Alumni Class Notes for July 2021

An informal alumni gathering in Sandy Cove, Md.; Phil Hopkins (’95) completes a book chapter on Armenians in Turkey; Trevor Baier (’14) admitted to the Harvard Business Analytics Program; Anastassia Gliadkovskaya (’18) becomes staff writer at Fierce Healthcare.

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Dawn (Linson) Vetter (’76) passed away on July 12, 2021. Visitation and a Celebration of Life service will be held at Story Memorial Presbyterian Church on Saturday, August 21, 2021 in Marion, N.C. Read her obituary and see more details here.

Stewart (’78) and Ruth (’78) Wilson hosted an informal alumni get-together in Sandy Cove, Md. on Saturday, July 17. Lee Pelletier (’76) shared photos and videos from that event on Facebook. The photo used in this post features (Front row, L-R) Scott Perry, Tim Scott, Steve Schools; (Back row, L-R) George Hornickel, Stew Wilson, and Dave Wheelock (photo posted by Dave Wheelock to Facebook).

Ann (Hienmets) Trippett (class of ’79) went home to be with the Lord on July 8, 2021. Her obituary reads, “Ann was a homemaker in that she made everyone feel welcome in her house and comfortable and at ease in her presence. She was quick-witted and had a heart that served the Lord and her family. . . In our grief, we cling to the verse that Ann held dear and claimed as her life verse, ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’” Read her full obituary and share a note with her family here.

Sonja (Olsen) Fuller (’79) passed away on March 11, 2021. Read her obituary here.

Phil Hopkins (’95), associate professor of church history at Gateway Seminary (Ontario, CA) recently gave a lecture entitled, “The Transitioning Model of American Christianity in Iran during the Last Years of the Pahlavis,” sponsored by the 25th Anniversary of Iran and the Caucasus (Brill), on 1 June 2021, in Yerevan, Armenia. He also recently completed a chapter entitled, “The Forgotten Armenians: The Armenians in Turkey,” in a book called The Ethno-Cultural Others of Turkey: Contemporary Reflections, which will be published later this summer.

Maggie (O’Leary) Hernandez (’14) writes, “Our fourth child, Esperanza Margot, was born on June 11. She had a brief stay in the NICU, but is now doing very well at home.”

Trevor Baier (Business ’14) wrote on LinkedIn,

Thrilled to share that I’ve just learned of my admission to the Harvard Business Analytics Program and anticipate being able to join their next cohort in early 2022. This 18-month ‘three shields’ program is a novel partnership between Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Harvard Business School to provide candidates with a world-class, cross-disciplinary foundation of advanced technical skills, a toolbox of analytic methods, and a vision for data strategy in order to equip the next generation of data-centric organizational leaders.

As a kid from a farm in the rural, agricultural-industrial Midwest, I never imagined in a million years that someone ‘like me’ would be able to live and compete in the concrete jungle of NYC, much less ever see my name and an institution like Harvard in the same sentence. So I’d like to publicly acknowledge those to whom this small victory belongs: my parents – who quite literally saved my life as I fought for years against a vicious congenital disease that almost claimed me as a child (and then educated me themselves), my siblings – who constantly inspire me to do better while doing good, my wife Adele who is always by my side, and the countless mentors, educators, managers, clients, and colleagues who have opened doors, picked me up when I’ve fallen down, formed me through education, and encouraged me onward and upward.

Anastassia Gliadkovskaya (’18) accepted a job offer to be a staff writer at Fierce Healthcare, where she’ll be covering health from the perspective of business and policy.

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