90. Brenda Janowitz

New York · Human Ecology

brendajanowitz@gmail.com

www.brendajanowitz.com

Twitter:  @BrendaJanowitz

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/BrendaJanowitz

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I'm a mom, a wife, and a novelist. 

My third novel, Recipe for a Happy Life, was published by St. Martin's Press in July. I'm also the author of Scot on the Rocks and Jack with a Twist, and my work's appeared in the New York Post and Publisher's Weekly. My agent recently sold my New Adult novel, The Lonely Hearts Club, to Polis Books. It will be out this December.

It's been wonderful making my life-long dream of becoming a published writer come true. After Cornell, I went to law school, and I practiced law for a few years. But whether at a big NYC firm or at my federal judicial clerkship, I'd find myself wandering the halls, thinking of the stories I wanted to write. 

I live with my husband and our two sons on Long Island. Find me atwww.brendajanowitz.com or facebook.com/BrendaJanowitz ortwitter.com/brendaJanowitz and say hello!

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
My closest friends in the world are still the people I met at Cornell. 

I'm in touch with Shawn Hecht Morris, Danielle Schmelkin, Jennifer Avitabile Moss, Tandy O'Donoghue, and Jessica Shevitz Rauch. We meet for girls nights out, have our kids play together, celebrate all of our good times and support each other through the bad ones.

There's just something about the people who have known you since you were 18 years old. That sort of friendship is so unbelievably special.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
There are just too many to name. But one of the experiences I always look back on and think about was my semester abroad in Seville, Spain. 

I learned so much about myself that semester-- in a country where I barely spoke the language with a bunch of people I didn't know, I was completely out of my comfort zone. But ultimately, it gave me a sense of confidence. It made me realize that I could do anything.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I'm not sure that I would change anything. Sure, there are times that make me look back and positively cringe, but I think that part of life is having lots of experiences-- the good, the bad, and the completely humiliating. I don't think I'd be the same person if I hadn't gone through all of the various experiences I had during my college years.

91. Christos Seferiades

Athens, Greece · Hotel Administration

cseferiades@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
Fatherhood seems to be the main activity these days for which I am grateful to my lovely wife Irina. During office hours, my brother Angelos '93 and I run a small hotel management company (www.kihli.gr) that specializes in operating upscale boutique hotels in Greece. We are also real estate developers focusing on upscale private summer residences. Some of the job's perks are spending a week each month on the island of Santorini taking care of business at www.ikies.com and showing houses at www.spezzie.com when needed. 

Living in Greece these past couple of years has not been "fun" and we have definitely learned a lot from the crisis. Signs of recovery seem to be around the corner, especially after such a fantastic tourist season this year.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
The class that left a lasting impression on me must have been Ferguson's Principles of Accounting. Freshman year in a huge auditorium learning basic principles that have helped throughout my career. It was so different from Greek high school and also great to experience "boring" material being taught so masterfully.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
My management night for the Restaurant Management course. Together with Nathalie Raguz and Ilan Segal we put together a Safari themed night which we enjoyed tremendously. It was a taste of what real life management would be like later.

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
During the pre-opening period of www.ikies.com on Santorini island (March 2003), I was getting myself lunch at the village of Oia where the hotel is located, and overheard someone in a group of young Americans on spring break mentioning the Hotel School. It was great showing them around the hotel and it certainly did feel encouraging meeting them there.

92. Adam Capes

Atlanta, Georgia · Arts and Sciences

adam.capes@g2gcollection.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am married to a wonderful woman named Rachelle and we have two amazing children - Chloe, 11 and Aidan, 8.

After selling out a luxury residence fund called Equity Estates last year, I started Getaway 2 Give, or The G2G Collection, as a social enterprise that offers membership in an exclusive collection of high end vacation homes and experiences that dramatically improve people’s lasting happiness through what we call the 3 Keys: Relationships, Personal Growth and Contribution. We have residences in places like NYC, The Bahamas, Chicago, San Fran, Cabo, Deer Valley, Anguilla, Tuscany, as well as yachts, safaris, voluntourism trips and more. 

But the best part of my job is that we're changing the way charities raise money, as every time a member joins, half of the membership fee ($7,500) goes to the member's favorite cause. We've already raised over $700,000 for more than 50 great charities.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
I started a newspaper at Cornell, The Campus Globe (originally called The Greek Globe) and that experience has shaped my business career.

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
I ran into someone from my freshman dorm in line to see the Sistine Chapel. I've also met Cornellians in top hotels around the world and the owners of my favorite restaurant in Atlanta are Cornellians.

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
It means that I was fortunate enough to receive the best college education out there, and have a ton of fun at the same time.

93. Juv Marchisio

Haworth, New Jersey · Agriculture and Life Sciences

dansdumbdecision@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juv.marchisio

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
While I always keep busy working as a senior brand manager at B&G Foods and running after my 2 kids, my true passion of late has been the publishing of my first book called Dan's Dumb Decision. It is a fun children's book with a moral to the story ("never run away from home").

I actually wrote the book almost 30 years ago as part of a 5th grade English assignment. Now with my own children Christian and Brooke growing up, it felt like a good time to share it with others.

The book is a true family effort. Original inspiration from my mother, current inspiration from my wife and children, and wonderful illustrations from my father-in-law, Pedro Anlas.

The book is available as an E-book through www.authorhouse.com,www.bn.com, and www.amazon.com ($3.99 currently). Currently considering sharing some of the book profits to help aid local educational programs and initiatives.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Being part of Cornell Entrepreneurs

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
It means taking pride in what you do and having a work ethic that is second to none.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Hanging out with old friends and touring the campus to see all the changes that have taken place over the last 20 years.

94. Anne Johnson

Tucson, Arizona · Engineering

Name at Cornell
Anne Catlin

aecjohnson@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
After two rounds of grad school and working as an operations research analyst and strategist in the defense sector for many years, I recently escaped the corporate world to do something more fun and less paranoid. I am now a real estate investor, and I opened an elite personal training facility with an unlikely business partner. The gym allows me to spend plenty of time at recess, and I enjoy helping people change their lives for the better. Owning a small business is a lot of work, and I am busier, far more productive, and far more fulfilled than I ever was when I had a corporate job. I don't get to relax much, as I also have a third-grader (Natalie) and a kindergartner (Ryan), and my husband is a Delta pilot who is gone much of the time. I have extra motivation to teach them to be self-sufficient!

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
As an engineer, my favorite classes were all in the other colleges! Wines has probably been the most useful class for real-life application. I also completed a concentration in classics, and believe it or not, I used my knowledge from Medieval Art History, Greek Mythology, the Roman Experience, and the Comic Theater quite a bit, especially when I lived in Germany and traveled around Europe. I could identify architectural features and sound like an Ivy League-educated smart-ass.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
I have so many great memories that I don't know where to start. Snow football in the dark freshman year; sneaking Ben & Jerry's and Jolt cola into the Cocktail Lounge conference rooms with friends while studying for finals as a sophomore; laughing so hard I couldn't breathe during lunch at Oakenshields; traying on Libe Slope. Prof. David Mankin's Thanksgiving lecture in Greek Mythology was a classic. The list goes on. At Reunion '10, I particularly enjoyed the smell of Barton floor in the morning, which took me back to all of the "fun" I had as a cadet.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Be aware that you will probably change course several times during your career, at Cornell and beyond. If you start a major and realize later that you would rather do something else, have the courage to make the change! Also, seize opportunities for spontaneous fun whenever possible. You will forget how to expand the Navier-Stokes equations, but you will remember the midnight snowball fights, forays into the gorge just because the sun came out, unplanned dinners out with random people, and other diversions that were definitely not on your calendar.

95. Mary Celenza

Los Angeles, California · Agriculture and Life Sciences

Twitter: @evilcannoli

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
Since Cornell, I've been working in the television industry as a director and a producer. Currently, I'm the co-executive producer on a reality competition show about special makeup effects called Face Off on the Syfy Channel.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
I absolutely loved Film and Performance. The class blended performance art and filmmaking and was a great discussion about how art is different to everyone. That class really impacted how I approach my work today.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
I loved performing with the Skits-O-Phrenics. My parents surprised me on my final performance senior year and it was so amazing that they could be there for that silliness. As one of the group's original members, (it just celebrated its 20th anniversary), it's crazy to think there are members in the group who are now younger than the group itself!

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Enjoy your time and explore. Explore alternate ideas—just because you start in a major doesn't mean you'll love it. I started in biology and while I do love the science itself, I found that I really wanted to explore a different type of creativity. Also, enjoy the beauty and nature of Ithaca—it really is lovely.

Welcome!

Welcome to '95 Faces, a new blog for the Cornell University Class of 1995.

It's probably safe to say that none of us can quite believe it's been more than 18 years since we were all gathered on the Hill - living, studying, and growing together - and finally sitting under an overcast Ithaca sky (what else?) as Frank Rhodes gave his last commencement speech on May 28, 1995. If you're like most of us, the memory of President Rhodes's words that "Cornellians dream bigger dreams" still gets to you.

You probably keep in touch with some classmates through work, friendship, social media, or because you married them, but there are lots you've lost touch with. What is your freshman roommate up to? Did your biology lab partner fulfill their dream of becoming a doctor? Is your first love still single?

As we count down to our 20^th reunion in 2015, we thought it would be fun to check in with some of our classmates. So starting on August 5, 2013, we'll be posting profiles of members of the Cornell University class of 1995 – one each week for 95 weeks – until Reunion weekend, June 4-7, 2015.  Check back every Monday or subscribe to posts via e-mail so you don't miss a single one.

We hope that seeing our accomplished, engaged, and diverse class will inspire you to reconnect, and especially to join us in Ithaca nearly two years from now. 

-1995 Class Council