R Connections

OLIVIA HECK ’19 of Evansville, IN, writes: “I am in my last year of my PhD program at Indiana University – Bloomington. I am completing my predoctoral psychology internship at Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center in Evansville, IN. I am looking forward to finally finishing up my PhD in May 2024!”

Submitted by: Eric, Rachel, Olivia, and Tyler

ALEXANDER MEHRE ’16 is still living in Maine with Jess. He is entering his senior year as a mechanical engineering student and president of the UMaine Black Bear Robotics Club. He doesn’t know where he will work in a year yet, but the Pulp and Paper industry has been very good to him.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

ALYSAA NYCZ ‘16 and her fiancé recently bought a house just north of Green Bay, and they’ve been enjoying the never ending list of projects that comes with homeownership. Alyssa is still working as a pediatrician in the area. She and her fiance have gotten to enjoy some recent travel (Ireland, Banff), as well as reunions with Ripon friends!

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

ALYSSA KENNEDY POLK ‘16 and JORDAN POLK ‘16  recently bought a house and moved to La Valle, WI. They got a German shepherd puppy. Alyssa is working at Reedsburg Area Medical Center, and Jordan is working and coaching in the Hillsboro School District.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

CHRIS WEAVER ‘16 and NIKKI GLASHEEN WEAVER ‘14 welcomed their first baby, Madelyn, into their family in May. They are still living in southern Wisconsin and loving being parents!

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

ELIZABETH KONIECZNY YAMAT ‘16 has had a busy and fun summer with her boys (Theo, 3 and Lincoln, 1) with many park, splash pad and zoo playdates.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

EMILY WESTPHAL ‘16 and her husband recently sold their first home in Milwaukee, WI, and purchased a new home in Hartford, WI. They are excited to be moved in and are really looking forward to being closer to family and being in a smaller community. Emily continues to coach club volleyball for Midwest Penguins with BRI MILROY SIUDAK ‘15, and is really looking forward to another upcoming season that is right around the corner.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

FRANK STELTER-HOGH ‘16 is welcoming a baby boy in March!

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

GARRISON ANDERSON ‘16 is running the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 8.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

HOPE BELL ‘16 started, owns, and runs the only drag company in Daegu, South Korea.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

JENNIFER KELLER ‘16 still has her red aluminum Ripon College water bottle from welcome week. Life is great, Andy and Jen get married in May and will be looking for a home or builder between now and then. She is enjoying work as Village Administrator in Jackson and thriving off the dinner table work banter with Andy, an Engineer for WisDOT. Anyone in the Milwaukee area open to catching up, let her know! Fall beer gardens abound.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

JOSHUA LUNA ‘16 just got engaged!! So this next year he will be planning a wedding. Otherwise he’s been doing travel occupational therapy this last year which has been amazing. So much to see around the country.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

KARI WRENN ‘16’s family of three will be a family of four in early November with the arrival of their second daughter! They may move back to Wisconsin in the spring – Colorado has been a wonderful adventure, but home awaits them!

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

KELLI WALSH MYERS ‘16 after working at our alma mater for nearly 5 years, has recently begun a new position working in conservation across the state of Wisconsin.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

KELSEY O’SHIELDS ‘16 recently started pursuing her Master’s degree in School Counseling at WVU.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

LIZZIE PETERS ‘16 is currently in Scotland trying to secure a primary school teaching position. She was approved to teach in Scotland in May, but getting a job offer has been a slow process. Thankfully, she has a couple interviews set up in the fall! Lizzie is excited to be the maid of honor for her best friend’s wedding the second week of October. Hopefully everything will fall into place after the wedding so she can fly back to Scotland and live here permanently!

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

MEGAN MAREMA ‘16 moved to South Florida in October 2022. She is still working as a certified prosthetist orthotist, but moved to work alongside orthopedic surgeons who specialize in limb lengthening and limb deformity correction.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

NICK LUEDTKE ‘16 got married May 2022 in Iowa to Carolyn Stone. They’ve been traveling around the country running marathons and recently adopted a foxhound from a rescue in Iowa. In July 2023, Nick defended his PhD in chemistry at The University of Iowa. He was awarded an NIH fellowship to pursue postdoctoral research at UI to investigate signal transduction in bacteria.

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

RACHEL ROKUSEK GASSER ‘16 bought her first home in February 2022, and just welcomed her first daughter, Caroline, at the end of July!

Submitted by: Sara Driebel

RACHELLA LEABRIE FORTIER ‘16 just welcomed her second son, Bodhi Samuel Fortier!

Submitted by: Sara Driebel