Fall 2011 - Wheelock College

I think she takes after me! Josh, now in ninth grade,
hopes for more solos in chorus and a reasonable
homework load to allow for participation on the
squash and baseball teams as well as in the school
play. Subaru of America has been good to Charlie
and vice versa. I’m looking forward to seeing you
at our next gathering!
1985
Linda Edwards Beal
“New adventures daily . . . new lessons to be
learned at every turn” is how Nancy Olson
Disharoon described her work in May as she
was completing her second year as principal in a
public middle school. “My husband of 26 years,
Ben, continues to be my main supporter!” Her
younger child, El, was graduating from high
school at the time, and her 21-year-old daughter
was finishing her second year of college.
1986
The Alumni Relations Office is looking for a new
class scribe to—at Wheelock’s expense and with
help from the College—gather news from classmates
once a year for the Wheelock Magazine and
the Class Notes that Wheelock updates on the website
a couple of times a year. If anyone is interested
in taking that on, please contact Lori Ann Saslav in
the Alumni Relations Office at (617) 879-2123 or
lsaslav@wheelock.edu. Thanks!
1987
Kathleen Hurley DeVarennes
reunion 2012
June 1–3
1991
Congratulations to Gretchen Carney and Ed Geary
Jr., who are engaged to be married next March 17
at the Daniel Webster Estate in Marshfield, MA.
They have been together for more than 12 years!
Gretchen mentioned that she passes by Wheelock’s
Hawes Street location—opened in 2003 but still
“new” for her—daily.
1992
reunion 2012
June 1–3
1993
Robin Weissman Heard ’93/’94MS was originally
afraid she’d have to describe herself in this
batch of Class Notes as “moved and lonely,” but
she was back in touch with Wheelock in August
to say she had “a new perspective on [her] life”
since a wonderful New England vacation she’d
taken in July. Previously in Merritt Island, FL,
she is now settling nicely into her new home in
Jennifer Clark Leach ’96 and Rachelle Basich Doring
’95 at Jen’s lakefront summer home last summer
rural Summerville, SC, “a lovely historic village
settled by wintering Northerners.” (Her husband
took a job with Boeing in South Carolina.) They
are about 30 minutes northwest of Charleston.
Since her 10- and 13-year-olds started school,
she has joined the Y to participate in Zumba, has
met some wonderful neighbors, and has started
a new skin care business, Beauty Society Inc.
In addition to her Wheelock professors, Robin
fondly remembers Maria Mazzarella, Carri
LaCroix Pan ’94/’98MS, and Tanya Montas
Paris ’93/’96MS. Robin visited Wheelock in
early July and got tours of both campuses. She
writes: “I was flooded with great memories of
my college experience and life in Boston. It was
amazing to see how much the buildings had
changed, though I know the spirit of the school
remains. My heart is still there, and I’m wearing
all my gifted advertising proudly! I hope to visit
again, possibly to attend my next Reunion.”
1994
Megan De Witt, husband Anthony, and their
daughters (Abby, 3, and Ella, 8 months) are
relocating from New Jersey back to the Boston
area this year. Megan is a licensed clinical social
worker with a private practice in both New Jersey
and New York City and plans to obtain her
Massachusetts license and continue to practice
independently.
1995
Rachelle Basich Doring is still living in
Patterson, NY; has been married to Billy since
1997; and has two boys, 7 and 11. The past
few years she has been home with her boys a lot
but also has cared for another baby, has done
some substitute teaching in her district, and has
worked at her second career—photography. She
invites classmates to check out some of the work
she’s done (weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, etc.)
with her boss at www.glenncuddihyphotography.
com. Rachelle has enjoyed reconnecting with
several old ’95 and ’96 Wheelock friends through
Facebook and was especially glad that she and
her kids were able to get together with Jennifer
Clark Leach ’96 and her kids early this past
Class NOTes
summer at Jen’s lovely lakefront summer home.
As schedules allow, she’d love to spend time with
other Wheelock friends.
reunion 2012
June 1–3
1997
Leigh Barnes received a master’s degree in
Educational Administration from the University
of New England in June and would like to
become a school librarian supervisor/director. In
the spring, Jenny Fogel Miller was chosen to
receive the Social Worker of the Year in Aging
Award for 2011 given by the Rhode Island chapter
of the National Association of Social Workers.
This award is given annually to social workers
who have made major contributions to the field
of aging and have made a significant difference
to seniors in Rhode Island.
1999
Staci Ruben married Rich Federman on June 18
and they went to Greece for their honeymoon.
2000
Sara McGarry recently bought her first house with
her longtime boyfriend.
2002
reunion 2012
June 1–3
2003
Amy Mitchell was married to Joseph Lauro in
the Grand Cayman Islands on April 21, and now
they live in their new home in Hudson, NH.
“Surrounded by our closest family and friends,
we celebrated this new chapter in our lives with
a Caribbean flair,” Amy writes. She continues to
teach mathematics in Lowell, MA.
2004
Jennifer Thurston Carey ’04/’05MS and her
husband welcomed a healthy baby girl, Samantha
Marie Carey, on Jan. 8.
2007
reunion 2012
June 1–3
Daniel Joseph Gonzalez recently founded Color
Continuum, a nonprofit media and arts company.
“Color Continuum’s mission is to support individual
and community arts for the LGBT community
throughout North Carolina and beyond,” he writes.
“By supporting and creating new art including but
not limited to photography, film, theater, television,
print, etc., Color Continuum promotes equality
and advocates for the LGBT community. Website
to come soon.”
Wheelock Magazine 51