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The 1990s
1990
Suzanne Kane has three adopted daughters, one graduating from the University of Pittsburgh and two still in high school. See a family photo here.
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Mrs. Tessa Donohoe Fontaine
1991
Willow Older lives in Mill Valley, Calif., just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. She and husband are the proud parents of two fine young men, and their whole family loves their regular visits with Liz Bohn Scharf and Jonathan Lauri '90, Ethan, and Eric Scharf '23, as well as dear other UVM friends. Willow runs her own editorial services business and is the co-founder of a creative mindfulness practice called Today I Noticed—a three-word prompt that helps us slow down and tune in to life’s little moments. She’s also the co-author/co-illustrator of "Today I Noticed: A Little Book of Mindfulness that Will Change the Way You See the World." Although the pandemic interrupted her annual visits to Vermont, Willow hopes to visit friends and family in the Green Mountain State in 2026! Hilary Albertson Wharton and husband John Wharton '92 are living in Bethesda, Md. and are enjoying becoming empty nesters. Hilary is a private Orton-Gillingham instructor and runs her own tutoring and consulting business and John works in commerical real estate in the DMV. They connect often with Michelle Carey Clark, Christine McGuinness Carnicelli, Michael Carnicelli, Terri Haggerty Janki, Emily Gradess Hartman, Hank Beresin, and Jason Solomon.
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Mrs. Karen Heller Lightman
1993
Lisa Bernardini '91 shared travel news from her sister Amy Bernardini, who had spent a week in Oaxaca in Mexico celebrating Dia de Los Muertos in October 2025.
As an anthropology major, Ronald Hirschberg M.D. ’02 had a strong interest in culture. The medical field gave him the opportunity to further that interest. He has worked at Home Base Veteran and Family Care in Boston (through Mass General Hospital), where he focuses on invisible wounds within military culture. During a March 2025 trip to Ukraine, he met a soldier named Sasha, who had been a ballet dancer prior to signing up for the army. "I am in final stages of a documentary short on his story, and invisible wounds that come from modern warfare, specifically drones.” See Ron’s photo here. Learn more at deermountainpictures.com.
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Ms. Gretchen Haffermehl Brainard
1994
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Mrs. Cynthia Bohlin Abbott
1995
Wade M. Johnson completed teaching a fall semester course titled Issues in Contemporary Policing at Saint Michael’s College in December 2025.
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Ms. Valeri Susan Pappas
1996
Raphael “G’Raph” Groten shared the lovely news of the release of Shine - Leo and the Goat, an album he and his son Oliver Reckford-Groten '21 have released digitally. It's available on Bandcamp and other streaming platforms. See the album image here. Sarah Terry Johnson was elected as vice president of the Vermont Genealogy Library.
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Ms. Jill Cohen Gent
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Mrs. Michelle Richards Peters
1997
Hank Galbreath writes that he "was privileged to be assigned to UVM AROTC and enroll in the MPA program while on faculty. My wife Ann and I are retired and spend our time in Ft. Collins and Breckenridge. We hold many great memories of meeting many wonderful Vermonters during our years spent in the Green Mountains.” See Hank’s photo here.
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Mrs. Elizabeth Carstensen Genung
1998
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Mr. Benjamin Eldridge Stockman
1999
With the support of family and friends and eight months of training Jeremy Burton completed the Leadville trail 100-mile ultramarathon in 28 hours. He and his family proudly call Leadville, Colo. home. See photos from the event here. Eric Olson M.D. '99, a pulmonary critical care doctor at Wake Med Hospitals in Raleigh, NC, he went on an October 2025 medical mission to Ukraine through the Global Care Force Program. He says he had an incredible experience and helped in Ukrainian villages that have suffered. He plans on going again in September of 2026. Audra LeBlanc let us know that Keisha Kohler Beasley passed away peacefully in her home in Norman, Okla. in January 2025, from ovarian cancer at the age of 47. Keisha is survived by her husband, 18-year-old-daughter, and 15-year-old son. She earned her B.A. in Environmental Chemistry from UVM, where she cherished her adventurous friends and field hockey team. Audra writes, "Keisha and I met at UVM and were roommates all four years. Words really can't describe how much she meant me or how much I will miss her. She was my best friend and meeting her at UVM changed my life."
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Mrs. Sarah Pitlak Tiber