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Diane Zeitlin
IF ALL THE MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES exist at once and forever, Emet North ’06 occupies a kaleidoscopic space in the universe. Their novel explores one character’s version of a multiverse — the hypothetical possibility that we may live in just a fraction of an infinite universe — and their existential quest for connection across space and time.
“On some level, as both a writer and reader, I’m looking for the feeling of existing inside another mind,” Emet says, crediting their years at Walker’s with the early boost of confidence necessary to approach such a feat. “All my teachers treated me as if I was capable of doing anything I wanted to do.”
Their life experiences bear this stamp — even if their teachers did not imagine Emet’s unique trajectory. They studied math, physics, and philosophy in college, in part because these seemed like the most challenging subjects. “I wanted to prove something,” Emet says, “which came at the price of being the only woman in my classes.” It wasn’t until the last year of college that they realized that demonstrating academic genius was not bringing them fulfillment.
After a brief stint in investment banking to pay off college loans, Emet made an abrupt turn — “a clean break and escape” away from academic pressure and conventional career success. Moving to Montana for winter work as a snowboard instructor and then, during summers, to North Carolina, to work with horses. They describe spending every day outside as “freedom,” a lifestyle they maintained for seven years.
During this time Emet started writing. Mostly “weird non-fiction,” they say, about horses, about traveling, and about
physics. Driven to expand these parameters to worlds beyond reality, they seized upon a challenge by science fiction and fantasy icon Ray Bradbury: “Write a short story every week,” he suggested to young writers; “It’s not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.” For six months, Emet says they wrote a lot of bad stories — a few of which were good enough to gain them admissions to a creative writing master’s program at Johns Hopkins.
Though grad school deadlines didn’t match their own approach to writing, Emet found their own way as a fiction writer. “I am a force of chaos, rather than a creature of routine. I don’t believe you have to sit down at the same time every day. I’m someone who requires fallow periods,” they say. “I’m a planter and then a reaper.”
When their collection of short stories was completed, they reached out to literary agents. Right before signing a contract, the agent asked if they had considered tying the stories together? Initially resistant to the idea, Emet describes their lightbulb moment: “What would happen if I gave all the narrators the same name — because they’re basically all versions of the same person.” Given that their physics thesis was on the idea that the universe is constantly splitting into multiple universes, the idea took hold. This is the big bang that led to the creation of The Universes.
The novel was sold in North America, and then in France, Italy, and the UK. Emet’s agent is currently shopping it around for TV or movie adaptations. In the meanwhile (if such a thing exists), The Universes has won a series of awards and accolades including, inclusion on the New York Times’ 10 Best Science
“I knew how these stories were meant to go, life arranged like a math theorem, each moment leading to the next in an irrefutable chain, QED. But the truth is that time is neither a river nor an arrow. It is a dimension, and our lives stretch across it, each of us a four-dimensional shape, taking up some small space in the universe. All moments existing at once and forever.”
– The Universes, Emet North, 2024
Fiction and Fantasy Books of the Year, an Esquire and Literary Hub Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of the Year, and a Best New Science Fiction Book by New Scientist. Emet is currently at work on their next novel, which draws upon neuroscience, cognitive science, memory, and linguistics.
HOW EMET LIVES WITHIN A WRITER'S BUDGET
“I should be teaching artists how to live on a shoestring budget as well as how to write a story. That’s an art too! It’s important that people know you can afford to live as an artist — even though it’s not easy to make money off your art. But time is so much more important to me than money, so I live a life [guided by an understanding] of the sacrifices that enable me to do what I love. The math is completely worth it. Having done this for quite a while now, I know how to be light on my feet. Whatever financial situation arises, I know I’ll be able to figure it out.”
AS ONE OF THREE WOMEN in her family to attend Walker’s, Mary Fleming ’75 has the unique memory of being at the School during the upheaval of the 1970s. She describes this time as a period when “you were supposed to hate being at an all-girls’ school.” Instead, though, Mary thrived at Walker’s. “It opened up whole new worlds for me,” she says, which included writing for the school newspaper, serving on the student government, playing competitive sports, and exploring nature. She recalls how insightful teachers of classics, political science, and most of all literature, inspired her to become well-rounded, thoughtful, and confident.
As a student of English literature in college, Mary spent her junior year in England. Enamored of the European lifestyle, she moved to France after college, supporting herself as a reporter for an English newspaper and then as a research assistant to the New Yorker magazine’s renowned Paris correspondent, Jane Kramer. She began writing short stories while working for an organizational offshoot of the Marshall Plan, helping to foster partnerships between Europe and the United States—a fitting experience as a cultural “go-between.”
Even now, 44 years after moving to Paris, the expatriate says, “I’m always on the edge between belonging and not belonging.” Mary considers this insider/ outsider perspective perfectly suited to a writer’s life. Fascinated by the distinctions between her characters’ public
and private personas, she describes how fiction writing provides her with the opportunity to probe and reveal internal contradictions.
The writing process often serves as a window into the mind’s natural state of confusion, she says. “If I can clarify the chaos of divergent impulses into something coherent and get a story out of it… what a great pleasure!”
All four of Mary’s novels explore the seemingly opposing dualities of human existence — all within the cultural context of her adopted home country. Each novel illuminates a different time period in Paris, “nearly turning the city into a character,” she says. Her most recently published novel, Civilisation Française, considers conflicting ideas about home and personal identity in Paris, following the Second World War. Stay With Us, her novel-in-progress, seen mainly through the eyes of a mother and daughter, reveals the impact of an enduring unhappy marriage while Paris becomes a modern, globalized metropolis.
A writer of great discipline, Mary likens the arduous work of a first draft to factory work. “Once you understand that it’s a job, you just do it — even on days when the writing isn’t flowing.” She quotes Kurt Vonnegut’s description of the awkward process, saying: I often feel like “an armless, legless man with a crayon in my mouth.” But more important than ‘good or bad writing days’ she says is learning to trust the process itself. “If you put in
the time, something will come out of it.”
In addition to being a novelist, Mary is also an accomplished photographer who shares her photography and writing about both city and country living. Her blog, “A Paris-Perche Diary,” features new installments bi-monthly. “The photos are very important to me,” she says. “I’m a very visual writer, so that’s not surprising.”
HOW MARY FOUND A ROOM OF HER OWN
“When I first started writing fiction, I worked in a small room in the middle of our apartment. But after a year of constant interruptions — a phone call here, a load of laundry there, frequent requests that couldn’t wait from one of our five children — it was clear I should have read Virginia Woolf with greater care. I needed a space that was physically separate from the family nerve center. Fortunately, many old Paris apartments come with rooms on the top floor of the building where the domestic help once lived. Coming up here to write has always felt like passing from one world to another; it’s a space where my mind feels both settled and free. The room acts as an extended compartment of my brain; when I leave, thoughts linger here, and the next day it’s so much easier to pick up the thread, and get to work.”
“Maybe this journal is not a good
idea. Instead of being a repository that frees my head, it’s more like a cauldron where memories heat up and bubble to the surface, then crowd my nights and play havoc with my sleep. Writing makes me think and remember more.”
Civilisation Française, Mary Fleming, 2024
“BEING A STUDENT AT WALKER’S molded me,” says Thatcher Carter ’86, describing the way that the all-girls’ environment in Simsbury helped her find her voice. “Walker’s is where I learned to feel confident sitting around in a circle, talking about the important books.” She recalls her English class’s reading of E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime, a genre-breaking novel in which historical figures interact with fictional ones to address real social issues. “As students, we were both talking to one another and also entering an important conversation with the wider world.” These discussions contributed to Thatcher’s understanding of the real-life importance of literature, eventually leading her into a literary life.
Eager to build upon her positive experiences at Walker’s, Thatcher completed a Ph.D. and became a college professor. Whether introducing Shakespeare, Americana, war literature, and other topics, she began her classes by explaining how stories help us make sense of the world around us. Students in her Women’s Literature classes read the Bible, the Koran, and Greek mythology to consider how women have been portrayed in the earliest recorded stories and “to discover a path between where we’ve come from and who we’ve become.”
Some murkiness about her family’s trajectory during her own early life left Thatcher with persisting, unresolved questions. For reasons that were never explained to her, she recalls how both her father and her mother ceased to speak with relatives who had felt like a part of her own early “story.” By the time she was just four years old, large limbs of her family tree had been lopped off without explanation. As a child, this left her feeling confused, panicked, and angry.
Decades later, after the death of both of her parents, questions from these early years resurfaced and took hold of her imagination. That’s when stories started forming in her mind. “Part of my grieving process led me to grasp at life in a new way.” That “new way” was writing.
Drafting a novel provided Thatcher with a method for exploring the mysteries of these ruptured relationships. “So many of my aunts and uncles and cousins seemed to disappear so suddenly,” she says. Trying to understand the
circumstances behind these losses led her into a fictitious journey. Her novel, Razed, addresses an imaginary heart-breaking rift within a family due to personal and political differences, as well as the cost of questioning those differences.
In addition to Razed, the new emeritus professor’s short stories have been published in literary journals and anthologized. All of her stories focus on questions related to losing and regaining family. “I’m fascinated by people who grow-up in the same home together, yet end up with such different world views and experiences.” While Razed looks at two sisters, loosely based on Thatcher’s mother and aunt, her new novel-inprogress explores the different views between a sister and brother, loosely based upon her own brother and herself, as they come to different conclusions about whether their mother is slipping away into Alzheimer’s disease. “The only place I can change the past is in my fiction,” Thatcher says. In Razed, she succeeds in nudging the sisters toward reconnection, despite their bittersweet reunion. “I’d like to think that this opens the door for the next generation — of both fictionalized characters and real people in my family — to nurture new relationships.
HOW THATCHER GAINS FULFILLMENT AS A WRITER
“Writing has become the process through which I process my thoughts and emotions. I don’t know that I can do it any other way. I have to put pen to paper. I’m compelled to do it. There’s nothing more fulfilling than working through ideas and emotions this way! I also love making up characters. It’s incredibly liberating to create a world where I set the parameters and watch characters encounter the challenges I would like to see resolved.”
“I remember staring at the words crammed onto the page, column after column, headline after headline. So much I didn’t understand. I hunched over the paper like a jeweler.”
– Razed, Thatcher Carter, 2025
"AT SERPENTARIO MARAVILLAS TROPICALES, we visited the conservation and rescue center for wild animals wrongfully purchased as pets, and now in need of help. We saw turtles, a crocodile, caymans, different kinds of birds, many types of snakes, and a sweet Tayra (ferret-like, but bigger). We even got to hold the snakes!
—NAOMI B.
’26
"WE WERE SO LUCKY to see a presentation on the history and development of the Panama Canal by its engineer, Ilya Espino de Marotta, the Canal’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, and her Deputy Administrator. We also learned how the Canal acts as a critical artery for global trade, generating significant revenue for Panama. Ilya also shared the inspiring journey of her career, including what it has been like to be a woman in command in a male-dominated field.”
—ISLA M. ’26
"AFTER A STEEP HIKE down to a gorgeous waterfall, Chorro el Chivo, we were surrounded by a deep natural pool with many smaller waterfalls spilling off of it. A couple of us went swimming under the waterfall, taking turns climbing up its lower ledges and then jumping in! With a little encouragement, most of the chaperones joined us. Meanwhile, the rest of the group explored the ecosystem around the pools, befriending frogs, discovered new plants, and took tons of photos. What a fantastic day!"
—PIPER T. ’26
"WE SET OUT on a hike that ended up being more challenging than we expected — due to the heat and humidity — and also more rewarding. Our Smithsonian guides were Chelina, who has been partnering with the Smithsonian Panama for over 20 years, and a newer guide named Ariana, who enjoyed that we were her first English-speaking group! The diversity of wildlife that we encountered kept everyone energized and excited. One highlight was the howler monkeys (we heard them before we saw them). It was fascinating to watch the babies clinging to their mothers. The whole group just stopped and stared quietly for a while. After that, we learned that seeing them had been on Dr. Bernardo’s bucket list, which made the moment feel even more special.”
—ADDAX B. ’27
"AT A LOCAL FAMILY’S HOME, we learned about all the steps that go into traditional hat weaving. Plant fibers are boiled and dyed to the desired color, then left out in the sun to dry. We learned about the weaving technique–trying it out for ourselves–and were surprised that one hat could take from a month to a month and a half, depending upon the pattern, to finish weaving. At the end of the day, we hung out with the family and were given fresh coconuts and bananas from their trees to enjoy. Highlights from this visit included the family dogs, the coconuts, and making a new friend with the granddaughter of our host!”
—NAOMI B. ’26
"ON OUR LAST NIGHT, we met up with three Walker’s alumnae who currently reside in Panama: Yolanda Eleta de Varela ’81 and Ximena Eleta de Sierra ’83 — the owners of Casa Eleta, the villa we stayed at in El Valle — as well as Alexandra Henriquez de Salceda ’97. Together, we had great conversations about life after Walker’s, swapping stories about campus life and our personal experiences. The current Walker’s students got a great sense of the community and network of individuals waiting for us after we graduate! Yoli and Ximena recounted their time exploring different boarding schools, comparing them to Walker’s, which prompted several of us to share our own journeys. Alexandra shared the story of her academic pursuits after graduation, and how that led to her current work at her family’s company. At the end of the day, Ximena taught us some salsa dance steps, and we spent the evening dancing and laughing with each other!”
—ISLA M. ’26
"I AM SO GRATEFUL for this opportunity to travel to Panama with Walker’s. Spending so much time together made me realize what true close friendship really is. I also learned how important it is to ask questions about anything and everything when the opportunity arises and how to allow myself to experience things to the fullest!”
—KELTY M. ’26
TAKE NOTE
The views shared in our class notes reflect the individual voices of their authors and not that of The Ethel Walker School.
1947
Ruth Cummings Mead shares: “2025 saw two weddings in my family: one wedding Labor Day in Stanley, ID for a granddaughter who lives in San Francisco. The second wedding was November 1 in Manchester, VT. This was Elsie Pryor, who has resigned from the U.S. Army as a Captain and RN after five and a half years. She is now in a nurse practitioner master’s and doctorate program (three years) at UVA Medical School. Her husband is in the Navy Special Forces. My whole immediate family went to the Vermont wedding, then again all came to Hobe Sound, FL for Christmas through New Year’s — all 23 of us! From London to Portland, OR, from Maine to Virginia Beach. I have two great-grandchildren — a girl, Birdie, who is two and a half now, and Henry who is one and half. A sibling for Birdie is arriving this July. I still play tennis once a week. I live in Florida for seven months, October to May, and in Dedham, MA for five months. I am active in the Garden Club of Jupiter and a church lay reader. I have three of my four children living within two miles of my Florida home mid-October to mid-May, like me.”
1953
Susan “Susie” Kleinhans Gilbertson writes: “Chris Yantis Downey is planning a trip here in February. Can’t wait to see her again! Trish Sudler Stimpson and her husband, John, are happy in their Association in CT and go to their place in Lakeville often.
I am enjoying being south for a few months, I have to say. My kids were here for Thanksgiving and Christmas, which I love. Taking courses at the Campus on the Lake at the Four Arts and must have a degree now after about 16 years — many great lectures there as well. Expecting a great-granddaughter in April and one of my granddaughters is getting married in September — all very exciting!”
1954
Glenn Shannon Whipple says: “My husband, Oggie, and I continue to be blessed with good health and fairly good energy for approaching 90! I love living at The Tradition, which is a beautiful retirement community situated on the Trinity River. It’s filled with lovely antiques and I have made many new friends as well as having picked back up with some old ones who live here now. I sing with a group of women who go to other retirement homes and other places for the elderly (hate that word…don’t FEEL elderly!). I still have lunch with a group of friends who have been meeting for over 43 years weekly for lunch!”
1956
Adrianne “A” Massie Hill writes: “Dear friends, somewhere I read that Sigmund Freud did not believe in coincidences. I do! In recent months I have been in touch with Sara Cavanagh Schwartz on account of several articles which I read about horses, but at the same time I was thinking of our other class members who were riders, including Anne Machold Rooks and Peg Peck Blosser The coincidence is that we learned about Peg’s death only this week as I write. Another reason that my thoughts have turned to our riding program is that I have been enjoying, late in the game, I know, the PBS program All Creatures Great and Small, the remembrances of James Herriot, the veterinarian in England. In one of the episodes I was touched by a remark made to him by
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his employer when explaining the practice to young Dr. Herriot. He said, ‘It’s not the animals that are difficult; it’s the people.’ My friendship with animals is very limited: a cat when I was young, and then two cats after we were married, but I do know the joy and solace that animals offer us, which must be unbounded in the lives of riding and ranching classmates. Animals always welcome us and forgive us.
Sara Cavanagh Schwartz wrote a note as follows: ‘I am still the owner and editor of the online newspaper, The Horse of Delaware Valley. Thank heavens for that, as it keeps me busy and still involved with the sport I love. I have a wonderful son who lives with me and does all the shopping and cares for the horses, which I can no longer do. I have a grandson on the Dean’s List in college, so proud of him. We have two beloved dogs, Frank’s German Shepherd and my Doberman, and two beloved cats that keep us entertained with their antics. I don’t have any horses that I own racing now, but one of the last horses that I bred is currently racing as a steeplechaser, owned and trained by a trainer and her daughter who is a jockey, so that’s fun to follow.’ Sara is my go-to friend as I have been enjoying polo matches and horse shows after playing tennis, golf, and lacrosse in my earlier days.
In recent months, I have been in touch with Virginia “Gigi” Pearson Smithers who recently moved from her home in Vero Beach to a retirement community in Redding, CT, where both her son and daughter live. As I know personally how comforting it is to have family nearby, Gigi sounds well-settled. She and her
We love to hear your updates and celebrate your milestones, so please share them with us anytime at alumnae@ethelwalker.org! Just a quick reminder that, due to our publication timeline, the best time to consider items for inclusion in the next issue of the magazine is after the first of the year.
late husband, Kip, had a lovely home in Florida where we visited them many years ago, and more recently saw them when we spent a delightful evening with Gail Sheppard Moloney
As I wrote to you recently Barbara Bidwell Manuel called me to tell me that the previous day Gail had died peacefully at home in Vero Beach. Gail was faithful about visiting her three daughters annually who lived in the far corners of the earth. Melinda "Linen" Miller Greenough included in her note: ‘What I remember the most about Gail was her smile. Her smile involved her whole face and that’s what my mind pictures.’ I agree.
Carol Keeney Munro sent a delightful note: ‘A quick glance of the Munro activities: retired to Naples, FL in 1990 with summers in the Thousand Islands and Christmases in Vermont. Dick and I were married for 64 years and raised three wonderful boys, six super grands, one great-grand (with another due this April!!) busy busy. Cancer took Dick in 2024...I have been busy in the charity world. I think how lucky I am to have graduated from EWS...think of all the special friends I made. Best to all, Keeney.’
Barbara Richards Pitney and I have been in recent correspondence as she had planned to go to our Zoom reunion meeting but couldn’t at the last minute. Barbara lives in Basking Ridge, NJ, and is the owner of an extensive travel agency which continues on well even after COVID. Although we have not seen each other for years, we picked up as if it were yesterday, one of the perks of my ‘job.’
Phoebe Haffner Andrew and I have always been in touch with each other during our years together in Seattle as well as before and after. Two of Phoebe’s sons, Charlie and Matthew, live in the Seattle area, one son, Gaylord, in Coral Gables, FL, and her daughter, Louise, in Sun Valley — each with their own families. Phoebe and I share many very close friends in Seattle.
Missy Turnbull Geddes and I had a good conversation about the finance course that is now offered at School, recently picked up by The Wall Street
Journal. Missy and her husband, Max, live in Oyster Bay, NY.
Linen Miller Greenough lives on a ranch in Sheridan, WY, surrounded by her very large family. And of course, my thoughts about animals included her as she is very skilled not only in riding but in caring for large farm animals. We both continue to have strong ties to our Episcopal churches, she in Sheridan, and I in Atlanta. In Linen’s last email she wrote that she and her daughter are taking a threemonth harmonica class to learn blues, jazz, and country! ‘My hands are too arthritic to play stringed instruments any more, but this will let us play riffs when the great grandkids are jammin’. Such fun.’
Aside from our class, I am in touch with two other schoolmates. Barbara Elliott Eddins ‘54, and I grew up in Rye, went to Rye Country Day School — our brothers were classmates there — then on to Walker’s and to Sweet Briar College. Who would have believed that we both live here at Lenbrook, our retirement community in Atlanta, in the same building! We had lunch together recently and had fun reminiscing about our very similar journeys. Barbara and her late husband, Tom, have lived in Atlanta for a long time.
In addition, one of our closest friends, the late John Shroyer, who was Mal’s roommate before we were married, married Patty Kelsey ‘60. We have enjoyed visits here with Patty and John, especially seeing our two husbands together...like old times in New York. Patty and John moved to Winston-Salem, NC where Patty now lives.
As always, thank you for keeping in touch with me. It’s my great pleasure and lots of fun.”
1957
Jean “Jinny” Tilt Sammis writes: “Sam, my husband, and I are still doing well enjoying living on Lyon Farm in Greenwich. Although we still have a few business interests in Randolph, VT, because of our age and the driving distance, we have not been up there for about two years. We miss it terribly.
Eve Endicott ‘66 at son Oliver’s home for Thanksgiving
Caroline “Docey” Baldwin Lewis ‘67’s grandson, Quentin
Ann Stone Costello ‘68, Susan Nichols Ferriere ‘69, Wendy French Nolan ‘67, and Lee Brookfield Rafferty ‘69
Engagement of Susan “Susie” Kleinhans Gilbertson ‘53’s granddaughter
my paintings. The impact of the enlargements is quite unique. Since all of them were done in watercolor en plein air, the drips and flows in the paint are much more visible in the wall-sized versions. The employees who work there are becoming rather attached to the works in their section, showing how the outdoors has been brought inside to surround them with beauty.”
Virginia “Ginger” Bevis Littleton writes: “Happily entering my 46th year in Colorado Springs. My weeks are filled with volunteering with the animal shelter doing behavior modification with dogs, singing in a small ensemble, going to the gym with a bunch of older folks who still value exercise, rehabbing two new knees and a hip, and playing with my own dogs in agility and nosework. Then there’s ‘grandma time’ and working with kids in foster care as a CASA. My life is full and I know I’m an incredibly privileged white wealthy woman. I try to pass on my riches to others.”
Laurie Cherbonnier Nielsen writes: “Not much to report. My mother at 104 continues, with gusto, to live with us in both Winnetka and Naples. I have one daughter living in San Francisco and another about to move from Delaware to Philadelphia. They are both in their 30s and would love to meet people in their new cities, so if anyone has children or even grandchildren living in either city, please let me know!
I have at last become more than resigned to Naples in the winter — there is lots going on. I have commissioned four portraits of cats by Katy Murphy Ingle, who has a real genius for bringing out their personalities. If anyone comes to Naples or Chicago, I would love to see you — I had a delightful breakfast with Mally Cox-Chapman in Winnetka last year.”
1970
Whitney de Roulet Bullock shares: “Walker’s was well-represented at Lorinda Payson de Roulet ’47’s service.
Gail Chandler Gaston traveled from New York and Kim Conway Coleman flew up from Palm Beach. Betsy Rauch Rainoff ’53 also attended and shared 60 years of memories, from Walker’s to tennis to The Patrina Foundation! Clark and I had a great visit with Ruth Cummings Mead ’47 who knew Mum from before being classmates at EWS!”
Cynthia “Cindy” Emerson says: “My husband, Tom, and I were lucky enough to add several more pins to our travel map this year. In February, we journeyed to Africa with a fourday stopover in Dubai. Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa, grand markets, shopping malls, and evening light shows are truly over-the-top. We traveled to Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls), Botswana (Chobe National Park), South Africa (Pilanesburg National Park, Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and the Cape of Good Hope). It was a great combination of safari time, wineries, mixing with locals, and exploring with friends. In April/May, we embarked on a small Windstar cruise through the Greek and Turkish islands and added on some time in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Staying in a cave hotel and snaking through 'fairy chimneys' in a hot air balloon were some of the highlights.”
Cornelia “Corny” Guest notes: “My big news was that I appeared on the Scrabble TV show on the CW Network on February 29. I’d never been on a game show before, and the pressure was intense — particularly having to buzz in ahead of other competitors. They flew me to London and put me up in a hotel for four days — apparently cheaper than filming in L.A., where the network is based.”
Kathleen McCombe writes: “I enjoyed a cruise to Key West, Belize, and Puerto Costa Maya — beautiful waters and wonderful experiences. Osher Life Long Learning Institute at Furman (OLLI) courses and special interest groups (hand chimes) have kept the neurons firing. I played harp for a Christmas concert at the local senior center.”
Cindy Emerson ‘70's recent travels
Cornelia Guest ‘70 competing on the show Scrabble by the CW Network
Cynthia Anderson Barker ‘72 and her husband, Tim
Gail Chandler Gaston ‘70 and Cynthia Glasgens ‘70 in Sarasota, FL
Lizabeth “Liz” Becton Read writes: “I’m still living in Naples, FL. I still teach fitness at Naples Community Hospital. Pilates is my favorite. I also teach tai chi, balance, and specialty classes for people with disabilities — MS, Parkinson’s, post-stroke, postrehab. I have three dogs with me. My five children all live within an hour of each other in New Jersey. I’m single, but always looking. Lol! I’m proud to say that all of my dance training at Ethel Walker really helped me in my 40+ years of teaching. I also did volunteer ambulance work as an EMT. Thank you, Dials!!! Thank you, Ethel Walker!!”
1972
Cynthia Anderson Barker shares: “What a year! In the world of the nonprofit legal community, everyone is stretched — putting out fires, pushing back against immigration raids, raising funds for families about to lose their housing, visiting children and their parents in ICE detention facilities. I have also been inspired by ordinary citizens just reaching out to their neighbors and doing whatever they can to lend a helping hand. Meanwhile, our lives go on. My husband and I took time off to travel and one journey found us on a sailboat in French Polynesia with just 15 passengers from four different countries. Fortunately, I speak a little French and Spanish so I could communicate. After the trip ended, we invited a mother and her five-year-old son from Spain to stay with us during their visit to Los Angeles. What a joy the little guy was!!!! In other news, our own son, Ethan, got his master’s degree in cybersecurity in 2025 and my husband, Tim, is retired from practicing immigration law, but now pitches in when needed! Sending my best to all our classmates. Hopefully, we will gather again in 2026!!!!”
Karen Brooks writes: “This has been another year of change. At the end of August, I sold the last of my sheep — the physical stress had gotten a bit too
much for the old bones, staying up all night to assist those that needed help lambing, and lugging buckets through deep snow and mud for the new mothers. I’m still not used to looking out at an empty pasture.
In September, I joined 17 other mostly-musicians on three canal boats in Shropshire for a wonderful two weeks of taking turns steering through the narrow canals, locks and bridges, cooking for the six on my boat, mooring alongside nearby villages to play music in the pubs. Many of us had known each other for 40 years or more, but my boat had folks from Australia and New Orleans as well. And what a landscape, dotted with sheep and cows and castles! In November I went to the west coast for a month to spend time with three of my children (and grandchildren) — Portland, Sausalito, and LA, as well as my brother in Santa Barbara. Coming home, I drove to Boston to visit my daughter Liza Burke Bates ’03 where I spent the night with Tori Reeves Spaulding. I wasn’t home long before deciding to drive south with my very elderly dog. Along the way I stopped to see Jill Englund Jensen, Deidra Roach-Quarles, and Joanna Betts Virkler. Wonderful!
Our class is hoping to do another Sisterfest, our biennial gathering which often happens near Myrtle Beach. Keep your eyes out for an email with more info. We may be getting older but never stop having fun!!”
Sarah House Denby says: “Hard to believe it’s been more than 50 years since we ‘walked down the aisle!’ I’m sure I’m not alone with a new hip, new knee, and an ankle repair (I’m bionic!). Also a round of breast cancer — caught early, and just a lumpectomy, so I was very lucky. And now nine grandchildren: with our combined five kids (three for Charley, two for me) there are five boys and four girls ranging from 11 years to one. The latest, born on July 4, 2025: a girl, Liv Jean Farwell, is my son Ted’s younger daughter and lives in Switzerland with her big
Sarah House Denby ‘72 with granddaughters Liv, Bo, and Zeyney
Karen Brooks ’72’s narrowboats trip in 2025
Beryn Frank Harty ’72 and her husband, Rick, in Santa Cruz de la Palma, Spain Atlantic Puffins in Iceland and pink flamingos in Great Inagua, Bahamas from Beryn Frank Harty ‘72’s travels
sister, Bo, who just turned three. My oldest granddaughter, Sarah Zeynep (Zeyney), is six and is in Philadelphia. I recently traveled to Japan, Taipei, and Hong Kong in October 2025, where it was extremely hot the whole trip — 88 to 91 degrees — so pretty miserable. The next trip is Zurich and Seychelles in April 2026. Still playing some tennis, pickleball, and golf and doing volunteer stuff in Rhode Island. I have picked up a new craft: Nantucket basket weaving, which I started in October 2021. I love making these beautiful baskets, especially for gifts. We have been in the same house since June 1997 —nearly 30 years!— and we welcome any visitors to New England.”
Barklie Eliot writes: “I now am a bionic woman with two artificial hips and two intraocular lenses. Other than those additions, life just cruises forward with family, reading, gardening, and friends as my main interests. I also continue to work with Audubon selling native plants and helping to plant and maintain (i.e. weed) demonstration native gardens in public places locally.”
Jane Hadden Geisse says: “I’ve had a busy year with multiple trips to Denver and San Francisco to see daughters and grandchildren. Also to Maine, Montana, and Key West to visit family. My sister greeted me at the KW airport in an inflatable chicken suit. I plan to retaliate in a lobster suit when I go back in March. We are rabid Formula One fans and are planning a trip to watch a race this year.
I still go out to Montana twice a year to trail, gather, wean, and brand cattle. So much fun. And I’m competing in cutting competitions with my mare. It’s a hoot!!
I hope everyone is doing well — age is catching up with us for sure! My motto is I may have to get older but I don’t have to get more mature. I’m sticking with it!!!
Beryn Frank Harty reports: “Lots more traveling for us this past year. In April,
we went birding in the Canary Islands, cruised on Seabourn around the Canaries, followed by stops and tours along the coast of Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, and Monaco. Next, a week on a Viking longboat on the Seine in Paris, followed by WINGS birding trip (with a minor in local French wines, cheeses, breads, and pates) that started in Corsica and ended in Lyon (foodie heaven!). Followed by a stop in NYC (saw Six on Broadway, visited MOMA); then onto Greenland, Iceland (puffins!), and Nova Scotia (saw Bay of Fundy tidal change!). Very late fall brought a road trip along the Gulf of Mexico, starting in Florida and working our way through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana (stopping in New Orleans, of course), and Texas (saw the awful Rio Grande border wall, Starbase, and Space X!). And, yes, we birded, stopped at refuges and museums all along the way. Early December, we spent a few days in Nassau and then flew to Great Inagua, home to Morton Salt, but more importantly home to thousands of pink flamingos!”
Anne Boynton Hilton says: “I’m still working part time at a wool store and anticipate added responsibilities this year. Beyond my few work days, I hang out with my horse and minis, my three labs, and most of the seven grandchildren. Hubby is still working three quarters of the time. Hard to believe that, as of Valentine’s Day, we will have been together 50 years. We love to travel now and then, but we don’t go anywhere remote or exotic. We just escape for a few days and then come back to reality. Hoping all my classmates are happy and healthy and slogging successfully through the challenges of aging.”
Jill Englund Jensen notes: “I have fully retired from teaching and nursing. It hurts to lose that part of my identity but I’ve made up for it by traveling. I decided to spend my kids’ inheritance by taking my two grandsons (10 and 12) to the Galápagos Islands last summer. It was a special experience to introduce them to a different part
Reggie Scruggs ‘72 meets actor/singer David Duchovny before his show at The House of Blues in Houston, September 2025
Gilda Rogers ’72 “clinging to Maurice in Croatia because the height was freaking [her] out!”
Joanna Betts Virkler ’72 with grandson, Noble
Jill Englund Jensen ‘72 with her two grandsons in the the Galápagos Islands
of the world. Even more special was sharing a 110 sq. ft. cabin with two preteen boys. Karen Brooks stopped by on her way to Florida and it was lovely to catch up with her and hear the news of other classmates she had visited.”
Aimee Gilleaudeau Lundy says: “2025 has been a wonderful year for me! I spent two fabulous weeks in Morocco in February. If you have never experienced a Hammam — a Moroccan mud bath — I strongly recommend it! We spent most of our time in Marrakesh and Taghazout. The people were amazing, the food incredible, and I did get to ride a camel. In May, I spent 10 days in the south of France and four days in Paris. Notre Dame had recently reopened and the work they did was amazing. In October, I spent four days in Venice (a city I love), then a week on Crete and four days on Santorini. Again, an incredible trip. In May of 2026, I will get to spend two weeks in Scotland, another country I adore. Currently, this is the only trip on the calendar for 2026. Perhaps it is time for another mini-reunion? Hugs to all!”
Gilda Rogers notes: “I confirmed that I still have my sea legs with my firstever Mediterranean cruise — turns out the hype about the views, history, and food is 100% justified. Barcelona, Venice, and Dubrovnik were my favorite places. International waters are great but I stick to at least one tried-and-true tradition: my annual trip to Baltimore to visit family, where the love is plentiful and the itinerary is non-negotiable.”
Regina Scruggs notes: “Regina ‘Reggie’ Scruggs is still getting used to being 70 years old (she hit the big number on January 11)! Reggie, who has stayed single, has been enjoying celebrating with friends and family. She says her most exciting present was catching up with actor David Duchovny in Houston recently! Reggie never missed an episode of The X-Files in the 1990s, and had been waiting 30 years to get a photo with the star of the cult TV show.”
Joanna Betts Virkler shares: “Life is busy with my little grandson, now five, and my two children with mental illness who live here. I’ve had lots of family visiting this last year (11 other grandchildren, one great great granddaughter), which I enjoy much more than traveling to visit them! And loved Karen Brooks’s visit.”
1978
Victoria Falk Michaelis notes: “My younger son, Drew, married Emma Burr in Stowe, VT on October 18, 2025. It was magical!”
Laura MacIntyre Shaw says: “2025 was a big year for us. In September, we were VIPs at NASA’s launch of IMAP thanks to our daughter Margaret’s senior position on the team. FYI, NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission aims to explore and map the heliosphere, enhancing our understanding of solar and interstellar interactions. It was a thrill to be there, and now all my grandchildren are crazy about rockets and space. Also in September, our ninth grandchild, Otto, was born to our daughter, Emily. Then in November, my efforts as vice-chair of the local Democratic Committee paid off big-time as we swept 52 of the 56 positions on the ballot! In the election, I won the race for Pennsylvania Constable, which is a peace-keeping officer working at the polls and in the courtrooms. I have already been sworn in and will attend basic training in February and firearm training in October. I never thought I would own or be proficient at shooting a handgun. You never know what life is going to throw at you! I especially enjoy keeping up with Katharine Swibold, Maria Hampton Klimczak, Vaune Hatch, and Susan McNeil. Say ‘hi’ if you’re ever in Delaware County, PA.”
Katharine Swibold writes: “I continue to enjoy working at the Horace Mann Nursery Division on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In my spare time, I serve as our class correspondent,
Laura MacIntyre Shaw ’78 with husband, Rich, at NASA’s IMAP launch and with ninth grandchild, Otto
Victoria Falk Michaelis ’78’s son, Andrew, married Emma Burr in Stowe, VT on October 18, 2025
Dar Reimer Barrett ’79 with her family
Deborah Bryant Sonnenschein ’73 receiving the Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas Pro Bono Award alongside her husband, Alex
and as the secretary of the Walker’s Alumnae Board, and enjoy photography and baking. My husband and I took two great road trips last year, to Washington, DC in March and to New Hampshire and Maine last summer, seeing family and friends and enjoying lovely scenery, great art, and delicious food. We attend as many concerts as time and money allow! Jordan, an attorney (litigator), is a sole practitioner and works from home. Our son, Adam Becker, is a 2012 Skidmore alum and lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Robin, and cat, Pepper. He is pursuing a master's in information and library sciences with an interest in historic preservation and archives. He has run two halfmarathons and they travel as much as possible. Our daughter, Hannah Becker, has lived in Barcelona since graduating from Smith College in 2015. She works part time for Bacardi, but mostly, she performs standup comedy in Barcelona’s thriving English language comedy scene and works as the booker for the Comedy Clubhouse. She performs mostly in English, but also in Catalan. She is fluent in Spanish and Catalan and she lives in Corbera de Llobregat with her boyfriend and two cats (so yeah, no grandchildren, but lots of cats!). She does voiceovers, has appeared in commercials, and was recently cast as the lead in an independent film, which we can’t really discuss in detail yet, but they cut her hair short and dyed it blonde. We still love living in Tarrytown, NY, and if anyone is passing through, please let me know. We love to feed people!”
1979
Karen Baldwin says: “My husband Dan and I have been SUPER busy the past two years building a new beach house and a hotel in Charleston at the same time! I do not recommend it! The hotel is CIRCULO in N. Charleston, the Brooklyn of Charleston… definitely for a younger demo!”
Donna “Dar” Reimer Barrett reports: “Life…it’s a lot... but that being said, so many things have come to pass since my Ethel Walker days — all good things, I am happy to report! I have two amazing kids, Amanda and Alex. Amanda, my daughter, has two children — LSW is 11 and VWW is eight — and Alex, my son, has two children — AAS is three-and-a-half and RWS is one-and-a-half. I see all of them on a consistent basis! It does not get better than that.”
Karen Polcer Bdera notes: “I have been active in some wonderful charities this year — my favorite one is Project Linus. They provide handmade blankets to children 0-18 in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. These blankets are all handmade by volunteers, such as me. My crocheting skills have been put to the test this year! I also managed to complete my 25th TCS NYC New York City Marathon, along with another 25 or so weekly races with the New York Road Runners. Not quite ready to hang up the laces yet. I have made lifelong friends along the way, and I will keep on doing it until I can’t. Here is to a better year for all of us!”
Gretchen Dill Levine says: “Marc and I have partially moved to Atlanta, GA to be near our grandsons who are now three and one. My son-in-law here works in sports broadcasting and travels 90 percent of the time during NHL season, so we are doing a lot of babysitting. Working on establishing some kind of routine here that is good for everyone, including me. Our home in Concord is on the market; we plan to switch to a summer beach house, possibly on Cape Cod, maybe Jamestown, RI when it sells. Summer and fall in New England, winter and spring in Atlanta. My horseriding days are mostly over due to osteoporosis and injuries (threat of), but I will be volunteering at Chastain Equestrian Therapy Program soon. I would also like to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Georgia. When I am sitting, I am either reading
Karen Polcer Bdera ’79 just past the 20 mile mark in the 2025 NYC Marathon
Liz Brown Warters ’79 and Dana Carter Lange ’79
Gretchen Dill Levine ’79 with husband, Marc, and her two brothers at Marc’s 65th birthday party
Kathy Wallace Wee ’79 and Arabella WattlesTeal ’79 at a Patti Smith concert together
Susan Knapp Thomas ’80 with Merrill Collins ’81 in Kennebunkport, ME in summer 2025
Eve Agush Costarelli ’82 from the upcoming film Polarity, written and directed by Brahms Guignard at Anawan Studios in Brockton, MA
Corlene “Lynn” Cathcart Rhoades ’82 with Sandy Price ’82, and with her husband, Mike, and son, Chris
Handley Dee
or needlepointing. Have found a smart group of women in Wellesley, MA to chat with while stitching once a week. When not sitting, it is yoga and strength classes at Life Time North Druid Hills here in Atlanta. We are still working on making our Atlanta house a home as empty nesters whose kiddos come to nest frequently. We do love our two German Shorthaired Pointers. We had two 65th birthday parties for my husband, Marc. This one (see photo) is at our home in Concord with my brothers (both went to Deerfield).”
Henrietta Cheng Mei reports: “Our older daughter Kristen got married in 2024 to Connor Bush and is now a Mei-Bush. We are now proud grandparents to Kaia Isabel Mei-Bush. I’m also retired as an architect as of last April but continue with my ‘Mei Mei of Lexington Fine Handcrafted Jewelry’ business.”
Trina Jones Stillwell writes: “My update is that my daughter, Helen Stillwell, gave birth to a little girl on January 10, 2026 in Philadelphia. Her name is Miller Anderson Phinney.”
Arabella Wattles Teal shares: “I went to my first concert with Kathy Wallace Wee (the Kinks, with the thenunknown Cars opening in Springfield). As you can see (in the photo), we’re still doing it 50 years later! Happy 2026!
Elizabeth “Liz” Brown Warters shares: “I saw Dana Carter Lange at a Mahjong program she taught this past fall at the Tides Inn, in Irvington,VA. It was great catching up with her! We had a ball! I plan to see her again in May for another three-day Mahjong event! If anyone is interested in learning, Dana is a wonderful teacher!”
Ashley Smith Washburn shares: “My husband, Jay, and I still divide our time between West Hartford, CT, Groton Long Point, CT, and Tanzania. He finally retired from teaching history at Glastonbury High School but is busier than ever volunteering at Covenant Preparatory
School in Hartford, the Red Cross, and multiple other organizations, including our own foundation. Our four sons are spread across the globe. Our oldest son, Jack, and his wife, Colleen, live in Denver. Our son, Sam, and his partner, Kenz, reside in Portland, OR. Our third son, Ben, and his wife, Fiorina, live in Tirana, Albania. Our youngest son, Nate, lives in Alexandria, VA. I continue my work with the foundation I started in 2009, Asante Sana For Education. Our mission is to empower Tanzanian students and communities through education. Thousands of students from preschool through university, community members, and educators have participated in our programs. I’m incredibly fortunate to spend multiple months each year in Tanzania. My favorite part is leading Cultural Immersion trips to Tanzania and introducing people to our staff, students, and the incredible people and beautiful country of Tanzania. Anyone interested in learning more about our work can visit our Asante Sana For Education YouTube channel and website.”
1980
Susan Knapp Thomas writes: “I’m on the finish line for my Master of Arts in Music Leadership, due to graduate in May of 2026! I’ll be doing an arts management internship over the summer and will receive my diploma in the fall. Brad, our dog Evvie, and I are 6/6 in Stuart, FL, and Bloomfield, CT, right up the hill from EWS. Playing a lot of interclub tennis in the North and South, and remaining as Principal Harpist of Hartford Symphony. We love traveling and took an amazing cruise to the Baltics and Scandinavia last summer. Love hearing from fellow EWSers!”
1981
Betsy Schreier Davis says: “2025 was a big year for my family. My daughter, Meg, got married in June and my son, Grahame, got engaged in August.”
Garrett
’83, Lucinda Atkins Sheffield ’82, Emily Eckelberry Johnson ’82, Diana Aixala ’82, and Whitney Williams Jones ’82 in Lake Forest, IL
Cynthia Dennard notes: “I am a curator-in-training for the Jack Whitten Foundation. Jack Whitten was an American abstract painter and sculptor who, according to the Museum of Modern Art, ‘invented art-making techniques that were the first of their kind.’ In 2016, he was awarded a National Medal of Arts. I am assisting in cataloging his works for storage before renovation begins to turn his studio (an old firehouse) into a museum.”
1982
Eve Agush Costarelli writes: “In 2021, I decided to start a new journey of becoming an actress. I honestly never thought about movies being made in Massachusetts, but one day, a background role in the movie Spirited made its way to my inbox. I was on that set for three weeks in the Castle in Boston and that lit the flame. Since then, my resume has grown. As background, you will definitely see me in the upcoming Apple TV series Widow’s Bay with Mathew Rhys (coming out in April), as I was chosen as an island local, and in the new season of The Walking Dead: Dead City. I am the head ER nurse and you also might see me doing Tai Chi. I made a quick cameo in the new Mark Wahlberg film where I am dancing behind Mark in the stands during a basketball game. This was especially fun, as at the end of the scene, the director came out, stood right in front of me and said ‘You are a VERY good dancer’ and I was like (in my head), ‘Yes, yes I am!’ I have also had the opportunity to be in several indie productions as a principal and most recently, I played therapist Michelle Powers in the soon to be released, Polarity, shot at Anawan Studios in Brockton, MA. Funny, I never did any theatre at Walker’s, but nobody puts Baby in the corner forever! I have emerged! Other than that, I keep myself busy bringing yoga and dance and my love of flamenco to the special needs and youth communities. I love being in touch with my tribe from
Walker’s! Be well, everyone. See you (er…me) on the silver screen ;-)”
Emily Eckelberry Johnson says her “recent visit to Lake Forest turned into a great opportunity for a mini reunion with fellow classmates Lucinda Atkins Sheffield, Whitney Williams Jones, Diana Aixala, and Garrett Handley Dee ‘83. Lots of laughter, great stories, and wonderful shared gratitude for the EWS ageless friendships.”
Whitney Williams Jones says: “My son, Clarke, was married in November 2024 and his twin sister, Caroline, got married in February 2025. Clarke has since blessed us with our first grandchild, a beautiful little girl named Campbell Jones, who was appropriately born at Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago.”
Susie Jensen Rawles notes: “We had a good year. Coco graduated from the University of Edinburgh and has stayed on for a master’s. Louisa is a third-year Kappa at UVA and loves it. Ben and I were able to travel some for work and with friends; we went to Egypt and Jordan despite the political turmoil. Learned Mahjong (so fun!). Still working at the museum. Opened the house and garden for Historic Garden Week with the Garden Club of Virginia (done!). And best yet, caught up with Lee Gowen in New York and Whitney Williams Jones in Lake Forest and Florida.”
Tracey Reifler shares: “Spent an unforgettable week in Sardinia with Leila Howland Wetmore, Whitney Riegel Mooney ‘83, and their families. Filled our days relaxing in the sun, eating incredible food, boating across the Mediterranean, perfecting the Aperol Spritz, and creating memories I’ll cherish forever.”
Corlene “Lynn” Cathcart Rhoades shares: “This was a fun year for me. Sandy Price and I went snowmobiling in Yellowstone in February. Chris, my youngest, graduated from the University of Miami in December.”
Susie Jensen Rawles ’82 with her daughter, Coco, and husband, Ben
Tracey Reifler ‘82, Leila Howland Wetmore ‘82, and Whitney Riegel ‘83 in Sardinia, Italy
Helen Whitehead Salafia ’82 and family
Holly Jackson ’04 with her mother, Priscilla, and her daughters, Florence and Edie
Helen Whitehead Salafia writes: “After a long corporate career, followed by a 15-year stint as an executive coach, I have almost completely retired. Also, in the last year, my husband, Lou, and I sold our business, allowing us to relocate to Park City, UT, where we are in love with the outdoor lifestyle: skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, etc. We still own a condo in Old Town Alexandria, VA, but plan to spend most of our time in PC. We have two married daughters with four kids each, so we are frequently hopping planes to be with our eight grandkids. Since 2022, Lou and I have had a series of surprise health issues (massive heart attack and multiple cancers) to navigate, as well as some family deaths, including the tragic passing of my sister Liz (EWS ’78) in August of a sudden cardiac death. Her loss has left an enormous hole in my heart, but one amazing outcome was the wonderful outreach from many EWS alums. I loved hearing fond memories of her from her classmates and so appreciate their willingness to share. As we move forward, my sincere hope is that 2026 is the beginning of smoother sailing and, as a new retiree, I can reengage with long-lost EWS friends and hopefully make it back to Simsbury for a reunion soon.”
Cynthia Vega says: “During 2025, I took two fabulous trips: one was a river cruise from Zurich to Amsterdam with my father and his wife, my two sisters, Monica Vega de Geraldes ‘83 and Paula Vega ‘89, and my nieces, and another trip to Asia which included Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The trip to Asia was just Monica, Paula, and a cousin with his wife. Great scenery, food, and culture. Dad is inviting Paula and me on another trip this June to Portugal, Spain, and France. We are very lucky that Dad, at 88 and with mobility issues, is still planning and looking forward to traveling. Hope to see you all in the spring of next year (2027) for our 45th (!!!) reunion.”
1983
Monica Vega reports: “Celebrating a collective birthday, five of us from the Class of 1983 (Ximena Eleta de Sierra, Ana Duran, Monica Jiménez, Ana Montana, and me) got together for five days of nonstop fun and catching up in Panama. After a day in the city, we flew to nearby beautiful Pearl Island, where we were spectacularly hosted by Ximena, staying at her beautiful beachside villa. It was an absolutely wonderful time full of laughter and remembrances, all the while creating new memories during gorgeous walks and yacht trips to deserted islands.”
1984
Catherine “Katie” Kenney shares: “After all my years living elsewhere, I’m back where I started in North Canton and in the process of sending my three youngest children through Walker’s! Nellie, the first of this younger ‘litter,’ is now in her first year at Yale after winning the Prize for Scholarship at EWS. Jody is an EWS sophomore who is making the most of the riding program while loving her language classes. Daisy is still at The Cobb School but looking forward to starting at EWS in 7th grade. Our two grownup kids are thriving as well — Edie is a musician in two different bands, who moved from LA to NYC two years ago, which is great for getting more visits. Charlie finished a Ph.D. in math last year and started a finance job in NYC and is marrying his Yale sweetheart! Michael and I continue to be involved in CT Democratic politics and serving on town boards and commissions. We have three horses, two donkeys, 10 sheep, and two livestock guardian dogs on the farm now!”
1987
Tara Harris writes: “With the greatest sorrow, reporting the passing of my father, William L. Wilson, on February 6, 2026.”
Keeley Duran and Isabel Lardner ‘18 climbing Routeburn Track in New Zealand
Emily Casey Talbot ’07 participating in The 251 Club with her husband, Jone
Lena SpringerMedina ’13 married Geovanni Medina on November 9, 2025, surrounded by family and friends, including Emily Kirby, Paige Williams-Menard, Coriene Smith, Ameena Makadoomi, and Jonell Brown.
Joanna Szymanski ‘04’s first publication
2002
Holly Jackson shares: “Hello, alumnae! I’m still living in Manhattan with my husband and two daughters: Florence, who is four, and Edie, who is oneand-a-half. We spent the last week of the summer in Connecticut and Massachusetts where I spent time with Tori Saferin ‘04, Brittany Coons Noble, and my mom and former EWS librarian, Priscilla. She is thrilled to finally be a grandmother and wanted to make sure that I sent in this photo of the four of us.”
2003
Christine Pitcairn writes: “Still horse obsessed! Living in CT with my fiancé, Ryan, providing highly-trained horses and other various animals for TV and film.”
Joanna Szymanski reports: “I published my first book called In Between Cuddles, a creative postpartum journal. Included are mindfulness techniques, a safety plan, prompts with space for writing and drawing, affirmations and non-denominational prayer in the back. I was inspired to help others through my own struggles and work as a therapist. Currently available on Amazon.”
2004
Kristen Lashnits McGowen shares: “In October 2025, Joe and I welcomed our second son, named Eli John McGowan. We’re settling into life as a family of four in Fairfield County, CT.”
2007
Emily Casey Talbot writes: “Hi EWS. My husband, Jone, and I moved to Colchester, VT and are loving lake life. Upon arrival, I joined a club of people whose goal it is to visit all 251(ish) towns in Vermont. We have officially visited 12 (meaning we got a photo with the town sign) and
counting. For 2026, I am inviting folks over for dinner every Monday night, so if you’re in the Burlington area let me know — I’d love to have you over!”
2013
Lena Springer-Medina married Geovanni Medina on November 9, 2025 surrounded by family and friends. Walker’s friends who attended were Emily Kirby, Paige Williams-Menard, Coriene Smith, Ameena Makadoomi, and Jonell Brown
2018
Caroline Strapp writes about her classmates: “As our school song predicted, the members of the Class of 2018 have scattered far from our Walker’s bubble. In the last three years, my connection to Walker’s has grown through my work with the Alumnae Board, and I’ve met so many amazing alums across generations who have inspired me personally and professionally to connect with as many of you as possible. So, I’ve done my best to collect updates from as many of my classmates as I could, and am sharing them here in hopes that maybe even more of us can connect throughout this year.
A few of our classmates have racked up some serious passport stamps as they traverse the globe, starting with a person familiar to some of our current Walker’s students. You might be able to catch a glimpse of her on the field hockey turf when she returns for coaching appearances and the annual alumnae game, but Keeley Duran is an avid adventurer. She loves to explore the amazing wilderness around New England and New York, and this past year, her adventures reached new heights as she backpacked through New Zealand. She told me about completing the Kepler Track pass as a solo traveler hiking from camping hut to hut and getting caught in some horrendous wind and weather. As a person who once booked her flights
Strapp ‘18 and Leslie Morales‘18 catching up in NYC
Isabel Lardner ‘18 working aboard an SEA ship somewhere between New Zealand and Tahiti
2018 classmates Mia Farnella, Laurel Gaddis, Holly Paul, Calista Duggan, Eliza Wetmore, Rachel Crampton, and India Awe celebrating Halloween in NYC
Caroline
Keeley Duran ‘18, Caroline Strapp ‘18, and Jillian Jones ‘19 (not pictured) skied together to celebrate the 2026 New Year
backwards and therefore never even started her solo traveling journey, this absolutely blew my mind. Keeley loves to take her camera with her on these adventures, which means there are equally amazing photos to accompany her wild stories.
While on this trip, Keeley crossed paths with friend and classmate Isabel Lardner. Since graduation, Isabel has had the opportunity to work with the Sea Education Association (SEA) aboard their sailboats as they sail the Pacific Ocean. In her role as Assistant Scientist and Marine Technician, Isabel collects oceanographic and biological data for climate research. She also teaches gap year and college study abroad students about the ocean, environmental research, and life at sea. This year, she’s taking a break from the tropics: you’ll find her on the east coast working as a Clinical Research Coordinator in Boston. The adventurous spirit is also alive and well with Lilah Kelly, who moved to San Francisco. Lilah is making her way, one by one, through the California National Parks. In one of her more recent trips, she visited Joshua Tree and climbed Skull Rock with friends.
Not too far up the coast from Lilah, Marion Carr is completing her Ph.D. in economics at the University of California Berkeley and surfing in her free time.
Also earning some serious frequent flyer points is professional soccer player Veronica Garcia. Veronica spent time abroad in Croatia playing for the European women’s soccer team, ZNK Osijek, and traveling back to the U.S. to see family and play for the Puerto Rican National Team in the World Cup Qualifiers. Stay tuned to see where the next soccer season takes her!
Also across the pond is Rachel Crampton. Rachel, who came to Walker’s for just a short time during our senior year as a gap student, now works for the British government. She reconnected with many of her close friends from our class this past year when she spent six months in New York City for work with the U.N.
Actually, the Class of 2018 has quite a presence in the city that never sleeps — from those I’ve reconnected with, there are at least nine of us in the area. Of these classmates, Eliza Wetmore has championed the effort to bring the spirit of Walker’s to the city. Eliza lives and works in the city at the consulting firm AlphaSights, and if you live in the NYC area, I’m sure she has popped into your email a few times. In her free time, Eliza has worked to create opportunities for alumnae engagement in the city, hosting and developing a variety of events over the last few years. PSA: If you’re not getting her emails and want to join an NYC event, please reach out to me or to the Alumnae Board to help you join us!
I recently moved to the city in April 2025 to work in communications at an all-girls’ school, The Chapin School, and have loved connecting with Walker’s alums in the area, soaking up culture at shows, museums, and restaurants, and crafting.
Holly Paul has lived in the city for a few years now and is in her first year of law school at Cardozo and living with her boyfriend, Max — you might remember him from his prom appearances!
Mia Farnella has made Brooklyn her home, where she works in the restaurant industry.
Calista Duggan is here as well, working as a senior associate at Cohen & Steers. She recently ran her second world major marathon (the first was in Chicago and second in NYC) where lots of Walker’s friends gathered to cheer her on.
Elsewhere in the city, Juwel Williams is saving the world one patient and small child at a time through her work as an ER nurse and early childhood educator. When not dedicating time to helping others, Juwel is dancing again and working on her fitness, with weightlifting as a favorite and calisthenics up next.
You will also catch Leslie Morales in a New York City gym. Leslie is helping to improve AI prompts to better extract patient information as part of her work with CVS Health.
Class of 2018 friends
Sofia Lomba, Louisa Gillett, Caroline Strapp, Maddie Ross celebrating Louisa’s birthday in CT
Louisa Gillett ‘18 at her Trinity College graduation
Rachel Crampton ‘18, India Awe ‘18, Laurel Gaddis ‘18, Holly Paul ‘18, Eliza Wetmore ‘18, Calista Duggan ‘18, and Daniela Ramirez ‘19 celebrating Calista’s second marathon in NYC.
Isabella Manganello ‘19, Caroline Strapp ‘18, and Annie Sherbacow ‘19 in NYC while Isabella visited from the West Coast
A little further inland, Addie Friedlander works in Kansas as Executive Officer at a tank company. Her favorite part of the job is improving system maintenance — tanks, she says, are essentially 70ton, extremely complicated puzzles. Next she will head to Arizona for nine months of military intelligence training.
Back on the east coast, Ellery Finn is living in Baltimore, MD. She is a third grade teacher and the person to call for seafood recommendations in the city. Crab cakes, seafood boil, and crab dip are at the top of her list!
A few miles west, Maggie Ashley lives in the suburbs of DC with her new husband. Maggie met Lucas Whalen (an AOF alum ’17) almost 10 years ago as students, and they are both Virginia Tech alums as well. They married on the shore of Lake Tahoe on a beautiful, sunny day.
Closer to our Walker’s bubble, Maddie Ross also teaches at the elementary level as Lead Teacher in a Lower Elementary classroom at Cobb School Montessori. Maddie’s classroom is full of creativity and curiosity. Her work as a Montessori teacher and with the Walker's Horizons program coalesced when she spoke at the Horizons National Conference about how Montessori pedagogy can be a tool for boosting student engagement in the Horizons summer program.
Sofia Lomba also works in the education space running a before-
and after-school program for children in Farmington, CT, coordinating programming, staff, and event planning. Sofia channels her artistic passion through her talent as a tattoo artist, which she aims to make her full-time work.
Down the road, Louisa Gillett graduated from Trinity College this past year and joined the Trinity staff! She will help future Trinity students achieve their college dreams through her work in their financial aid department.
Encouraging students to reach their full potential is quite the theme with our class, as Esi Obeng also works as a biology teacher at The Taft School and Garet Wierdsma as a dance teacher in the Greater Hartford area. Garet also continues her work as creator and director of her dance company, Garet&Co. She and the company are entering their sixth season in 2026, and I encourage anyone near Connecticut to attend a show. Her work is truly stunning. Garet also got engaged this year, and, I don’t know about you, but I am dying to see their first dance.
There are many more stories unfolding in the lives of my classmates, who continue to inspire me. For those of you who have wandered far, I hope to reach you in the coming year and hear about life after Walker’s! To the Class of 2018 and all Walker’s alumnae, Nullas Horas Nisi Aureas
BECOME A CLASS CORRESPONDENT
The following classes do not have Class Correspondents! Help us keep in touch with your classmates by sharing updates, milestones, and news from your class community. Your voice helps ensure everyone stays connected and celebrated.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact Director of Alumnae Relations Melissa B. Regan P’13 at mregan@ethelwalker.org.
Keeley Duran ‘18 hiking in New Zealand
Lilah Kelly ‘18 climbing Skull Rock in Joshua Tree National Park
Maggie Ashley ‘18 and Lucas Whalen newly wed at Lake Tahoe!
IN MEMORIAM
Alumnae of The Ethel Walker School
Karen Bisgard Alexander, Class of 1954
Beverly Vander Poel Banker, Class of 1960
Former Trustee; Daughter of Beverly Sartorius Vander Poel ’37*, P’60*, ’65, ’68, GP’82; Sister of Linda Vander Poel Duryea ’65 and Susan Vander Poel Barrett ’68; Mother of Billings Day Cay ’82; Niece of Wendy Vander Poel Russell ’37*, P’58*, ’60; Cousin of Wendell Miller Steavenson ’58* and Gretchen Miller Elkus ’60
Pamela Brewster, Class of 1974
Sheila Randolph Canby, Class of 1966
Margaret Peck Blosser, Class of 1956
Lorinda Payson de Roulet, Class of 1947
Former Trustee; Mother of Whitney de Roulet Bullock ’70; Sister of Payne Payson Middleton ’45*; Cousin of Sandra Butler Heise ’67
Mollie Stark Eckelberry, Class of 1948
Mother of Emily Eckelberry Johnson ’82
Dorothy Fox Elicker, Class of 1951
Sister of Millicent Fox Mailliard ’46*, P’76 and Josephine Fox Reed ’50*; Aunt of Julia Mailliard Nelson ’76
Michelle Myers Florence, Class of 1950
Adelaide Van Deventer Gibson, Class of 1954
Mother of Laura Gibson Adams ’89
Swan McLean Grant, Class of 1939
Mother of Elizabeth Grant ’71; Sister-in-Law of Elizabeth Grant Lasell ’32, P’62*; Aunt of Elizabeth Hite Cousineau ’62
Augusta Morrison Harrison, Class of 1993
Mother of Charlie Harrison ’26; Cousin of Susan Holmes ’80 and Elisabeth Holmes McKean ’83
Heidi Patten Helms, Class of 1974
Jacqueline Heyman, Class of 1978
Sister of Jo-Anne Heyman Warrilow ’77
Patricia McClintock Hilton, Class of 1958
Margaret Cole Jennings, Class of 1942
Jocelyn Allan Linke, Class of 1948
Jeanne Crawley Macero, Class of 1947
Mother of Suzanne Macero Lightbourn ’78
Winnie Crane Mackey, Class of 1953
Pamela Hall Mahony, Class of 1967
Daughter of Shirley Noyes Lathrop ’37, P’62, ’64, ’67*; Sister of Sara Hall Fargo ’62 and Deborah Hall Coburn ’64; Niece of Nancy Noyes King ’34*, P’57; Cousin of Nancy King Howe ’57
Mary Ann Shoenberg Margaretten, Class of 1960
Sister of Nancy Shoenberg Sanders ’63
Anne Austin Mazlish, Class of 1951
Stella Moore McClintock, Class of 1953
Aunt of Lisa Moore Henzelman ’77
Gail Sheppard Moloney, Class of 1956
Former Trustee; Sister of Former Trustee Lynn Sheppard Manger ’59; Sister-in-Law of Barbara Bidwell Manuel ’56
Caroline Adams Muller, Class of 1967
Daughter of Marjorie McPherson Adams ’32*, P’67*; Sisterin-Law of Jan Muller Finn ’69; Niece of Harriet McPherson Farley ’34*
Lorna Sargeant Pfaelzer, Class of 1956
Sister of Polly Sargeant Flobeck ’53*; Grandmother of Lindsay Briggs ’20
Alden Calmer Read, Class of 1948
Jeanne Ballentine Riegel, Class of 1953
Mother of Whitney Riegel ’83
Frederica Schaefer, Class of 1945
Nancy Lawrence Schuller, Class of 1942
Wendell Miller Steavenson, Class of 1958
Daughter of Wendy Vander Poel Russell ’37*, P’58*, ’60; Sister of Gretchen Miller Elkus ’60; Niece of Beverly Sartorius Vander Poel ’37*, P’60*, ’65, ’68, GP’82; Cousin of Former Trustee Beverly Vander Poel Banker ’60*, Linda Vander Poel Duryea ’65, Susan Vander Poel Barrett ’68, and Billings Day Cay ’82
Patricia Day Storm, Class of 1957
Sister of Dinah Day ’62*
Virginia Backus Vanocur, Class of 1954
Niece of Barbara Backus Jewett ’31*, Dorothy Backus Lunken ’38*, and Virginia Backus Caulkins ’40*, P’81; Cousin of Trustee Shelley Marks ’81
Clover Morrissett Weller, Class of 1953
Barbara Heimbach Webber, Class of 1978
Elizabeth Whitehead, Class of 1977
Sister of Patricia Whitehead-Mobley ’73, Julia Whitehead ’74, Katherine Whitehead Getty ’75, and Helen Whitehead Salafia ’82
Elaine Johnson Wold, Class of 1946
Cousin of Sheila Johnson Brutsch ’52
Alumnae, friends, and family deceased as known to us between April 1, 2025 and April 6, 2026.
*Predeceased
IN SYMPATHY
Friends and Relatives of The Ethel Walker School Community
Ian Traquair Ball
Father of Christina Ball ’05
Paul J. Boyne, Sr.
Grandfather of Alexis Stephan Westcott ’10 and Ashleigh Stephan Wells ’11
Peter Brainard, Sr.
Brother of Anne Brainard Schmitt ’64; Grandfather of Tenley Brainard ’14
Yolande Casey
Grandmother of Riley Bel Bruno ’18
Christopher S. Cassimus
Husband of Former Trustee Lindsay Flynn ’05; Son-in-law of Former Trustee Patrick Flynn P’05
Barbara Cooney
Grandmother of Brianna Carillo Eckert ’09
Fidel DelRosario
Former Staff Member
Robert DuHaime
Grandfather of Emily Mainolfi ’12
Barbara Edwards
Mother of Catherine Beach ’92
Dane Johnson Endler
Nephew of Trustee Sarah Johnson ’78, P’10; Cousin of Annie Lufkin ’10
Josefina Fuentes
Grandmother of Assistant Head of School
Elisa Del Valle
John Gardner
Father of Lisa Dery-Gardner Dower ’91
Roger Gibbons
Brother of Christine Gibbons Roberts ’78 and Vera Gibbons ’85
Susan Gillett
Mother of Carol Gillett Lamond ’87
Marshall Hildebrand
Son of Henrietta Clement Hildebrand ’65; Grandson of Illa Larkin Clement ’37*
William Demarest Johnson
Brother of Trustee Sarah Johnson ’78, P’10; Uncle of Annie Lufkin ’10
Susanna A. Jones
Former Head of School
Thomas Mack
Grandfather of Isla MacPherson ’26
Geraldine Paul
Grandmother of Georgia Paul ’16 and Holly Paul ’18; Mother-in-law of Staff Member Amy Paul P’16, ’18
Lydia Alexandra Romanik
Grandmother of Grace Romanik ’18
Pauline Saucier
Grandmother of Hannah Theriault ’20
Thomas Schneider
Former Staff Member
Helen Sconzo
Former Staff Member
David Scribner, Jr.
Husband of Cheryl Clark Chalmers ’63
Dorothy Silverherz Rosenberg
Former Faculty Member
Catherine W. Skinner
Mother of Thalassa Skinner ’82
Elenor Coburn Smith
Mother of Former Trustee Elizabeth Smith van Gemeren ’77 and Ashley Smith Washburn ’79; Grandmother of Elizabeth van Gemeren ’07 and Elenor van Gemeren ’09
Elizabeth Ann Getzoff Smith
Mother of Nancy Smith Klos ’77
Worthington LeHuray Smith
Father of Nancy Smith Klos ’77
Francis Smithers
Husband of Virginia Pearson Smithers ’56, P’81; Father of Sabrina Smithers DiMiceli ’81
Gladys Thacher
Grandmother of Adrienne Thacher ’04 and Eleanor Thacher ’12
Henry E. Thor
Husband of Judith Moser ’62; Brother-in-law of Abby Moser ’60*
Parker A. Towle
Grandfather of Jessica Towle ’08
Glenn White
Grandfather of Alexa Watson ’31
Pamela D. Wilson
Grandmother of staff member Allison Harris ’13; Mother of former faculty member Lee-Ann Harris P’13
William Lewis Wilson
Father of Tara Harris ’87
