| Kenyon Class of 2016 Spring Class Letter
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| Dear classmates,
After a year that felt like a decade, I am looking forward with hope and optimism as we head into the warmer months. As of mid-April, roughly one-quarter of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and life feels like it is inching back to “normal.”
Kenyon is also planning its return to normal operations, including having all four classes back on campus in the fall. And, due in no small part to our alumni support, the College is wrapping up a financially and logistically challenging year on track to balance the budget, just like they have the last 50 years.
After receiving a record number of applications, Kenyon has enrolled its Class of 2025. And Chalmers Library will be open to greet them when they move in!
In January, Kenyon received the largest gift in its history that will fund construction of three new South Campus residence halls, allowing the College to increase focus on growing resources for scholarships. This is where we come in! The success of the next part of the campaign, Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial, relies on our increased participation and continued support of scholarships for students.
I know it was disappointing to see our in-person Reunion Weekend go virtual this year, but I'm looking forward to connecting with many of you at the events Kenyon has planned to bring the Hill to us virtually for this nontraditional reunion. Save the date for May 16-29 and watch your mail for a special opportunity to win some Kenyon swag by joining in the fun! There will be events with our favorite professors, online social gatherings, a tour of Chalmers Library and more. I look forward to bumping into some of you on Zoom!
The College is also counting on us to show up (and break our record numbers!) for this year’s 36-hour Kenyon Together giving challenge kicking off the morning of Wednesday, May 19 as part of the virtual reunion. Mark your calendar for a fun chance to help Kenyon students today, score prizes, join in some good friendly competition and win bragging rights. After the success of 2020’s Kenyon Together giving challenge, the College knows just how impactful our young alumni community can be when we work together to raise money for the causes at Kenyon that matter most to us. They heard us when we asked to designate our gifts to things like diversity, equity and inclusion during Kenyon Together, and I have been pleased to see these designations remain on Kenyon’s main giving page ever since.
As alumni, we can help today’s students by staying connected with the College and making gifts to scholarships that help Kenyon continue to meet the growing financial needs of students and their families. I invite you to join me in supporting the College in both of these ways. Our alma mater and all of you have contributed to the hope and optimism I feel for the future by providing regular points of connection during an isolating year. No matter how you choose to stay involved with Kenyon, I hope you too are breathing a sigh of relief as we prepare for better days ahead.
Take care,
Madi Thompson
P.S. Scroll down to read our 2016 spring class notes.
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Support current students now with your gift
With the Kenyon Fund’s many designation opportunities, you can direct your gift to the things at Kenyon that matter most to you, including our newest designation which supports mental health resources for students.
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Connect with your classmates at these class-specific reunion events:
- Virtual Class Dinner (following the Alumni Town Hall)
7 p.m. ET Thursday, May 27
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All alumni are invited to join us at these virtual reunion events in May:
- Opening Ceremony/Virtual Hospitality Tent
4 p.m. ET Sunday, May 16
- Kenyon Together 36-Hour Giving Challenge
from 9 a.m. ET Wednesday, May 19 – 9 p.m. ET Thursday, May 20
- Town Hall with President Decatur
7 p.m. ET Thursday, May 27
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Reunion Committee MembersReunion Committee Members are your connection to campus. If you would like to learn more about becoming one, contact Parker Subia at subiap@kenyon.edu.
• Brianne Presley
• Caroline Fenn
• Kei Helm
• Jack Quigley
• Katie Goldman
• Lauren Earls
• Madi Thompson
• Manjul Bhusal Sharma
• Molly O'Connor
• Phoebe Roe
• Trevor Kirby
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Class of 2016 Spring Notes
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Elise Altschuler: I am living in Baltimore, Maryland, teaching fourth grade at The Park School. Despite all of the challenges of teaching during a pandemic, I’ve found the year rewarding in many ways. One highlight of my time in Baltimore has been spending time with Sarah Lloyd ’17 as we are neighbors in the same apartment building!
Kelsey Ewing: I’ve been ski patrolling for Alta ski resort, one of the best in the country, and work as a whitewater raft guide up in Glacier National Park in the summer.
Teddy Farkas: This year has been awfully strange but one that has been brightened by the Kenyon community. I'm still working as a morning television news producer in New York City at an organization I don't enjoy, but over the past few months I've gotten involved with two Kenyon adjacent groups: Real Deep Radio, an online radio station run by Kenyon alumni that brings together independent producers from around the country to curate their own music programs, and the Kenyon Student Worker Organizing Committee (K-SWOC), Kenyon students' effort to form a union for student workers. I've admired the alumni support network of the latter and, as a former student worker myself, am proud to see current and past students stand up for a more equitable environment for all.
Tomas Grant: Hey all, wishing we could have our 5 year anniversary in person. Currently working in the CVICU at Froedtert here in Milwaukee. Thankfully the number of COVID cases I am seeing are going down. Mask up, stay safe, get vaccinated if you can! Your healthcare workers (including myself) will thank you for it.
Jake Griffith-Rosenberger: After completing my MLIS at Pitt in August, I moved to Stamford, CT with my partner and am now the archivist at the Rye Historical Society.
Tori Hoover: I’m in my third year at Vanderbilt, pursuing a dual PhD in English and Comparative Media Analysis and Practice. After three years, two master's degrees, and a lot of mileage on our cars, Ian Round finally made it down here, too. More importantly, we got a backyard composter! Ian’s gonna grow carrots! It’s extremely exciting! Kenyon degrees really DO help dreams come true!
Olivia Lloyd: After five years living in London, I'm moving back to sunny San Francisco. I'm continuing my career in brand and business strategy at Ogilvy Consulting, moving from our London team to our New York HQ. I can't wait for restaurants and cafés to re-open to expand my remote working options, but like many, I have become pretty productive outside the physical office. I found myself re-prioritizing: spending more time outside, hanging out with my pod of friends and family, and thinking about my life beyond Zoom. An added bonus of being in SF: I get to spend way more time with some of my fave teammates from KC women's soccer!
Elna McIntosh: While this plague has been crazy, it's also brought me a lot of opportunities. I was promoted to a librarian position at the middle school where I work, I've been accepted to present at a conference in April, appointed to the district's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, and been nominated for staff member of the year! I'm thankful so much good has happened this year.
Madi Thompson: Life is essentially the same except that I’ve been stuck inside for so long I’ve started talking for my cat. But I work as a clinical research coordinator and PBS came to film our study for NOVA! Keep your eyes peeled for the episode in July – it’s about cannabis use during pregnancy.
Dan Semelsberger: Fighting the good fight to legalize golf in Argleton.
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If you missed the chance to share your news for this letter, you can submit a class note at any time via class.letters@kenyon.edu.
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Kenyon College
105 Chase Avenue, Gambier, OH 43022
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