Kenyon Class of 2001 Fall Class Letter
Dear Classmates,

It sounds like those of you who made it back to the Hill this summer had a great time at our year-late reunion. Sadly, I was down with Covid, but I’m already looking forward to our 25th reunion in 2026. It will be here before we know it.

I know you look forward to this letter to not only learn about what’s going on in our classmates’ lives, but also to get updates about what’s happening at Kenyon. Here is some of the news I’m excited to share:
  • This semester, 12 members of the Class of 2026 were able to enroll at Kenyon as the direct result of donor support for the Kenyon Access Initiative (KAI), a vital scholarship effort to increase access for low-income students. Kenyon is only just getting started and aims to enroll 50 students each year through KAI, in addition to other robust financial aid. This additional diversity in backgrounds and lived experiences will further enrich daily life on campus.

  • Chalmers Library in the West Quad has quickly become a hub for such connections day and night. Its neighbor, Lowell House, home to admissions and financial aid and named for Pulitzer Prize winning poet Robert T.S. Lowell IV ’40, is also now open. Oden Hall, future home to social sciences and named for former president Robert Oden, will open for instruction next year. The 261-space underground parking garage for visitors and employees — with EV charging, naturally — is already helping to ease congestion in the Village without disrupting the beauty of Gambier we all remember so fondly.

  • This year, students will also soon have access to a dining option in “downtown” Gambier, when Peirce Express opens in a space under the Gambier Deli, although I think we are all still waiting for the resurrection of Gund Dining Hall.  This space will also be home some evenings to a student-run bar known as Flats, helping to provide a non-residences nightlife option. Look for more about both of these in an upcoming issue of Kenyon News Digest.

  • To further support all students, the College increased the budget for the Student Success Fund — emergency grants for which any student can apply. They also welcomed the new Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion position, providing additional leadership to the daily efforts of ODEI and partnering with Dean Chris Kennerly so he can extend his reach across campus with DEI efforts.

  • In other news, the Music Department is celebrating its 75th year. Alumni Council is developing an updated version of the Kenyon songbook – did anyone in our class actually get an original version of the Kenyon songbook?! – which will be viewable online soon and distributed at Reunion Weekend during the all-class sing. If you haven’t saved the date yet for Reunion Weekend, remember that all alumni are welcome to attend May 26-28.
I hope this news recap makes you all feel wistful about our own time at Kenyon. I invite you to turn that nostalgia into action with a gift to help make all this possible.  Gifts to the Kenyon Fund can be directed toward enrolling the next high-achieving group of students through the Kenyon Access Initiative, broader scholarships and financial aid efforts, athletics, one of the College’s many green centers and more. Please consider making Kenyon and today’s students a philanthropic priority this year by giving online at gift.kenyon.edu.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the news from the College this fall. We don’t have much class news for this letter, but I enjoyed reading the few updates you sent in.  Scroll down for the updates from our fellow alumni. If you haven’t updated us with any news recently, please consider submitting a quick life update for the next batch of notes in the spring.      

Thank you!
Erin Shanahan

Reunited and it feels so Kenyon
Reunion Weekend 2023 
will take place in Gambier May 26 - 28

Along with special programming for the 50th Reunion class on May 25, we’ll be celebrating milestone reunions for classes that end with 3 and 8, as well as K80s, Peeps and Chamber Singers. 

All alumni are invited to return to the Hill for Reunion Weekend, especially those celebrating a reunion beyond their 50th. Registration details will be emailed in early 2023. If you think we may not have your most current info, please share your up-to-date email and phone number with us at updateinfo@kenyon.edu. (We can’t invite you if we can’t reach you!)

We are so excited to reunite with you! See you soon.
Save the date for Reunion Weekend

Upcoming Events for Alumni
Save the date for these upcoming events for alumni taking place online and on the Hill.
  • The Center for American Democracy's Midterm Elections Panel
    Hear from alumni experts at this free, virtual event Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 7-8 p.m. ET.

  • Spring Giving Challenge
    Our annual 36-hour online giving challenge will take place Wednesday, April 26 – Thursday, April 27.

  • Reunion Weekend
    All alumni are invited to join us on the Hill May 26-28.
Visit kenyon.edu/alumnievents to register and view our full alumni event calendar.

Class Agents

Class agents are your connection to campus. To learn more about becoming one, contact Associate Director of Annual Giving Isabelle Rivers-McCue via email.    

• Melissa De Gaetano Bertke
• Bill Bielefeld
• Megan Buhr
• Erin Dowdy
• Jen Fraley
• Anne Morrissy
• Erin Shanahan
• Alys Spensley

Class of 2001 Fall Notes
Stephanie Sorge reports that this summer, she enjoyed her first sabbatical, focusing on exploring some creative pursuits. She stumbled into working with glass—primarily stained glass—and got hooked!  Stephanie is back at work now, continuing to serve as Pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, VA, where she lives with her husband, Will, and sons, Isaac and Micah, now in third and first grades, respectively.
Alys Spensley is enjoying working in Baku Azerbaijan!  She was delighted to host Allison Jones for a visit—in addition to exploring Baku and other towns and eating delicious food, they also traveled to Azerbaijan's mud volcanos.
Sr. Jeana Visel, OSB, shares that in August, she was able to meet up with her Kenyon roommate Molly (McNamara) Meksavan and her sweet family while in California for a work trip. How time has flown! In late October, Sr. Jeana will be the female cantor for a chant schola trip to Italy and France. Besides some educational ventures, they will be singing a vigil mass at the Vatican, a concert at the Church of St. Ignatius, and a requiem mass at Normandy.
Read notes from the Class of 2002 and the Class of 2000. 
Support Kenyon
If you missed the chance to share your news for this letter, you can submit a class note online.

Class Listing
Kenyon is grateful to the following donors for their generous support of the College, including the Kenyon Fund, during the 2021-22 fiscal year. An asterisk (*) indicates a donor is a member of the Henry J. Abraham Society for loyal and consecutive giving. An obelisk (†) indicates an individual who is deceased.

2001
Annual Fund Total: $28,673  
Class Participation: 24.10%

Bexley Society
Donors of $2,500 to $9,999
Anonymous
Megan M. Buhr*
Jesse B. Horowitz*
Jason A. White*

Kenyon Society
Donors of $1,000 to $2,499
Nicole S. Allen 
Leigh S. Andrews Plotke*
William J. Bielefeld 
Elizabeth Fleming Barmach*
John T. Kerins*
Brent R. Shank*
Joshua C. White*

Kenyon Society
Donors of $1 to $999
Emily W. Andersen*
Jane E. Andris*
Jessica H. Andruss*
Anonymous
Emily S. Arend 
Jacob L. Armstrong 
Adam W. Atwell 
Lloyd H. Baron*
Julie Belelieu*
Jessica M. Berkholtz*
Melissa A. Bertke*
Jeffrey A. Boyle*
Peter B. Brandi 
Matthew M. Bryant*
Erica M. Carroll*
Sarah K. Christian*
Nels P. Christiansen*
Sara E. Christiansen*
Kimberly R. Culligan 
Faith E. Darling*
Phoebe C. P. Davidson*
Douglas J. Dillingham*
Andrew M. Dinsmore*
Erin K. Dowdy*
Kelly M. Duke Bryant*
Emily J. Dwinnells 
Louise Eddleston Lewis*
Adam C. Exline 
Jennifer L. Fraley*
Morgan D. Fritz 
Bradley M. Garfield*
Dana M. Griffin*
Lisa M. Groesz*
Angela L. Guldin 
Timothy R. Hallett 
Patrick W. Hanna 
Erica L. Hassler*
Mary A. Hatch 
Susan Hopkins Charland 
Frederick R. Horstman*
Jarin Jaffee*
Bridget M. Jones 
Lane H. Jost*
Todd B. Juengling 
Andrew W. Kahrl 
Aleka E. Kostouros*
Ashley N. Lawrence 
Wendy A. Littlepage 
Ian P. Malone*
Megan A. Malone*
Jennifer M. McDevitt*
Kenrick C. McNish 
Maureen E. Minard*
Christopher I. Monson*
Anne E. Morrissy*
Ann C. Palcisco*
Aaron K. Perzanowski*
Erica A. Pitkin*
Ian C. Pitkin*
Charles W. Pugh*
Rebecca S. Ray 
Sally Robinson Cluchey*
Erin R. Shanahan*
Sara R. Shea 
Jennifer Shirazi*
Leah Sokolofski Burstein*
Stephanie Sorge*
Alys L. Spensley*
Christine H. Steffen 
Meredith Stevenson Fath*
Katherine Suttle Weinert*
Scheroi D. Taylor 
D. Clare Tessman 
Atul Varma 
Andrea R. Wallace 
Michael K. Weber 
Rowan Williams Haug*
Matthew L. Williams*
Sparky Zivin 

George Wharton Marriott Society
These alumni have included Kenyon in their estate plans or have made other planned gifts.

Jennifer L. Fraley '01
Katherine Suttle Weinert '01
Kenyon College
105 Chase Avenue, Gambier, OH 43022