Janet Lord
It's been a queer year. For the first time in some 30 years of work which has always involved monthly travel to distant parts, I was grounded. I discovered the transformation from winter into spring into summer in the woods near my home - something totally new. I read about trees and learned to identify them up in the woods of Western Maine. I learned to hunt for morels. These new pursuits were helpful in what has been an isolating time. That said, I look forward to hitting the road, though without the frequency of past years as I quite like staying put and spending time with my family.
Tamsin Smith
It's been good staying close with Cait Long, Christine Olsen, and Christie (Densen) Root over online cocktails during this strange year. Other than work, painting and writing has been filling my time. My first novel and third collection of poems were published during the pandemic, so always there are silver linings! My son Scully is in his second year at the University of Bristol, reading philosophy and English. My daughter Tabitha is a junior at The Williston Northampton School, where I first met Christie, so many years ago.
Kevin Richardson
With the pandemic looming I made the difficult decision to take an opportunity to go back to corporate America and close down my HR Consultancy. I’m now Head of HR for a rapidly growing global Logistics Automation company. Enjoying another opportunity to build an HR department and team. I’m still teaching and have kept a few of my coaching clients. My son’s family has weathered the crisis well and my three grandchildren are growing like weeds just 1.25 miles away. My daughters are both doing well. My middle daughter is going for her third BS degree and my youngest just got accepted into graduate school in Tokyo. My wife, as a nurse, has been busy throughout the pandemic but is doing well. Overall I’ve been extremely blessed that my entire family has been untouched by the crisis. On a personal note I’ve finally started learning how to play the guitar! I really wish I had started earlier! I hope all Kenyonites are staying healthy and happy.
Kent Wellington
The Kenyon basketball guys continue to solve the world’s problems each day via text (although disagreeing on how to do so) and, more importantly, keep tabs on our kids who are still playing sports through the pandemic (e.g., Mark Day’s daughter hooping at Loyola, Nelson Morris’ son a nose guard at East Carolina, Dave Mitchell’s son playing baseball at Otterbein and, of course, my two kids in the NBA and WNBA). Bruce Gerber also has been broadcasting basketball games better than most professionals and putting all of that otherwise useless sports knowledge to great use. Daryl Shankle ’89 has also done a GREAT job coaching his daughter’s high school team, culminating in a special senior night recently.
Jessica Brown
It has been a wild year particularly for schools. In Philadelphia, K-2 students are just beginning to reenter school. My particular school, where I am the principal, is a 5-12 grade configuration so I am not sure if the students will see any of their teachers or peers in person. I did attend a virtual Kenyon event a while ago that included cooking a delicious salmon dish and I have aspirations to attend a virtual alumni book club event if time allows. Otherwise, I have spoken to a few Kenyon friends on text or phone and enjoy seeing the beautiful campus on Facebook. I continue to feel very lucky having had the opportunity to attend Kenyon and I think President Decatur is doing an incredible job!
Jean Bayless Albrecht
With our son Leighton (College of Wooster 2018) happily ensconced in Seattle and our son Ethan (Hobart and William Smith 2021) about to graduate, Andy ’89 and I are facing true empty nesterhood! We had already been contemplating downsizing and with the hot housing market and the boredom of pandemic lockdown, we decided the time to move was now! So we sold our house in Shaker Heights (after 21 years there) and are currently renting an apartment in Cleveland (the Ohio City neighborhood, for those of you who know the area). We have a beautiful view of the city skyline from our windows and a lovely view of Lake Erie from the roof deck. Lots of fabulous restaurants within walking distance and...most importantly: NO SHOVELING SNOW, MOWING GRASS, OR WORRYING ABOUT A LEAKY ROOF! It’s very freeing. And in a year with so little to look forward to, the 8 mile move from one side of Cleveland to the other was an adventure (and the most traveling we’ve done in ages)! Andy continues to work for AT&T and was already working from home, so the pandemic shut down his work travel but otherwise didn’t affect his job. I have been doing only volunteer work since 2017 and the pandemic interrupted it for a bit but I’ve now found different ways to help out...and there is certainly a lot of help needed. I feel extremely fortunate that we have remained healthy and employed during this difficult year and I’m grateful for the monthly Zoom calls with my Kenyon roommates (Shelly Rankin, Noel Chappelear Rodgers, Jodi Campbell, Diana Olinger, Margaret White Bellefuil, and honorary roomie Kevin Dehan) which have helped keep me connected and sane. With vaccine distribution now in full swing, I can start to look forward to seeing them all in person again soon! Yay! Sending Purple Love to all members of the Class of ’88!
Larry Apke
In addition to a new day job, I continue to run a nonprofit organization called The Job Hackers which has given away over $2.5 million of free training to the unemployed in less than four years. Along with my co-founder, I was recognized with the Jefferson Award Silver Medal in the Bay Area. My oldest, Igor, will turn 30 soon and my youngest, Darien, just turned 15 and is a freshman at Burlingame High School.
Paul Schnee
Hello from Brooklyn and upstate New York! This awful year has been spent, as I'm sure it has for many, reading, watching movies and TV, stress cooking and baking (and eating). Film and TV work seems to be picking up in 2021, which is a welcome relief, so there is some casting going on. I've been working on a couple of screenplays of my own; who knows what will ever come of them, but it's fun to try. Most notable thing, really, is that I made it almost 55 years without ever breaking a bone. I wish I could say I was parachuting or cliff diving, but I slipped on the ice walking my dog and broke my shoulder. Surgery went well and I'm now bionic. Daughters Aggie (16) and Eden (12) are coping as best they can with remote school and hoping that some semblance of summer camp and vacation will emerge this year. Sending good wishes and vibes to all!
Terry Wilson Samwick
I've spent this year producing and directing High School theatre in a pandemic. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to even say that, however challenging it has been. We did manage to pull off that outdoor Shakespeare this past fall - just under the wire as our states began to clamp down, the virus hit the school, and travel restrictions within our cross-state district were put in place - and it meant so much more than it usually does to me to see the students succeed so fully under those circumstances. This summer I'll begin a second masters, this time in Directing, at the Chicago College for Performing Arts. I'll be spending 6 weeks there for the next 3 summers doing a fast-track intensive. I'm really looking forward to being a student again. I hope you have all found joy and ways to stay sane throughout this crazy year. <3
Robin Lentz
I always teach my students that artists love challenges--and was surprised to discover, this past year, just how true that is. So many wonderful things came out of an entire year of teaching K-4 art remotely. While the circumstances that forced this drastic change are terrible, there has been a great deal of joy, warmth, and connection. We may not be able to handle clay, wool, or make large paintings, but we take virtual field trips all over the world to draw animals from observation (laughing about “long flights” and moaning about “jet lag”) and our sketchbook habits have never been better. I know that we're all fond of saying that we're sick of Zoom, but I still marvel at how many barriers have been broken down because of it.
Tara Jones
It's spring! Winter is a very short season in Eugene, Oregon and I am delighted to be back out in my garden. The sweetest news to share however is that I am composing again. Several weeks ago I decided that even if I could only spend ten or fifteen minutes at the keyboard, I would write a new piano piece, or at least a sketch of a piano piece, every day. I've missed some days but, weeks later, I have quite a collection of ideas for compositions that I can develop into quite an oeuvre when I have more time to devote to my music. If you'd like to hear some of them, shoot me an email for I'd be delighted to share them with you: taral@efn.org.
Matthew Pasher
Greetings from NY. My wife and I are fully vaccinated and she remains in her position at the Children's Academy as the head of speech pathology while I work remotely for Intuit preparing taxes. My daughter continues to go to school remotely at The Professional Performing Arts School in Hell's Kitchen so it's been a strange year. I have started a weekly get-together through the K'80's site and meet with many fellow 80's graduates. I encourage you all to reach out and join if you would like. I see fellow 88 graduate Chris Blackburn as well as Pam Goodell ’89, Andrea Bucey-Tikkanen ’89, Steve Sexsmith ’80, Melissa Clinger ’82, Robert Roche ’80, and David F. Hanson ’87 to name a few. Looking forward to hearing and seeing some of you.
Beth Miyashiro Vivio
We have a busy spring and summer ahead as we look forward to our future as empty nesters. Our son Carter ’21, will be graduating and starting his career as a teacher at a boarding school in Virginia. Our son Anthony will be graduating from high school. By May 1st he will decide where he’s going to college. We are excited about getting them both settled and hopefully doing some traveling in the fall. Can’t wait to see Kenyon friends in person again very soon.
cdavid cottrill
I send out warm regards and hugs to all of you and hope you and your families are happy and well. I am sure I am not alone when I report that I have been busier than ever during this last year. My job as Business Agent for IATSE Local 488, Studio Mechanics of the Pacific Northwest (representing the motion picture and video production crews) never stopped even though our work did for more than a bit as we figured out how to get back to work safely. My days were full with helping members with unemployment issues, figuring out protocols for us to return to work safely, and making sure their families had basic necessities. Since July we have been back to work making binge-worthy content for you and America to watch. Even still the stress of Covid, including for those who returned to work has led to increased focus on mental health of all. Having the perspective and resources of my love Colette, a Licensed Professional Counselor was a huge benefit for resources for folx as well as for my own sanity. I hope all of you have had the support you need to get thru this time. I know for me the Zoom Happy Hours with former hall mates from the Mather 4th Floor Artsy Fartsy Wing and other friend groups provided laughter and love to get me through. Speaking of this I hope to see some more of you at the virtual Kenyon Reunion events in May! Cheers and love to all of you until then.
John Richardson
Phew, the wholesale wine business was considered essential, so 2020 was a busy year; as a bonus, Ellen and I opened a small retail wine shop just two weeks before lockdown, no lazy weekends at this house during a pandemic! Sanity at home was preserved as two tweens had mostly in-person school, my sympathies to those who endured a year of Zoom. We badly need a vacation. Sorry to all those seniors of the class of ’21 who missed a lot of fun during their last year, hard to get a redo on that experience.
Dennis Mulvihill
Although last year was difficult for most, it was great for me. After my season starring as The Bachelor ended, I decided to give back. For most of 2020 I shuttled back and forth between Cambridge (UK) and the east coast guiding Pfizer’s and AstraZeneca’s mRNA vaccines through their final stages to market. I’ve been told, in fact everyone is saying it, I saved in excess of a million lives. Just grateful to be in a position to make a difference.
