20-YearReunion
Class of 1986
Reunion dates ― October 6 & 7, 2006
Greetings!
20 years! Wow―I
just am amazed whenever I think about this! It certainly doesn’t feel like it has been
that long! It’s even scarier to think
that it was 24 years ago right now that we were packing our bags and getting
ready to leave for our first semester at Gustavus. By now we had been given our room assignments,
connected with our new roommate(s) and received a welcome letter from our CF. We were anxiously awaiting the start of our
freshman year!
FLASHING BACK
Earlier this summer my two girls and I were out “playing”
for a day. We happened to be in the area
of my first apartment, so I took them by to see it. I hadn’t been in that parking lot in the 19
years since I moved out. So, it was
pretty strange to sit in the same parking lot, 20 years after I first moved in,
with my kids in the backseat asking me questions about things I did “back then.”
We often get so caught up in the here and now that it takes
something like revisiting your first apartment to think about what happened 20
years ago. My days are so filled with
family, friends and work that I had to think a bit in order to answer their
questions. “What did you do for fun back
then, Mom?” the girls asked. How do you
sum up graduation and the first year out of college? There was the uncertainty of job hunting and
nervousness of the first day on the job, the excitement of signing a lease and
decorating my first apartment. My time
was definitely less structured than it is today. The question I ask myself is, “What did I do
with all of that time I had??”
What are your memories of graduation and your first year out
of college?
A CAMPUS VISIT
Last fall I had the opportunity to take my niece to Gustavus
for a college visit. The admission office
offered her a day of classes with motivating professors, a campus tour with a
student tour guide filled with the Gustie spirit, a “teach in” that featured
Professor Lammert as one of the speakers and lunch in the caf (a/k/a the Evelyn
Young Dining Room). Note: If you haven’t
been on campus lately, plan to schedule some time where you can enjoy lunch or
dinner on campus. As one college
employee told me, it’s the nicest restaurant in St. Peter. I can guarantee you that you won’t find a
bagel melt anywhere near a lunch tray in the caf anymore! I was really proud to show off Gustavus to my
niece that day. Even though much has
changed on campus, much has stayed the same. It’s welcoming and comfortable.
During our visit, I was reminded of the important role we as
alumni play in the lives of the students at Gustavus. Whether they are applying for a scholarship,
student loan, internship or first job out of college, they can be assured that
they have a network of Gusties there to support them. With our collective support, we can make the
Gustavus experience more affordable, enjoyable and worthwhile for the students.
AS GUSTIES, WE ALL
CONTINUE TO DO GREAT THINGS!
Scott Luhmann, M.D. was
promoted to assistant professor at Washington University School of Medicine in
the Department of Orthopedic Surgery as a pediatric spine surgeon.
Mitch Olson and
his wife, Jenni have three kids ages 10, 7 and 4. He has a dental practice in
Jody Johnson Leyda is
working in the transportation department for the Chrysler Corporation. Her husband, Butch Leyda, M.D ’87, is in his
11th year of family practice medicine in
Lori Gustafson Frisk
is working as manager of IT Applications at ALLETE/Minnesota Power. She has been working there for 17 years! Her husband is self-employed as a computer
trainer/consultant. They have three
kids, ages 12, 9 and 4.
Julie Pinomaki
and her husband, Daniel Pfarr, had a son, Anton George Pinomaki Pfarr, on
Chris Ziebell is
living in
Lynda Severson Belgum
and her husband, Steve, were featured in a National Geographic article in November, 2005. The article was about letters to soldiers and
told their story about how they met through Lynda’s Christmas package to a
soldier. What a great story!
Linda Wachter
Boettcher lives in
Preston Euerle
lives in
John Latusek lives
in Dike, IA and was recently promoted to lead engineer for John Deere.
Jackie Hunt Christensen
continues to do amazing things! In
January, she had an article in the journal San
Francisco Medicine regarding Parkinson’s and the environment. She also received the Paul M. Silverstein
Community Service Award from the Struther’s Parkinson’s Center and the “Milly”
Award from the Parkinson’s Action Network.
Liz Weyhmann Freeberg
is a new grandma! Her grandson, Caden
Michael Freeberg, was born on
Cindy Salmela Reh lives
in
Kathy (Larson) and
Tom ’83 Bergquist adopted Nathan Jia
Chao Bergquist on
Babette Gordon
married Kevin Kellner on
Jennifer (Roble) and
John Lammert are sending their oldest daughter, Emily, off to Minnesota Life College
in Richfield the end of August. That
leaves only two at home, Annika a junior and Hannah a freshman. Jenn continues to work in public health in the
waiver services area as a case manager. John
continues to teach at Gustavus. If you
get to campus, his office is still in the same place―stop by to say hi!
David and Mary Meyers had a baby girl, Anna Elizabeth
Meyers, on
CAMPUS NEWS
Test-Optional
Admission Policy
Continuing their tradition of innovative and competitive admission
policies and practices, the Gustavus Admission Office announced this spring
that applicants for the Class of 2011 can choose whether or not to submit their
standardized test scores for consideration in the admission process. Gustavus’ high admission standards have not
changed; this policy emphasizes that the College’s application-review process
focuses on the abilities and experiences of the whole person, not just one
number. As the first MIAC college and
Phi Beta Kappa institution in
Gustavus Legacy Award
New Gusties enrolling next fall have a new financial aid
opportunity. Awards of $2,500 are given
to students whose siblings are current Gustavus students or graduates or whose
parents or grandparents are Gustavus alumni.
Scholarship recipients must have a grade point average of at least 3.5,
or an ACT of 26, or an 1170 on the SAT.
The Gustavus Legacy Award expands upon the previous Alumni Scholarship
by recognizing and awarding students who have Gustie siblings. By applying for admission, students are
automatically considered for this scholarship and awarded if they qualify.
Summer Reading
Each summer, incoming Gustavus students are asked to
complete a “Reading in Common” that will be discussed during New Student
Orientation and, for some students, during their First Term Seminar course. The
Extraordinary
Athletics
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of
Athletics (NACDA) and the United States Sports Academy have announced the final
totals for the 2005-06 Directors’ Cup and Gustavus finished 10th out of 435
competing NCAA Division III institutions. The Directors’ Cup, which is the only
all-sports competition in intercollegiate athletics, is awarded to four-year
institutions in the NCAA and NAIA with the best overall athletic programs. In Division III, standings are based on
national tournament finishes in 25 sports with points awarded based on the
number of teams participating in each specific national championship. Gustavus is one of only seven institutions in
Division III to have posted top 10 finishes in four of the past five years and
is the only school from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to
place in the top 20 this year.
Upcoming Events:
Nobel Conference:
“Medicine: Prescription for Tomorrow” - October 3 - 4
Homecoming/Family
Weekend - October 7 - 8
THE GUSTIE CONNECTION
One recent morning, the local radio morning show team was
talking about their natural “affinity” to people who drive the same cars as
they do. One of the DJs said that she
waves to people in cars that are driving the same model as her car. Her reasoning was that they have something in
common in that they have chosen the same car. They have a “oneness” in owning the same
vehicle.
She is describing an experience similar to the Gustie
connection. Haven’t you found that if
you wear your Gustavus sweatshirt or someone notices your alumni sticker, they
ask you with a smile, “Did you go to Gustavus?” and you find a connection? For whatever reason, we all chose Gustavus for
our college experience and it will forever be a part of us. Wherever we go, we are bound to find another
“lusty Gustie” in our midst.
I hope you will be able to join us on October 6-7 for our 20th
reunion! We will have time to reminisce
about our past, catch up on our present, admire the wonderful changes made to
campus, appreciate those things that have stayed the same and renew our Gustie
connections.
I’ll see you at Homecoming!
Sara
Freeman Rekow
1986