Transitions Magazine Fall 2011 - Prescott College

Class NotesTracey (Finch) Grossman ’99Tracey lives in Boca Raton, Fla., with her husband, Gabe, and theirthree boys, seven-year-old Noah, six-year-old Asher, and four-yearoldMicha. Tracey is involved with the AntiDefamation League(ADL), a Jewish organization that fights for civil rights for everyone.Tracey plays many roles in the leadership of the organization, butthe two that she enjoys the most are the anti-bullying and diversityawareness workshops that she facilitates for middle and highschool students in the South Florida public and private schools.In addition, Tracey is ADL’s national co-chair for young leadershipand helps encourage other young leaders to participate in ADL’snational events and to view philanthropy and giving back to one’scommunity as important aspects of successful lives.Suzanne Porter ’99Faculty member Lisa Floyd-Hanna ran into Suzanne and herhusband Dave at the Farmer’s Market in Roseburg, Ore. Suzanneand her husband run a very successful organic vegetable farm called“Biglick.”2000sColin Khoury ’00Colin and colleagues are doing some important work conservingcrop plants’ wild relatives as a genetic resource for helping moderncrops adapt to climate change. Read more about it in a recentopen access publication at tandfonline.com and search for Colin K.Khoury. Colin was also featured in a National Public Radio articleat NPR.org; search “Colin Khoury.”James Reinhold ’00James has recently been promoted to camp director for all of HaleReservation, which includes Hale Day Camp. He now overseesHale Outdoor Learning Adventures (a summer school/campprogram, part of a national study on summer learning loss forBoston Public school kids), as well as several other agency campsthat operate at Hale. Hale Reservation plays host to over 2,000campers a day, making them the largest day camp provider in thecountry. James hires over 140 seasonal staff, most of whom arelifeguards and camp counselors.Nat Mundel ’02Nat thought you might like to see a sneak peek trailer of thefilm he has been producing. He writes, “It’s the Dogtown ofclimbing films.” Go to YouTube and search “Valley Uprising –Official Trailer.”James Nez ’03, M.A. ’05James now practices civil and family law inKayenta, Ariz. One of his current projects isworking with a veterans’ organization to establisha housing complex for veterans. He hasalso been involved with custody evaluations,policy drafting, and internal rules compliance.He consults with local chapters and government agencies in orderto improve services and policies in Kayenta and on the Navajo Nation.James is deeply rooted in Navajo culture. He is a silversmith,a Navajo traditional practitioner who conducts traditional singings,and a peyote way roadman. In his spare time, he is finishing up adoctoral degree in behavioral health with Arizona State University.Courtney Osterfelt ’04, M.A.’11, and Aryn LaBrake ’09,M.A. program ’15Aryn and Courtney recentlygraduated from the Prescott AreaLeadership (PAL) Program. The PALprogram is designed for individualswho want to improve their leadership skills and are committed topersonal involvement in shaping the quality of life and future of thePrescott area community.Jesse Delia ’05Jesse’s thesis research on glass-frog embryo hatching was recently written about byScience Magazine. Read the article at news.sciencemag.org and search “When DadsGo Missing.”Caitlin (O’Brien) Gildrien ’05 and Jeremy Gildrien ’06Caitlin and Jeremy met while attending Prescott College, and fell almostimmediately in love. They began farming shortly after graduating. In early 2012,after three years of farming on leased land, Caitlin andJeremy bought a historic farm in Leicester, Vt. During the1950s, the land had been used as a dairy and was the homeof the Monroe family, who diversified the farm to includevegetables, maple syrup, and beef. Caitlin and Jeremy havealways farmed according to organic principles, with astrong focus on building soil health and avoiding the use ofsynthetic chemicals whenever possible. They are currentlyin the process of gaining organic certification. You can findthem at Gildrien Farm, 490 Delorm Rd., Leicester,VT.Cristina Eisenberg M.A. ’06From naming superheroes and luxury cars after largecarnivores to hunting them to the brink of extinction, humanshave complicated relationships with these creatures that roamthe open spaces of western North America: the grizzly bear,wolf, wolverine, lynx, cougar, and jaguar. Wolves in particularhave been making headlines for the conflicts they causebetween those who fear them and those who want to protectthem. In The Carnivore Way: Coexisting with and Conserving NorthAmerica’s Predators, published in May 2014, Cristina Eisenberg offers a compellingaccount of the lives of carnivores and their place in our human world.Sharon Skinner M.A. ’06Sharon’s third book, Mirabella and the Faded Phantom, wasreleased by Brick Cave Books in March 2014. Sharon receiveda Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Prescott Collegein 2006. In addition to writing fiction, she is the grantscoordinator for the City of Mesa in Arizona, and was amongthe first U.S. grant professionals to become credentialedthrough the Grant Professionals Certification Institute in2007. She currently serves as president of the GrantProfessionals Association’s National Board of Directors.Leah Titcomb ’06A few Prescott College alumni met upduring the Northeast Naturalist Gatheringin Craftsbury, Vt., for the annual “warblersand wildflowers weekend.” Leah writes,“It was a great spring weekend with lots of warblers singing and plenty of springephemeral flowers blooming!”Grant Williams ’06Grant is assisting with the opening of a new community-driven hostel in Portland,Ore. If you are looking for a place to stay, visit www.travelershouse.org.Lili DeBarbieri ’09Lili’s book Location Filming in Arizona: The Screen Legacy of the Grand Canyon Statewas released by History Press this year. You can find it on Amazon.com.Deborah Mata ’09After completing her counseling internship, Deborah has found her niche in themetro Dallas area working as a therapist for a community counseling agency, Childand Family Guidance Center. After graduating from Prescott College’s Master ofArts Program in Counseling Psychology, Deborah has also been an online facultymember at University of Phoenix since 2009. She married her partner of 10 years,Mimi, in January after purchasing their first home. Deborah writes, “Thank you tothe staff and students who supported my studies while at Prescott College!”Ashley Moore ’09Ashley earned a Bachelor of Arts in environmental and marine studies with abreadth in nontraditional education from Prescott College and most recentlygraduated from Florida Atlantic University with a master’s degree in environmentaleducation. She has developed Permadigm Initiative, a nonprofit, with herlife partner, Zoe Hippel. The word “Permadigm” is a new concept that means24Transitions Fall 2014