Sweet Briar College JYF in Paris Alumni Magazine - December 2018

CLASS NOTES
I’m a political fundraiser, mainly
for candidates and causes
in AZ. We are planning a big
Europe trip for summer 2019
and would love to see anybody
that may be there as well.
Elizabeth (Schubert) Mortier
Northwestern University
I am now a French citizen
(dual nationality)—I spent
20 years on and off living in
France, and am married to a
French man, with French children.
I speak French on a daily
basis (and am getting good
use out of my French degree).
I am currently living in Quebec
City, with my husband, and
three kids. After 20 years in
France, and a year sabbatical
sailing, we wanted to return
to North America to be closer
to my family. Quebec City is
a good compromise of living
in North America, in French,
with a slightly European feel. I
currently work as a Global HR
Business Partner for an R&D
team, in a telecommunications
company, EXFO, Inc., which
was founded in Quebec City.
Caitlin (Sundby) Russell
Sweet Briar College
I’m living in Atlanta, GA with
my husband and two daughters
(10 and 13). I have my
own private practice as a dietitian-nutritionist.
In the summer
of 2016, my mom and I took
my oldest daughter to Paris for
2 weeks—we had an amazing
time and I am thankful we got
to share this beautiful city with
her. I can’t believe my JYF time
was over 25 years ago! Tout le
monde me manque!
Rebecca Sims
Northwestern University
I live in Chicago with my
husband Randy and 2 kids,
Hope (10) and Blake (7). I recently
started my own research
consulting business called Survey
by Design. (www.surveybydesign.com).
(from left) Mona Boulos, Mary
Voulgaris, Dawn Vujevic and Kira
(Lefko) Weinand
Laura (Herpers) Zeman
Boston College
I am an international estate
planning attorney in Seattle,
Washington working with
French nationals on their estate
planning, on inheritance issues
within France and for French
nationals inheriting from estates
in the US and other property
related issues in France,
similar to a notaire.
1993-94
Harumi Furuya
Harvard University
My sisters and I (all Juilliard
graduates) perform solo, duo,
and trios on violin, piano, and
cello. Two Parisian residents,
actress Olivia de Havilland and
former President Jacques Chirac,
have been very supportive
of our music. Our website is
http://www.FuruyaSisters.com.
We also teach lessons in violin,
piano, cello, and music theory
by Skype worldwide. I am also
an independent scholar (Harvard:
AB in History and PhD in
Government) and tutor various
academic subjects, including
test prep for SAT, ACT, GRE,
etc. If anyone is interested
for any lessons and tutoring,
please contact me at furuya@
post.harvard.edu. Children
nowadays are very smart and
promising, and gives me a
great joy to teach and see
them grow. We have a great
future finally. I am still in touch
with my fellow JYF alumnus
Julie Wang, who is raising a
great family.
Kelly Hall
Sweet Briar College
Bonjour JYFers! I later went
to the UK for my MA and then
taught in London while earning
my Ph.D. I have been traveling
ever since--even worked in
Antarctica! Professionally I have
worked with study-abroad and
international students for most
of my career. I am currently
teaching college courses for
the US Navy, and just got back
from a stint aboard the USS
Oak Hill. We sailed across the
Atlantic, to the Black and Red
Seas, and had great port visits
in Batumi, Georgia and Aqaba,
Jordan. I went to Paris last year
with my boyfriend Roy. We
spent four hours at the Eiffel
Tower! (He’s an engineer--completely
fascinated by the architecture.)
Hope everyone is
well!.
Maryanna (Phillips) Koehring
Mount Holyoke College
I am happily married with
three children. As my husband
is a foreign service officer,
we country hop every few
years. We have just moved
from Egypt and are currently
living in Jordan My passion is
teaching English as a foreign
language to adults, and I am
busy with my newly-launched
business “English for the Job.”
Dan Newmark
College of William & Mary
After JYF I spent a few years
in Manhattan as a management
consultant with Ernst &
Kelly Hall
Young, then got an MBA from
the University of Michigan,
then moved to San Francisco.
I’m on my fourth enterprise
software startup, with one
selling for $500M and another
for $1.9B, in roles that have
allowed me to travel the world
and visit Paris frequently. My
wife Teresa is a speech therapist
(Jocelyn Ziemian and
Wabe Yurek came to the
wedding!) and our 4-year old
daughter is of course named...
Madeleine. I would be happy
to host a West Coast reception,
or to meet up at SBC,
so LET’S GET THE 25TH RE-
UNION PLANNING GOING !!!
Jocelyn Ziemian
Wellesley College
I can’t believe it’s been a
quarter of a century since my
JYF classmates and I embarked
on our year of adventure in
France. Recently, I returned to
Paris for the first time in many
years. Friends had told me the
city had changed due to the
globalizing economy—that
there were Starbucks and
Subways everywhere, and
U.S.-style retail stores in place
of the petits commerces that
helped give Paris its flavor. I
despaired that Paris had lost
what made it unique and
would have the homogenized
feel that more and more internationally
oriented cities do.
How relieved I was to find that
not the case: despite some
changes, Paris is still Paris.
I admit my shock, however,
upon alighting from the RER
from Roissy and beholding a
Bruegger’s Bagels in the Gare
du Nord.
My JYF experience has
enriched my life in countless
ways. Thanks to my French
language skills, I have lived
and worked in the Republic of
Congo, taught French in grad
school, and worked at the
French Embassy in Washington,
DC. Some of my dearest
friends are French. I live in
Washington, DC, and work in
wildlife conservation policy.
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