2000s Class notes

2000
Mark Aurit (BS) received a master's degree in geographic information systems from Penn State University in May 2012.

Kristin (Klockeman) Schommer (BS-E), a secretary and volunteer at Oxbow Creek Elementary School in Champlin, Minn., received a 2012 Above & Beyond Award from the Anoka-Hennepin (Minn.) School District and Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation. This is the first year of the Above & Beyond recognition program for the largest school district in Minnesota. Prior to joining Oxbow Creek in 2011, Schommer taught ninth-grade science at Champlin Park High School for nine years. During a leave from her teaching job, she began to volunteer at Oxbow
Creek, where her two children attend. When a part-time job in the school office became available, Schommer said she knew she could thrive at helping students and staff in the position. She loves her job and says, "Honestly, I wake up each day excited to go to work!"
 
Bob Stanke (BBA) recently accepted a position with the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's director of interactive services. He lives in Roseville, Minn., with his wife, Susan, and their three daughters.

Dr. Jay Holmen (left) and Genevieve (Holmen) Thul

Genevieve (Holmen) Thul (BSN) received her doctorate in nursing in May 2012 from the Medical University of South Carolina, one of the National Institutes of Health's top-30 funded colleges nationwide. She is part of several funded research teams for NIH R16 and R21 grants. Genevieve's dissertation focused on the reliability of educational evaluation methods in nursing students. She has presented her research nationally at Midwestern Nursing Research Society conferences and is widely published as a textbook author for Lippincott, with several studies soon to be published in national journals. Genevieve is one of the first BSN-to-Ph.D. graduates nationwide and plans to continue her career as a university professor and researcher. At the hooding ceremony at the Medical University of South Carolina, Genevieve proudly wore her UW-Eau Claire magna cum laude honor cords and University Honors graduate medallion earned during her studies at UW-Eau Claire from 1996-2000. Genevieve is the daughter of Jay Holmen, UW-Eau Claire professor of accounting.

2001
Benjamin Roesch (BA), an attorney at Lane Powell Attorneys & Counselors in Seattle, Wash., was elected to the position of shareholder, effective Jan. 1, 2012. Roesch concentrates his practice in insurance coverage disputes for the London market and complex commercial litigation. He received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School in 2004.
 
2004
Matthew Boughton (BS), the director of tennis and a tennis professional at the Eau Claire YMCA, received the USPTA Industry Excellence Award from the U.S. Professional Tennis Association in September 2011. The award recognized Boughton's impact on the growth of the YMCA's junior tennis program as well as its membership and revenue. In 2011 alone, after taking over the junior team tennis, participation increased by 40 percent to more than 150 kids and has tripled the number of junior events in the city for the summer. During his four years at
the YMCA, Boughton has managed to help increase membership revenue by 20 percent and lesson revenue by 39 percent. He also has encouraged the use of promotions through social media to help increase pro-shop revenue more than 35 percent. The total facility revenue has increased by 26 percent since Boughton started.
 
Ken Brosky (BA) has had his first collection of short stories published in a book titled "The Unauthorized Biography of Michele Bachmann (and other stories)." The book, published by Brew City Press in December 2011, is available through Amazon.com.
 
Matthew Flaten (BA) and Laura Dean '03 (BA) were married May 29, 2011, in Stillwater, Minn. The couple met as political science undergraduate students in the UW-Eau Claire Student Senate. They currently live in Lawrence, Kan., where Laura is a doctoral candidate in political science at the University of Kansas and Matthew works as a training specialist for General Dynamics Information Technology. They will be relocating to the Ukraine for the 2012-13 academic year, where Laura will be conducting dissertation research on a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship.

2005
Juli (Stone) Pitzer (BA-E) and husband Sean welcomed the birth of son Haakon Stone Pitzer on Dec. 15, 2011.

Cory Sauerwein (BBA) was named general manager of Devcon Security's Minneapolis branch in August 2011. His primary focus is hiring and training sales people and technicians to provide a high level of customer service. In addition, Sauerwein is responsible for daily branch operations and partnership building in the local community. He joined Devcon Security in 2011 after holding a management position with ADT Security Services. Prior to ADT, he worked for nearly four years in management at Broadview Security and the former Brink’s Home Security, prior to its acquisition. Sauerwein has extensive experience managing sales teams and driving new business opportunities. He lives in Eden Prairie, Minn.

2006
Josh Abramson (BBA), '12 (BBA), recently had his book, titled "Definitions Made Simple," published through lulu.com. When Josh was preparing to take the GRE graduate school entry exam, he realized then that a user-friendly book designed to help students prepare for the exam would be beneficial. Thus, he decided to create such a publication himself. Josh's book has approximately 1,200 words and idioms, and he hopes to publish revised editions in the future.

Matthew Evensen (BS-E) received his doctor of medicine degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee at the college's 99th annual commencement exercises, held May 18, 2012. He began a family medicine residency in the Franciscan Skemp Healthcare Program shortly after graduating.

Sara Olson (BA) reports that she is living in New York City, working as a performer for TV, film and stage. She appeared as murder victim Lynette Ledford on the Investigation Discovery show "Evil, I," which aired June 22, 2012.

Laura (Thompson) Reese (BA-E) and Michael Reese were married Jan. 21, 2012. They celebrated with family and friends in Madison and are planning an August 2012 honeymoon in Ireland.

Lindsay Walter (BFA) and Nicholas Harberg '06 (BA) were married Sept. 4, 2010, in Seattle, Wash. They welcomed their first child, Helen Swick Harberg, on Sept. 5, 2011. Lindsay is the marketing director for Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, and Nicholas is a Web developer for SeaMonster Studios there.

Angela (Day) Welsh (BSN) and husband Brian welcomed daughter Naomi Corinne on April 27, 2012. Big brother Logan and big sister Maya adore their new baby sister.

John Woodington (BS) had his short story, titled "Camouflage," published in the fall 2011 issue of the nation's oldest continuously published literary journal, The Sewanee Review. More information is available on Woodington's website, www.johnwoodington.com.

2007
Sarah Rasmussen (BA) joined the Waukesha office of Morgan&Myers, a full-service agricultural communications agency, as an associate in January 2012. She provides public relations and consumer media support for the firm's agricultural and consumer trust accounts. A Wisconsin native, Rasmussen previously worked in the television news industry, most recently at WJFW-TV in Rhinelander as acting news director and anchor for the evening newscasts. Prior to that, she was a weekend anchor at WEAU-TV in Eau Claire.

2008
Erin (Mueller) Scott (BS-E) received her doctor of chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange, Fla., in December 2011, after completing a clinical internship program at McMahon Chiropractic and Physical Therapy in Eau Claire. She is trained in the Webster Technique, a specific protocol for pregnant mothers, that releases uterine constraint. Erin also is enrolled in a three-year diplomate course to become board certified in chiropractic pediatrics. She is a member of the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association, ICA Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics, International Chiropractic Pediatrics Association and Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, and frequently volunteers with United Cerebral Palsy. Erin and her husband, Andrew, were married in July 2011 and live in Eau Claire with their dogs, Jocelyn and Nico.

Ellen Waldhart (BA) recently moved to Hardin, Mont., and now works at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument through the National Park Service as a biological science technician in the division of resource management. Prior to working at Little Bighorn Battlefield, Ellen worked at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Assateague Island National Seashore and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Her job duties include invasive plant management at Little Bighorn Battlefied and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, stream monitoring, prairie restoration and leading field crews.

2010
Stephanie (Schiefelbein) Cold (BA) and Benjamin Cold (BM) were married Aug. 6, 2011, in Hastings, Minn. Stephanie works as an undergraduate specialist at Kansas State University. Benjamin is completing his master of music degree in performance/pedagogy at Kansas State. Upon his graduation, Benjamin will pursue a doctor of musical arts degree at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded a music fellowship beginning in fall 2012.

2011
Garrett Denney (BA) and UW-Eau Claire senior Rebecca (Olson) Denney were married July 15, 2011, in Eau Claire. They continue to live in the area while Rebecca finishes her Latin American studies degree and Garrett works for SMB Group LLC.

 

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