; Molly Strohl Henry; Ashley Rogers Menninger and Tim ’95; Tanya Najarian Juskalian; Annmarie Hirst Barone; Tamara Morse Azar; Carter Berkley; and Whitney Donaghy ’93. Bridget and Daniel live in Virginia Beach, where Dan is on active duty in the Coast Guard and Bridget is teaching special needs preschoolers in Chesapeake. Mary Smith has just completed her degree as a physical therapy assistant. She will work in Floyd County Schools after the birth of their baby. Many of the same people gathered Memorial Day weekend at Jamie Simpson’s house in Vienna, Va. They were joined by Becky Ehrle Middleton and Margaret Edder Johnson, who flew in from Denver to visit and relive Mary Washington memories. Margaret has lived in Denver with her husband, Brooks, since 2000. Both are pursuing graduate degrees. Margaret is working toward her MBA in health administration at the University of Colorado.
Joselle Poblete Duncan ’98 recently bought a 1930s Mediterranean-style home with her husband, Callum, in San Francisco, Calif. They moved after returning from their trip to Peru, where they hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Pichuu, went to the Amazon jungle, and lived with the locals in the islands of Lake Titicaca. Joselle, now a Chartered Financial Analyst, is an international portfolio manager with Barclays Global Investors.
Sarah Fry Barr is an award-winning designer for Hickok Warner Cole Architects. She and husband David are moving from Alexandria to their new house in Falls Church, close to Katie O’Leary Preston and Ryan, who are expecting their first baby this month. There was a mini-Mary Washington reunion at Amy Mannion’s wedding shower in Connecticut. Katie, MJ Figel Day, Cecilia Kane Gagner and Amy Lapasota Miles attended. Ali McEvoy Rehm was a bridesmaid.
Great expectations abound. MJ was expecting her first child in October. Cecilia and her husband, Jeremy Gagner ’98, are expecting their third child in January. Surya Dill Cox was expecting her first child this summer. Nancy Beaulieu Brown and Toby were expecting in October. Also expecting babies were Rachel Pierce Malleck and Allison Leeds Bucchere ’95. Amy Miles delivered her second son, Kenyon Walker Miles, in June. Her sister, Jennifer Lapasota Buchan ’94, gave birth to her first son, Ryan John, just five days after cousin Kenyon was born.
Brother Patrick, formerly Dan Tobin, completed his first year of theology and philosophy studies with the Dominican Novitiate. He spent two months in Bolivia this summer and is assigned to a St. Louis parish, dedicated to serving the local Mexican population. Stephanie O’Connor Shockley has applied for postulancy to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church, part of a two-year application process for entrance into an Episcopal seminary. If accepted, she, husband Dan, their dog, and their cat expect to move to Manhattan for three years. Stephanie and her husband went camping earlier this summer with Rabbi Sarah Meyrowitz Meytin and her spouse, Rachel. Sarah, assistant director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, lives in Maryland with Rachel and two cats.
Myra Simpson left her admissions job at The College of New Jersey and is associate director of college guidance at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, N.J. Myra, who earned an MA in counselor education from New Jersey in May, completed her term on the Mary Washington Alumni Association Board and will be serving on the Mary Washington Centennial Celebration Steering Committee.
Robin Kozic Martignoni completed her M.Ed. at Rutgers University. In the fall, she moved out of her fifth-grade classroom to be a reading specialist. She also spent an amazing two weeks this summer camping in South Africa, Botswana and Zambia.
David Worthington married Kelly Gardner in June in Crozier, Va. Chris Carnahan was in the wedding. Renee Cline Carnahan ’94 and Michael Rowe ’99 attended. Dave, who has a home improvement business, and Kelly, a sign language interpreter, are building a house in Amherst, Va. Caroline Danforth and her husband, Scott Hutchison, live in Arlington, Va., where they both have art studios at the Arlington Arts Center. Caroline continues to work for Arlington’s Public Art Program, which commissions artists to incorporate their art work into new buildings.
Kim Ranney works for the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York City. She recently moved in with her boyfriend, Michael, in Brooklyn. Krissy Tsantes is a Realtor in Manhattan. She and Derek Moore plan to marry in October 2006 in Washington, D.C. Michael Paolino ’98 and his wife, Diane, have moved to Wakefield, R.I., where he will start a new career in the financial services industry with Edward Jones.
Elizabeth Rodriguez Ortner is enjoying being a stay-at-home mom to son Gabriel, who was born in March. She and her husband, Mike, bought a house in Falls Church. Dana Halsey Banwart ’98 was expecting her first baby in August. Bob Rogers teaches orchestra in Syracuse, N.Y. He and wife Jana are the proud parents of Lydia Abigail, born in May. Kate Lulfs Ehrle and her husband, Richard ’85, welcomed their second child, Elisabeth Maria Karolla, in May.
Susan Lee Metzger married on Aug. 13 at Belmont in Fredericksburg. She lives in Manhattan, Kan., and works for the state as an environmental scientist. Susan attended the July wedding of Melinda DelVishio O’Neill in Pennsylvania. Susan was a flower attendant, along with Abby Baird Bartley, Susan McAllister Walker and Elise Balkin. Abby’s daughter, Emmerson, turned 1 on July 4. Susan Walker and her husband have purchased a beautiful home in North Carolina. Kira Stchur Gerasimon and her husband, Gregg, recently moved from Tacoma, Wash., to North Carolina.
Ally Serio started a new job and moved to Victorville, Calif. She has been exploring the area and has visited Vegas a couple of times. Alanna Weaver was promoted earlier this year and is enjoying life in Doylestown, Pa., especially the local independent film theater.
Jennifer Wilson Watson and her husband, Chris ’96, live in Fredericksburg. They have sons Aiden, 2, and Liam, born in May. Jennifer volunteers with the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Inc. Denise Specht Mabie ’98, husband Jerome, and daughter Annaliese moved back to Fredericksburg last year. Denise and Jennifer get the kids together every week for play dates! Jennifer enjoys summer barbeques with Denise Meyers Hensley and Todd ’96; their daughter, Jillian; and Lee Ann Reaser ’98. Gigi St. Clair Embree lives in Ohio with husband Dave and baby boy, Garrett. Cecelia Gibson ’98 completed her master’s degree in England and lives in northern Virginia. Yvonne Bowler ’98 and Amira Nicholas ’98 also live in northern Virginia. Heather Payne Phillips ’99 lives in Wake Forest, N.C., with husband Martin. She is a full time artist and started a business, Renee’s Art Designs.
My husband, Wade Van House, and I moved in May to a house we had built just outside of Minneapolis. It was an amazing experience being able to build our dream house and we were excited we didn’t have to move to the boonies to do it! We rang in my 30th birthday with a trip to Europe where we visited Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia and Norway.