Hello 99s! Summer is upon us, and we now have less than a year to go before we return to Hanover for our 10th-year reunion! Some of us have already gotten into the reunion spirit and there is lots of news to share.
Michelle and Ben Sweetser write that Jeffrey Fine organised a 30th birthday mini-reunion in Chicago on April 27, where "we all enjoyed some wonderful birthday cake together but missed the opportunity to try Landis Fryer's submission to Uncommon Ground's drink menu, affectionately known as ‘Landis' Love Juice.' Landis is currently working for College Coach, offering advice to high school students and programming for Fortune 500 companies to assist employees through academic challenges their children might encounter. Kallie Willets also stopped by for what will likely be her last mini-reunion in Chicago. Kallie is completing her post-doc in chemistry at Northwestern and is moving to Austin, Texas, to take up a faculty position at the University of Texas this fall. Chloe Rowe is also leaving Chicago soon. Having completed her residency in paediatrics at Children's Memorial Hospital, Chloe is moving to New York to take a new role there. Juan Bell and his wife, Brandi Kenner-Bell '98, were also at the mini-reunion. Juan is studying at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and Brandi is completing a fellowship in paediatric dermatology at Northwestern."
Another group of '99s got together to celebrate 30th birthdays in Boston on April 28. Sara Zrike writes that the reunion "was held at Jose McIntyre's in Fanueil Hall and there were about 20 '99s there. We had drinks and appetizers, caught up on old times and had cupcakes." Everyone had a great time and hoped to come together for mini-reunions more often. Those in attendance included Sara, Jeff and Holly Smith Munsie and John Muckle. Holly writes that Sarah Kelmenson-Chau and Derek Chau came with the great news that they are expecting, and that Sarah was due in a month's time. Holly also recalled a recent visit to Seattle, where she got a chance to catch up with Sarah Delaney. Holly writes: "Sarah showed me all around her hometown, which was lots of fun. She has a great apartment with a good view of the Space Needle"!
In other news, Chris Nybo has had quite a story to share. On April 17 Chris was elected, by the narrowest of margins, to serve on the city council in Elmhurst, Illinois. Reflecting on his win, Chris offers the following sage advice: "The next time you think that one vote might not matter, please remember this election. We won last night by 35 votes." If that wasn't enough of a surprise, his wife, Faye, went into labor just after the victory party and the Nybos welcomed a second child, Olivia Marie, into their family. Congratulations, Chris and Faye!
Finally, Matthew Clendenny writes that he proposed to his girlfriend Clare Morgan while visiting her family in Sydney, Australia, during the Christmas holiday. He writes, "We first met five years earlier when she was in New York City on business. We became far-flung correspondents and friends and started dating two years later when Clare moved from Sydney to New York to pursue a master's at Columbia University." The happy couple will get married in December in Sydney. In the meantime they are in New York, where Clare and Matthew work in consulting and finance, respectively.
That's all the news for now! Be on the lookout for more reunion news soon and make the most of the warm summer weather!
Tony Perry
tony.perry.99@alum.dartmouth.org