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alumni class notesRunning for Joe—an inspirationRunning for Joe … it’s what powered Dan Vogelthrough his sixth marathon, one of the mostgrueling in the country—the Equinox coursearound the University of Alaska campus in Fairbanks.Through 4,000 feet of elevation changeon wooded ski trails and up and down a steepgravel road with potholes and loose shale, Vogelran. It was a on a covered root only two milesinto the race where he rolled his ankle, but keptrunning through the pain, the inspiration of Joemoving him on.Joe was Joe Vogel, Dan’s cousin who diedlast summer after a two-year battle with cancer.“Why am I doing this?” Dan wrote in the blogthat followed Joe’s last year. “Because I BE-LIEVE. Joe’s ability to never take life for grantedand make the most out of every day is what inspiresme as I train and prepare for this race.”Dan Vogel graduated from Augsburg in2005. He ran cross country and track and majoredin marketing.Severalquick experiencesin thebusiness worldtaught him,though, thatsales and marketing—evenwhenhis team earnedrecord-breakingDan Vogel ’05 honors his cousin Joeat www.runningforjoe.weebly.comrevenues—werenot for him.“I learned quickly after being hired byAugsburg cross country and track coach DennisBarker that I work much better with peoplein person,” Vogel says. “My friends and familyrecognized that I had a passion for helpingpeople improve their lives, whether in athletics,school, or life in general.” And Joe’s storyon CaringBridge made him realize that“there’s much more to life than working a boringjob and earning money.”So, as he says, he left his formal attire andskyscraper cubicle and found a perfect fit withthe AmeriCorps VISTA program in Fairbanks atan at-risk youth drop-in center. There he hostsa radio show with his youth clients as guestDJs who also tell their stories, and he startedmusic lessons with donated instruments.“At the same time,” Vogel says, “my heartis still in Minnesota with my friends and family.”I can’t wait to pick up where I left offback home and look for a similar job helpingat-risk youth in Minneapolis.”Running for Joe was indeed powerfulenough to get Vogel through the Equinoxmarathon, injured and exhausted and into25th place out of 370 runners. “Had I not ruinedmy ankle,” he says, “I was shooting for atop-10 finish under 3:30:00.” Although hehas a personal best of 2:49:47 for a roadmarathon, he’ll look for that same goal in thenext trail marathon he runs for Joe.BETSEY NORGARDJesenia Morales ’08 MBA is a06coach, strategist, accountant,and educator who founded a company,Jesenia Morales LLC, to workwith women in small start-ups. Shealso teaches non-traditional studentsas an adjunct faculty memberin the business department at NationalAmerican University.Andrea (Slack) and Clint07Hodgdon ’04, announce thebirth of their daughter, ElizabethIdelle, born May 24. They live inSavage, Minn.Anna Dybdahl, who formerly09sang under her stage name,Arianna, recently released a newsingle, “Fields of Gold,” on iTunes.Go to www.annadybdahl.com.Bethany Hellerich received a Fulbrightaward as an English TeachingAssistant in Indonesia.Nou Chang received a Fulbright10award as an English TeachingAssistant in Malaysia this year.Naomi Muellner joined Portfolio RecoveryAssociates in Norfolk, Va., inJuly as vice president, BankruptcyServices.Graduate ProgramsJody Giza ’04 PA joined LakewoodHealth System as a physicianassistant.Laura Schoen ’09 MSW marriedJeremy Liila on March 27 in Minneapolis.She works at MeridianServices.Kim Stone, director of alumni andconstituent relations, and her husband,Jason, welcomed their son,Evan, on July 24.Cristina (Quick) and Sama08Sandy were married on July24. Auggies in the wedding weregroomsmen Greg Hildebrandt ’08and Derek Francis ’08; bridesmaidsKatie LaGrave ’08 and Halen (Haley)Bower ’08; usher Bryan Ludwig ’08;personal attendant Bethany George’11; and singers Andrew Johnson ’07and Maria (Mitchell) Helgerson ’07.50 Augsburg Now