Class of 2003

October 2006

Hey Gusties!

It’s time once again for your 2003 class newsletter. I probably wrote the last one you received, too. Don’t worry—I won’t be writing all the letters for this year. My fellow class agents: Mik, Jade and Leslie are already gathering ideas for their upcoming 2006-2007 letters.

Since I last wrote in April I have had three different jobs here in Denver, been back to Minnesota three times, watched my youngest sister get married (!), and burned the top of my head many, many times while hiking in the mountains. Clearly I need a hat. Nick Arth can attest to the usefulness of wearing hats. While out here visiting in August he got many friendly compliments on his Twins hat, despite the fact that he wore it to a Colorado Rockies game. Lisa Rischmiller also got comments on her Boston hat, but since she doesn’t actually know anything about baseball teams, she had to pretend like she didn’t hear them. The only hats Greg Rischmiller and Chris Vaubel wore while visiting were the hoods of their rain jackets, but that was useful because it kept the snow out of their eyes while they enjoyed the view from the summit of Mt. Evans. (Unfortunately, hats don’t help with altitude sickness, do they Nick?)

It’s been an eventful summer and early fall for a lot of Gusties. I recently started a new job as a training coordinator for a small training company in Golden, and my new boss is also a Minnesota native and Gustie grad. Amanda Peterson also started a new job this summer working in the Office of the President at Augsburg. More exciting, however, is the fact that Amanda is now engaged to Garrett Kolpin ’04! Her wedding will give me an excuse to visit Gustavus next fall, since she’ll be married in Christ Chapel. Eric Nordberg also had an eventful summer over in Madison where he’s continuing his Ph.D. work in physics. Though he didn’t develop robots who feed monkeys bananas, which is how I first understood his project, he has been involved in a nationally recognized research project. I think I’d better direct all questions regarding details back to Eric, since I didn’t understand much about the article I read. But good job, Eric.

Late August was an exciting time for some current Gusties, too. As some of you may have heard, another tornado went through the St. Peter area, and though it missed most of St. Peter and all of the campus, it did hit farms outside the small town of Cleveland on the other side of the valley just six miles east of St. Peter. Cleveland is my husband Joe’s hometown, and his parents (who are fine and suffered no damage) coordinated the relief efforts after the storm. They called us the weekend after the storm overwhelmed with emotion, because over a hundred current Gusties who were on campus early for sports had come over from the college to help out with the clean-up efforts, nearly tripling their number of volunteers. Listening to how much the student volunteers meant to this small community made me very proud of those Gusties, and proud of the Gustie spirit that spurred the students, coaches, and staff to organize such an effort in the middle of an already busy time of practice and moving-in. That kind of spirit and generosity is the reason I continue to stay connected to Gustavus, and why I choose to give Gustavus. I really encourage all of you to give, too, even if it’s only a small amount. Giving keeps us connected to the college and ensures that future students will have the opportunity to experience the spirit of Gustavus just as we did.

Ok, time for the class news. Thank you every one for sending in your information, and a special thanks to those of you who made a gift to Gustavus over the past year.

Hope you’re all having a great fall!

Jenny Lingle Beer

2003 Co-Class Agent

Class News

Meghan O’Neil married Brandon Lerch, January 14, 2006.

Erica Wenger Burman married Doug Burman, July 16, 2005.

Erin Elling Peterson married Brock Peterson, May 6, 2006.

Alison Doppelhammer married Alexander Gorsevski, June 3, 2006.

Kristina Harter married Matt Schwartz ’04, November 6, 2004.

Jessica Knapp married Nathan Suurmeyer ’04, May 26, 2006. They are living in Houston, TX, where Nathan is a geologist with Shell Oil, and Jessica is doing theater in the area.

Beth Eisenmenger married Josh Omang, June 24, 2006. Beth is a senior business analyst at Marshall Field’s, and Josh Omang finished his master’s in education from the University of St. Mary’s. He is currently employed as a teacher and coach in the Chaska school district.

Anna Weisbecker married Nathan Milz, August 8, 2006. Anna started medical school at the University of Minnesota in August 2005.

Jessica Lunquist Doty married Brian Doty in Pelican Rapids December 31, 2005. Jessica is a RN in surgical ICN at Altru Hospital in East Grand Forks.

Sarah Engstrom Brinks and Mitch Brinks ’01 are expecting their first child in mid-September. Sarah is a substitute teacher at Pequot Lakes Middle School, and Mitch is the director of Environmental Studies at Kramer Leas Deleo.

Sowmya Gandham is completing her first year of medical school in Sydney, Australia.

Brandon Wright is a second year law student at Hamline University Law School.

Jesse Brekke is an account executive for First Choice Global Marketing.

Emily Johnson Mamun is in grad school at St. Catherine’s for Library and Information Science.

Lori Anderson is a biology instructor for Ridgewater College.

Josh Carter is working for Target Corporation as a publicity specialist.

Krista Schaefer graduated from the University of Minnesota on May 25.

Carla Bishop is a pharmaceutical sales associate for Sanofi-aventis.

Becca Anderson is attending the University of Minnesota Medical School and will graduate in May, 2007.

Jack Evans will be graduating from William Mitchell College of Law in 2007.

Lauren Swanstrom is working for Women’s Advocates, Inc. shelter in St. Paul and is teaching adult ESL in Columbia Heights.

Kristen Rosborough is a graduate student at the University of St. Thomas getting her master’s in education. She is also the girls’ varsity tennis coach at Benilde St. Margret and a tennis professional at the Northwest Athletic clubs.

Rob Mark received his master’s in electrical engineering and is working on his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota.

Beth Jorgenson is a RN at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in intensive care nursing in pediatrics, neonatalogy, and intermediate care.

Jeremiah Jazdzewski is at the University of Minnesota in the MB Environmental Engineering program.

Sarah Grimsby McQuade is the national sales production coordinator for Internet Broadcasting. How she got her new job was featured in the Star Tribune Business section on June 2, 2006.

Thomas Ramy is living in Shakopee and is the co-owner of Aliant Financial Services of Minnesota, a merchant processing organization. He reports that he is single.

Molly McKay is getting married in October 2006, has finished her master’s in healthcare administration at the University of Minnesota, and is now working as the operations and business manager of perioperative services at Fairview Ridges Hospital.

Anna Felkey Lovas is currently working at Pharmaceutical Product Development-Medical Device. Her husband Nick is a youth director at Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park.

Jesse Pearson reports that he won a free trip this summer to the Mexican Riveria through Cities 97.

Daniel Plagens is the regional director of Ameriprise Financial. Apparently Gustavus connections also got him his job!

Marnie Stensen Steele is living in Boulder, CO and teaching at Trail Ridge Middle School in Longmont, CO for the third year this fall. On June 17 she graduated from Boulder College of Massage Therapy and now is a certified massage therapist. She will be doing massage therapy part-time while teaching.

Tori Greer is working at Schmidt Law Firm in Minnetonka, MN.

Kallie Lundmark is a design associate for Room and Board.

Lindsey Price Hanson is the AmeriCorps program director for Rise Incorporated in Minneapolis.

Sarah Bakken is working in internal communications for Target Corporation.

Lindsey Zumbrunnen is a senior account representative for Benfield, Inc., and is currently participating in a two-month rotation in the company’s London office.

Nicole Cullip is a sales project manager with ECreativeworks in Plymouth, MN.

Matthew Thomsen started law school this August at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, PA. He says it’s “time to slap this country back into shape.”

Alanna Talty graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Architecture degree. She’s going to be working to establish a small-scale waste-to-energy facility to benefit the community on 125^th Street in Harlem, and also working in the office of Paul Segal Associates Architects in New York.

Alison Gilmore is an elementary education teacher in Inver Grove Heights.

Anne Daleske graduated with an MFA in Theatrical Design from Tulane University in May 2006. She will be working for the Gary Rosenthal Collection in Kensington, MD and designing sets for the St. Mark’s Players on Capital Hill in Washington, DC.

Angie Hanske received the Outstanding Student Achievement Award for a Law Student from the Minnesota Justice Foundation for volunteering nearly 500 hours with the Dispute Resolution Center in St. Paul.

Bethany Mueller is a staff coordinator for Holden Village, an ecumenical renewal center in the North Cascade mountains in Washington.

Nicki Shay received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Iowa in December 2005.

Jay Reding will be starting as a law student at the University of St. Thomas this fall.

Katie Hendrickson is a financial aid assistant at South Central College in Mankato, MN.

Campus News

Honor Roll of Donors
If you haven't had a chance to find yourself online, please go to gustavus.edu/giving/honorroll to check out the 2005-2006 Honor Roll of Donors. The Honor Roll of Donors recognizes those who made gifts to Gustavus between June 1, 2005, and May 31, 2006. To find your name or check your class results, just point and click from your home or office computer. For those who do not have access to a computer, you may call toll-free 866/487-3863 to receive a copy in the mail (supplies are limited).

Obtain Life Insurance at Group Rates

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month.  According to a recent national survey, 68 million Americans have no life insurance.  Fortunately, the Alumni Association sponsors a life insurance plan, Life for Life, with exceptional features and low initial rates.  Maximum coverage is $2 million and insurance can increase repeatedly even if your health fails and you become uninsurable.  Obtain information online with the Alumni Association partner, www.meyerandassoc.com/ma/gustavus or call 800-635-7801 for more information about this and other sponsored insurance.

Gustavus Alumni Professional Apparel

Check out the two new oxfords on sale online through the Gustavus Book Mark. The Book Mark is offering a women’s and men’s long sleeve shirt in a variety of colors and sizes. The shirt features an embroidered three crowns and Gustavus. A great idea for holiday shopping for your favorite Gustie. Check them out online only at www.bookmark.gustavus.edu/.

Gustavus Legacy Award for Gustavus Admission

Mark Anderson, Vice President of Admission and Student Financial Assistance, is pleased to announce the Gustavus Legacy Award for new students beginning with the incoming class of 2007. Renewable awards of $2,500 per year are given to new students whose siblings are current Gustavus students or graduates or whose parents or grandparents are Gustavus alumni. Scholarship recipients must have a high school grade point average of at least 3.5 or an ACT of 26 or an 1170 (Critical Reading + Math) on the SAT. For more information contact the Admission Office at 800/GUSTAVU(S) or email admission@gustavus.edu.