1. Frank H.T. Rhodes

For our final post, we're featuring someone who "graduated" from Cornell at the same time as our class. The words at the top of the blog, that Cornell students "dream bigger dreams" are from his 1995 commencement speech, and he'll be back in Ithaca with us next week for our 20th Reunion. We couldn't be happier to call Frank Rhodes an honorary member of the Class of 1995. 

Hope to see everyone back on the Hill in a few days to catch up and celebrate!

Bonita Springs, Florida & Ithaca, New York 

Tell us about what you have been doing since you left Cornell.

Well, I retired when your class graduated in '95. And for the first few years, I did a great deal of traveling. I was a member of half a dozen boards, General Electric and the Mellon Foundation and I was Chair of the National Science Board for a while. And that took an immense amount of time. Since about two years ago, I've done much less. We now divide our time between Ithaca and Florida. I am in Florida at the moment, enjoying the sunshine.

What is one of your favorite memories of your time at Cornell?

You know, the memories crowd in. I think the happiest times were just meeting with faculty, staff, and especially students. We would have a student breakfast once a week and it was kind of an open house. We restricted the numbers, as I remember it, to 25. And people could just come and talk about anything they wanted to. They were always overbooked and those were really some of the best times. But I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. There were no downs, it was all up and whether it was on campus people, students, faculty, or alumni or trustees, it was just such a positive time in our lives. We are still in touch. When we are down here we go to various Cornell events and we go to events in the city periodically. We are going to one next month. And we participate in activities in Ithaca from time to time. But we really have, I really have, retired. And I spend what time I have writing books.

    Do you have any advice for students starting at Cornell this year? 

Make the most of it. It's the richest experience possible. It’s four brief years and it flies by. It is just such a magical time. And I know that, not because I have been a student there, but because we have had grandchildren who have been students there. As undergraduates and at the graduate school. One was an undergraduate, one from the medical school, and the two granddaughters are undergraduates, and a third is a PhD there. So we know firsthand as a family what a great place it is.

6. Leah Berkery

Several of the alums featured between now and reunion were degree marshals for their respective colleges during our commencement ceremony in May 1995, an honor awarded to the two students in each college with the highest GPA.

Albany, New York · Agriculture and Life Sciences

Leah.Berkery@sphp.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/leah.berkery

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.

I work as a physician at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY.  I am a hospitalist, which means I exclusively take care of patients when they are admitted to the hospital.  It is a relatively new medical specialty, and it has been exciting to be in such a challenging and quickly-changing field.  I am also the President of the Albany Area Chapter of the Society of Hospital Medicine, our national organization.

I decided to take on a new challenge last November by participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  I actually had not written any fiction since high school, but I was able to write a 57,000 word first draft of a novel within a thirty-day period.

I love to travel, and am about to go on my 22nd cruise!  I also enjoy Zumba classes, and I have been licensed as a Zumba instructor for three years.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?

The most useful class I took was one that was outside of my major (Biology), but which has proved essential to my career—Scientific Writing for Public Information.  The course taught me how to take technical scientific jargon and translate it into something that people without a scientific background can understand.  Every day in the hospital, I have to explain complex medical issues to patients with no medical background.  It is vital for me to be able to communicate that information in such a way that they fully comprehend their conditions and their treatment options.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
I would encourage new students to take some courses in areas outside of their main fields of study—courses which have little bearing on their future career, but which are just interesting or unusual. This is your chance to explore and learn about new things! I was a biology major, but I was also able to take a year of French, a semester of Archeology, and (of course!) a semester on Wines.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
I cannot wait to re-connect with old friends from both Cornell undergrad and Cornell Med in New York City, which I attended for med school—a fair number of my Cornell Med classmates went to Cornell as undergrads as well.  I am looking forward to seeing campus again and doing some sightseeing in the Ithaca area.  I am also hoping I’ll be able to do some shopping at Wegmans!

11. Jason Ardizzone-West

Yonkers, New York · Architecture, Art, and Planning

jason@ardizzonewest.com


Tell us about what you're doing with your life.

After graduating from Cornell with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, I worked as an architect for years, got married to an amazing woman, then took some time off to be a full time dad to our two children. When it was time to enter the professional world again, I decided to pursue theatrical set design, which had always been my real passion. I went back to school, got my MFA in set design from New York University, and am now happily working as a freelance set designer. I’m currently juggling: teaching set design at NYU Tisch, designing two shows at Juilliard, designing the set for the national tour of “Bullets Over Broadway.” designing Cornell’s sesquicentennial weekend celebration events, renovating my basement, and getting ready for movie night with my family. In other words, life is good!

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?

I loved so many of my classes at Cornell—honestly, there is not one that stands out by itself, but I definitely loved every single year of “archi-torture studio,” as well as the few classes I took outside the College of Architecture, Art & Planning - particularly the Intro to Native American Studies class.

·  What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?

I had so many great extracurricular experiences at Cornell, working in the scene shop at the Performing Arts Center, living in Risley and making theater there, rock-climbing, working for Cornell Productions… but I think my favorite extracurricular activity was working with the Cornell Concert Commission loading-in concerts and working security, and running spot light, etc. I met so many people who shared a love of live performance, but who came from so many different backgrounds and colleges.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I don’t have many regrets in my life (or my Cornell experience), but if I had it all to do over again I would have participated in the Cornell in Rome program. I still haven’t been to Italy!

15. Seth Traum

New York, New York · Engineering

sethtraum@hotmail.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/sethtraum
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sethtraum

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am living on the Upper West Side of New York City with my wife Lauren and two sons—Zachary, 11, and Jordan, 8.

I am a partner at a brand and marketing strategy and innovation consultancy called Vivaldi Partners Group. I really enjoy the work, but I make sure I find plenty of time to run around the parks of NYC playing sports with my boys.

After leaving Cornell with an engineering degree, I never practiced it, and instead moved into consulting and then spent many years in finance and banking before transitioning over to the marketing side of the business world.

I now return to campus a few times a year guest lecturing for marketing professors at both the Johnson School and the Hotel School. It is always wonderful to walk the campus, reminisce, and see what's changed.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
My whole last semester on campus was wonderful. I had gotten ahead by a class and had queued up a few of the "easier" classes in my major for the final semester. And so I really enjoyed myself. Saw friends who I hadn't seen enough of, explored Ithaca a bit, went out a lot, and gave myself some fantastic final memories to leave campus on a very positive note.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Cornell taught me how to WORK. I thought I knew how to work hard before I went to college, but Cornell engineering took things to a whole other level. I learned how to have a work ethic while there, and I have always been proud of my ability to outwork everyone else to figure things out and get them done right. I have never abandoned this, and I have carried it proudly into all that I have done.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
I am looking forward to seeing old friends with whom I've done a horrible job staying in touch, but also enjoying the campus and city. I tend to zip in and out quickly when I come to campus to teach, and I never have enough time to take everything in. So I'm most looking forward to having the time I need to truly enjoy the experience.

17. Alie Shaper

New Suffolk, New York · Engineering

ashaper@brooklynoenology.com
Twitter:  @@AlieShaper, @bklynoenology
Facebook: facebook.com/AlieShaper, facebook.com/BrooklynOenology


Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am living my passion and dreams!  I'm the proprietor and winemaker of Brooklyn Oenology (aka BOE), my winery I started in 2006.  BOE is the tree that grew from the seed of taking that Intro to Wines class in senior year.  My love for wine, and specifically for NY wines, started there. BOE's wines are made entirely from grapes grown in New York, and we feature contemporary works by Brooklyn-based artists on their labels. 

I started the company from scratch after working as a manufacturing engineer for 10 years, and part- and full-time in the wine industry for six years while still engineering.  I admit, I spend a lot of time working; so far my winery and staff is my family, the wines my children - but I love it every day.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Of course the Wines class was my very favorite - but one that was incredibly useful and still shapes my thinking today was ORIE 5100, Design of Manufacturing Systems.  Not only did I love my professor, the now retired Jack Muckstadt, but his course is why I became an entrepreneur. It was the foundation of how to consider the build of a consumer-goods based company, and it taught me how to think in order to create an efficient business. It's also a discipline of thinking that I've applied everywhere in my life.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
Hah, hindsight is always 20-20, isn't it?  Well, seven semesters into my engineering degree I considered changing to a Hotelie after taking the Wines class... but then reconsidered when I thought of the repercussions from my folks if I even floated that idea with them. I think I took the exact path I was meant to take, and my engineering degree prepared me well for taking on a manufacturing business. 

The only thing I might have done differently might have been to take more time to graduate, maybe take a semester off to have traveled, or ease the course load.

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
Being a part of a large family, that extends well beyond my graduating class. Anywhere, anytime I meet another Cornellian, there is an instant connection and innate understanding of one another. I think it has to do with the fact that we all went through the same forms of hell: hard work, hard winter, and a lot of walking.

29. Michelle Knudsen

Brooklyn, New York · Arts and Sciences

Name at Cornell
Michelle (Mikki) Knudsen

michelle.knudsen@gmail.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/michelleknudsen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelleknudsen.author

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I'm the author of more than 40 books for children and teenagers, including the New York Times best-selling picture book LIBRARY LION. My newest book (September 2014) is the young adult novel EVIL LIBRARIAN—a funny, creepy, paranormal, musical-theater-horror-romance adventure, about which Kirkus said, “The spirit of Buffy is alive and kicking in this bloody debut for teens ... snappily narrated, tightly plotted and generally just right.” I also do some freelance editing and teach occasional writing classes.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
I have very fond memories of many of my English seminars, especially the smaller ones that involved strange and interesting books I never would have come across on  my own. I learned a lot from both the essays and the class discussions. The English program in general was wonderful, and helped prepare me for my work as an editor and writer and for going on to get my MFA several years later.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Take advantage of as much of what Cornell has to offer as you can! It can be a little daunting at the start, but the more involved you are with both your classes and your extracurriculars, the more people you'll connect with and the more supported and fulfilled you'll feel throughout your Cornell experience. Also, invest in a really good pair of winter boots. I *still* have the boots I bought the summer before my freshman year (in 1991!) and they made walking across those icy bridges in the winter a lot less scary. :)

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Definitely all the student-run and community theater! My closest friends from Cornell were (and still are) those I met doing shows with Risley, Gateway, and the Cornell Savoyards.

38. Njemile Davis and Surayya Diggs

To celebrate the beginning of the school year, this week we're running a special profile of a member of the class of 1995 and her daughter, a member of the class of 2017! 

New York City and Ithaca, New York · Human Ecology and Agriculture and Life Sciences 

njemiledavis@yahoo.com
Twitter:   www.twitter.com/cutiepahtootie
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/njemile.davis

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
Njemile:
I'm currently working at a national social justice organization, supporting fair and affordable housing programs in 32 cities across the country. Now that Surayya's at Cornell, I'm finding a little more time to both indulge my interests and explore some new ones including sewing

Tell us about your experience at Cornell
Surayya:
Cornell was definitely tough at first, but now I love it. And actually miss it after only being away for 3 weeks [in June]. Cornell is an amazing place and I am so excited to be attending my mother's alma mater.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Njemile:
I have so many fond memories of my time at Cornell! My favorite is walking through the arts quad for the first time. It was night so hardly anyone was out except my host and I. The trees were beautifully canopied, the lights twinkling and a divine hush had surrounded us. I never considered another school after that! I was head over heels in love.

What has been your favorite class so far?
Surayya:
Definitely my first year writing seminar in the Africana department. The class is titled Terror in Black Memoir and we were able to read and discuss the titles 12 Years a Slave, The Black Notebooks by Toi Derricott, The Fire Next Time, and excerpts from Audre Lorde's work. This class was the first class I had ever had taught by a black female teacher. In my whole life. And it definitely shaped the direction of our discussions. It is probably also one of the most diverse groups of students on campus in terms of race.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Njemile:
I've been able to keep in touch and reconnect with soo many 95'rs thanks to Facebook. I've also been able to spend quality time with Danetria Craig, Hugh LaRoche, Avery Seawright, Kevin Minter, Davenel Denis, Janelle Green, Kentayahnee Murray, Lauren Davidson, Tamara Webb, Thais Jimenez, Denise Anderson, Vicki Meyers, Donna Holder, Roy Clovis, Frantz Cayo, Jabari and Anika Osaze, Jonel Daphnis, Rich Medina and Baye Adolfo Wilson... and more... all of whom I can wholeheartedly say are doing it well! Our network gets bigger and stronger every year, so I'm hoping everyone will come to reunion!

Do you participate in any extracurricular activities or clubs on campus?
Surayya:
Yes. I am the logistics chair of the Women of Color Coalition, where my responsibility is providing direction for the organization and keeping everyone on task. I am also the political chair for Black Students United. For the upcoming year I plan on producing a video PSA on the Africana library and how it is so decentralized from campus. This will be a small step in my bigger goal (or rather dream) of having a new Africana library built in a more central part of campus. I also work for the Public Service Center - last fall I tutored high school students.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Njemile:
It was a privilege to be a founding member of Pamajoa Ni gospel ensemble and I'm thrilled that it continues to this day.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this fall?
Surayya:
Definitely have patience and reflect a lot. And don't hesitate to ask for help (academically or emotionally) when you need it. Also take any and every opportunity that comes your way! You never know where it may lead or what doors it might open. Also apply and starting looking for internships in the beginning of spring semester, don't wait to the last minute. I found my internship in China in March and I am having an amazing experience.

What are you most looking forward to during your sophomore year?
Surayya:
I am most interested in growing more as a student and a community member. I am excited to do great work for the women of color coalition and BSU.

39. Andrew Lewis Conn

Brooklyn, New York · Arts & Sciences

connandrew@aol.com
andrewlewisconn.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
Since graduating from Cornell in 1995, I returned to Brooklyn and

Photo credit: Nicolas Maloof

got to see the borough of my birth, the Old Country, become magically transformed. I’ve published two novels, P (Soft Skull Press, 2003), and, this summer, O, Africa! (Hogarth/Crown). I’ve made my daily bread working in public relations and corporate communications. I married an amazing woman from Scotland, and have gotten the chance to see America and New York through the eyes of another culture. And, four years ago, we had a daughter, Alyth (named after a Scottish town), who is not the world’s least adorable, fun, or remarkable person.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with? 
Anita King (’95), Bryan Wizemann (’95), Christopher Goffard (’94), David Kartch (’94), Durand Williams (’95), Erica Schoemacher (’94), Gabriella Aratow (’96), Huy Dao (’97), Jaime Villamarin (’94), Jason Lee (’93), Luke Wilcox (’96), Michael Gurton (’97), Philip Kang (’96), Rika Wilcox (’98), Sarah Jensen (’95), Trac Vu (’96), . . . and, er, my sister: Jennifer Conn (’92).

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I perhaps would not have been so serious, or self-serious, or quite so hardworking (!). But, then, you’re wired the way you’re wired. (And, as that great Dylan song put it, “I was so much older then/I’m younger than that now.”)

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
The place, and that time of life, continues to become more magical and idealized in retrospect. (Part of this, I think, is that Cornell looks in many ways like what a Platonic conception of academic life should resemble.) I just love the place, and have a fever dream about being back every three or four months or so. I’m just enormously grateful for having been there, for that time of my life.

41. Stephanie Gendell

New York, New York · Human Ecology

sgendell@aol.com

Twitter: @SGendell

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.

I am living in NYC, trying to make NY a better place to be a child.  Specifically, I am the Associate Executive Director at a child advocacy organization (Citizens’ Committee for Children) where I analyze legislation, budgets, and policies and advocate for children. (I got a law degree after Cornell.)  Some of my big wins include funding for 3,000 preventive slots to prevent child abuse; saving child care and after-school from being cut from 47,000 children; securing funding for full-day pre-k for all 4-year-olds in NYC; and getting the legislature to add 25 Family Court Judges.  In my free time, I enjoy all NYC has to offer including sports conditioning classes in Central Park, beer gardens, Yankee games, and of course time with my friends from Cornell.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
It’s impossible to come up with one favorite memory of my favorite place—here are some of the best:  Walking onto Schoellkopf Field dressed as the Big Red Bear (and being passed through the stands); sleeping outside to get hockey tickets as a freshman and then inside Lynah as a sophomore; watching someone (whose identity I will protect) be escorted out of Lynah for throwing a fish on the ice; playing hearts; 214 Eddy; the 5 flights to my freshman dorm; Slope Day; Buckfest; Hot Truck; “my desk” at Uris Library; starting the Homework HelpLine; and of course—the gorges.  

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
My time at Cornell has influenced my life in so many ways and essentially shaped me into the person I am today.  I learned that life is short and you need to live each day to the fullest.  I learned to appreciate the beauty in the world around me.  I learned that my passion is child policy and advocacy (thank you Professor Gerner).  I learned how important it is to work hard and play hard— it is ok to both close down the library and the bar!  And I learned to treasure my friends—especially the Cornellians :)

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
My favorite Cornell moment (and perhaps life moment) happened after graduation.  In 2003, the NJ Devils won the Stanley Cup (YEAH!) and the Big Red’s Joe Nieuwendyk was on that team.  Players who win the Cup get to spend a day with it. Joe spent his day at Cornell.  Ken Gordon and I heard this and headed to Ithaca.  We had an amazing time at the alumni hockey game, seeing Joe and the Cup, and then touching the Cup at Dunbar’s.  Then it happened—I got to drink from the Stanley Cup (best mix of beer and champagne ever!)

48. Monique Carrero-Tagle

Valhalla, New York · Arts and Sciences

Name at Cornell
Monique Carrero

mcarrero@aol.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am currently married to a fellow alum, Juan Tagle.  We'll be married 15 years this September and  have two children: Alejandro (age 7) and Sofia (age 5).  We live in Westchester County, in the hamlet of Valhalla.

Professionally, I am Project Director for a research center at NYU that conducts psychosocial research on issues related to health, aging, and the community.  I've worked with the same research team for over 15 years, moving from several research-based institutions to another as a team but have been at NYU for approximately 3 years.

I'm looking forward to being able to travel more in the near future and can't wait to see many of my fellow alums at reunion in 2015.  

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
My all time favorite memory of my time at Cornell goes back to Slope Day of my Sophmore year.  Aside from the drinking, I always remember Slope Day as the day when everyone finally let loose and just had a great time hanging out on the slope with friends and feeling like you were finally free.  We usually had great weather (which seemed rare back in the day) and it was just a fun time.  Slope Day of Sophmore year was most memorable for me because that was the year my husband and I connected.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
I would tell that student that to a certain extent, your first year is the most important year so make it count.  It's really important to have a strong first semester because it's hard to bounce back.  Having a good GPA and scoring a great summer internship will set the tone for the remainder of your time at Cornell and make things easier in the long run.  Of course, it's always nice to have a good work - life balance, so it's OK to have a little fun along with way.  That's how friendships are built.  

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Cornell has such a beautiful campus and I love to go up and visit Ithaca.  Heading back for reunion always gives me the opportunity to reminisce about our college days with the friends who I created those memories with.  It's a great excuse for all of us to get together and I most look forward to seeing all of them.

51. Gilbert and Mara Chan

Rochester, New York · Engineering and College of Human Ecology

Names at Cornell
Gilbert Chan and Mara Cooper

Email: gac2@cornell.edu and mlc10@cornell.edu  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gilbert.chan.9 and https://www.facebook.com/marachan

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
We live in Rochester, NY. We have been married for nearly 17 years. We have two daughters, Julia (11) and Jenna (8). They keep us busy with school and other activities they are involved in.

Gilbert has been working as a mechanical engineer in the plastics industry since graduating Cornell. I work for a company that designs and builds plastic injection molds: "I wear many hats: designer, customer support, IT support and process development of our new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, playing volleyball and baseball (especially following the Baltimore Orioles)."

Mara has been working in fundraising: "I work at a nursing home and am responsible for gift processing. I am fortunate to have found flexibility in my work that allows me to also be with our kids. In my free time, I enjoy scrapbooking and reading."

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Gilbert: My favorite memories of my time at Cornell involved my time in the marching band. There were great memories from night practices, band parties, road trips, and of course, marching on the field during football games. My first date with Mara was during a band semi-formal sophomore year.

Mara: My favorite memory of my time at Cornell was working at Olin Library. The job was locating books for barcoding in the vast stacks. When I started the job sophomore year, Gilbert trained me. We worked together for 2 years.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Our advice for a student starting Cornell this year is to take a break and have fun! Take time to explore all the different things you can do at Cornell, there is something for everyone. Take a walk and explore the campus, find your favorite place. Explore Ithaca, it's a great town and there is so much to do away from campus. Attend a hockey game, especially the big game against Harvard. Order a PMP at the Hot Truck and the fries at Louie's Lunch Truck. Take some classes outside of your comfort zone.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Gilbert: Being in the Big Red Marching Band was the most meaningful activity I was involved in at Cornell. I've made a lot of friends being a member of these groups and met people that I wouldn't have otherwise. This also allowed me to get back into performing music after taking a break from music in high school.

Mara: I spent a semester in Washington, D.C. through the Cornell in Washington program. I liked living and exploring a big city, walking and taking public transportation and going to my internship.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
We are looking forward to reconnecting with our friends and classmates that we don't get to see very often. It will be exciting to be there during the Sesquicentennial Celebration. It will be fun to show our girls some of our favorite places around Cornell, including the re-opened Dairy Bar and the spot where we got engaged. It's too bad the U-Halls are no longer there.

53. Jennifer Keene

New York, New York · Arts and Sciences

jlk5@cornell.edu
Twitter: @JenniferKeene
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.keene

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I live in New York City, where I work in sports marketing with clients that have included Tim Duncan, Ray Allen, Chris Paul, Emmitt Smith, and Stephen Curry. I also develop book projects as a literary agent.

This summer I am taking a trip to Kenya - part volunteer work, part vacation. Can't wait!

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
I loved my Spanish language classes. Instructor Susana Sainz worked so hard on my accent. When I speak Spanish now, my accent fools people to the extent that I have to ask them to slow down. My Spanish vocabulary now is only about seventy five words.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Tons! Facebook makes it so much easier and I'm so grateful for that. 

I could mention a lot of friends but Joanne Rotondi, Geraldine Zikely, Cherylanne (Muraski) Skolnicki and Christine Grund will always hold a special place in my heart.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I might have changed majors. Spanish and literature classes were my favorite but I worried about what I’d do with either of those degrees so I stuck with psychology. That said, my experiences studying toward a psych degree have come in handy too.

I realize now that a degree is only one part of career preparation and that one shouldn’t feel limited.

58. Lynn Ciccarelli

Staten Island, New York · Agriculture and Life Sciences

Name at Cornell

Lynn Finamore

lciccarelli13@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
Life is thankfully as busy, and happy, as ever. This year I'll be celebrating 8 years of marriage to my amazing husband. We have a 3 year old son who is our absolute joy, and I am 17 weeks pregnant with baby #2! Professionally, I've been working for HBO now for 17 years. I actually started at HBO back in November of 1995, not long after graduation from Cornell. I am currently VP of affiliate marketing and it is truly my dream job, having been a Communication major. I am very lucky and fortunate to have called HBO my professional home for all these years. And I owe so much of how everything fell into place to my Cornell education.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
There are so many wonderful memories that, despite the years, do not fade. The friends, the classes, the traditions, the beautiful campus, college town, the challenges, etc. I can't say enough about how my time at Cornell started me off on the right path in so many ways. To me, the Cornell degree has always been a badge of honor, something I'm so proud of, and something for which I am so grateful.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Both personally and professionally, I run into felow Cornell grads all the time. And I always feel there is an imemdiate connection, almost a bond between us. It's been an amazing networking asset I've found and sometimes a foot in the door, so to speak.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I wish I took more time to relax and enjoy. Things were always so busy, and I always rushed home on breaks to see family and friends. I wish I took more time to explore the campus and Ithaca, and to more appreciate the moments in between the craziness.

61. Jennifer Helgesen

Larchmont, New York · Industrial and

Labor Relations

Every few weeks, Cornell '95 Faces features a profile of one of our class officers. This week, meet the Fund Representative.

Name at Cornell
Jennifer Wendling

Jennifer_Helgesen@hotmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
My husband Chris and I spend a lot of time chasing our two very active boys who are 6 and 4. I am enjoying raising them in the town that I grew up in outside of NYC.

After many years in the field of HR technology, I redirected my career to allow for more flexibility. I founded a recruiting firm focusing on HR/HRIS positions. I have crossed paths with quite a few ILR grads who are in the field of HR. My office is a mile from my home, which is really convenient.

What are your duties as class officer and what have you enjoyed about the job?
I am the Fund Representative for our class. Initiatives have included campaigns to reconnect with former dues payers and increase participation as well as personalized thank you notes to fund contributors.

I really enjoy being part of such a dedicated group of Cornell alums. As we approach our 20th reunion, the excitement of the officers is quickly building as we collaborate on ways to maximize involvement and provide a high quality experience to attendees.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
What I found most useful was the balance of the intimate and focused ILR program coupled with the opportunity to take many classes across the University—including graduate level. Being with grad students who had been in the "real world" already was interesting. I stayed an extra year on campus and got my Master's from the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs. There were quite a few '95 grads who stayed another year for a masters degree or dual major, including several close friends.

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
Not sure if it is surprising, but I can't believe how many Cornell grads are in my town! 4 out of the 6 kids in my son's toddler playgroup are children of Cornell alums—including Michael Koby, a fellow ILR '95. Several of my close friends are Cornell grads who I did not know on campus. We instantly bonded over shared memories regardless of our graduation year. Also, I sold my first apartment to a Cornell graduate. We made the connection at the closing table. But most importantly, I met my husband through a Cornell friend!

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
This will be the first reunion that I am able to attend. Can't wait to spend quality time on campus with close friends walking down memory lane as well as catching up on "today." Also looking forward to reconnecting with others who I have not seen in many years. Social media is great but nothing tops the in person connection. I know that the campus and Collegetown have both changed quite a bit so I'm eager to see what's new and show my husband around.

65. Jessica Shevitz Rauch

Port Washington, New York · Human

Ecology

jsrauch@gmail.com
Twitter: @jessburbia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jshevrauch

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I'm trying to do it all!

For the past 6 years I've been the Finance Director for a growing computer security firm, Matasano Security, while raising our two kids, currently 5 and 2, and I write a monthly email newsletter (sign up here—http://eepurl.com/KFPSb) that provides advice, book/movie/music recommendations, and links to pop culture articles laced with insight and humor on how to make it count as we juggle all the different facets of our busy lives.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
HDFS 362, Human Relationships Across the Life Span, or LOVE with Professor Cindy Hazan. It seems like since graduation, a week hasn't gone by without me relaying some fact I learned (or at this point have mis-remembered that I learned) from that class: close friendships, family relationships, intimate relationships, and even semi-close friendships—it was all in there!

Through my career as a job recruiter, career coach, and HR generalist always relating to people and how they may or may not feel, it all comes back to LOVE. Awwwww. But I mean the Hum Ec course "LOVE". 

Not love love (necessarily).

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
The semester I spent in DC was truly special. Being on my own in a city for the first time with the support of the CIW program, its staff, and my fellow CIW classmates and friends really made me courageous and have a sense of adventure when I left the cocoon of college a semester later.

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
In Brooklyn, we did two amazing family photos shoots with Virginia L.S. Freire '98 of Virginia L. S. Freire Photography. Only when Virginia & I were saying good-bye when I moved to Long Island did we realize the Cornell connection! 

Last fall, at a networking event in my new town on LI, I ran into Amanda Perez Leder '98. A fun personal & professional friendship has ensued. 

My sister (not a Cornellian) moved to London & within a few months she randomly met Lee Levansky Matthews '03 while out & about. She's now a great friend to both of us.

68. Shawn Morris

New York, New York · Architecture, Art, and Planning

Every few weeks, Cornell '95 Faces features a profile of one of our class officers. This week, meet the Treasurer.


Name at Cornell
Shawn Hecht

shawnmorrisnyc@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I'm a master juggler!  I’m a mother of a toddler, wife, and project manager at an large international bank. I love living in Soho NYC, travelling the world, and hanging out with my four nieces and two nephews.

What are your duties as class officer and what have you enjoyed about the job?
I am currently the Treasurer for the Class of '95. For those who know me, not to worry, everything is on a spreadsheet.  I'm in charge of keeping the Class's finances in order, ensuring we increase the treasury, and helping to spend some of it on reunion and/or other Class activities. This is my third officer position; I was VP as well as Class President.  My commitment to our class keeps me involved and connected with Cornell.

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
I am so proud to be a Cornell alumnae. My father, brother, and a sister-in-law all went to Cornell and I have already started teaching my son, nieces, and nephews to say "Go Big Red."

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
I was very involved in the Greek system and my junior-senior years I was Panhellenic President. Regularly speaking in front of hundreds of students and members of the administration plus organizing events for 1,200 women was great training for project management at a big bank. Plus a lot of fun.  And most importantly, I made long lasting friendships with women inside and outside of my sorority.  During my annual Oscar Party, I usually have three sororities and at least ten “sisters” represented.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
I can't wait to connect with friends from the Hill I don't get to see very often. A lot of us waited a while to have families so I'm excited to see pictures (or meet!) the next generation of Cornellians.