Fall-Winter 2025-26
Class Notes: Fall/Winter 2025-26
Class Notes: Fall/Winter 2025-26
40s
Gordon “Gordy” Davidson MCDS’45 attended the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony along with his daughter, Gabrielle ’78 (pictured, right), and son Michael ’75. Davidson was celebrating his 80th reunion year and supporting Michael, who was inducted as a member of the undefeated 1974 football team.
50s
Virginia Fagen MacDonald MDS’50 submitted the following note: “I have moved from Naples, Florida to be near my son and daughter-in-law in Atlanta. It’s lovely here, too! I’m also closer to the rest of my family who are in Philadelphia and Chicago. I’m blessed with good health and still very active. Would love to hear from Downer friends.”
Robert Burch MUS’52 was honored with a reception for the dedication of the Robert Burch Family Eye Center at Lincoln Center, part of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The center was made possible through a generous donation from Burch.
Fred Tyner MUS’59 held a solo show featuring 11 still life oil paintings at the Delaplaine Arts Center in Frederick, Maryland.
60s
Harry Leadingham Jr. MCDS’62 was inducted into USM’s Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2025. Leadingham was known for his speed on the varsity track and field team, which he joined in 8th grade, and competed in 10 or more different track and field events. He also excelled in football, which he played at Lake Forest College, along with running track, from 1963 to 1967.
Ben Mixter MCDS’63 submitted the following note: “My wife, Terri, our cock-a-poo, Molly, and I are presently living full time in our motorhome as we sell our North Port, Florida home and begin searching for a new home in or near Athens, Georgia. We look forward to connecting with any USM alumni in the area. We, and Terri’s mother who lived near us, decided to relocate here to get away from hurricane and tropical storm seasons, long hot sticky summers, and years with only two seasons—summer most of the year, and a short NOT summer season. We will also be nearer to family—Terri’s younger brother and my daughter and their families, who will be about an hour away. Terri’s mom has already settled into a new home up here and we hope to be within half an hour or so of her! Here’s to leaves changing, an occasional snowflake and Bulldogs football!! As a Georgia native, born in Savannah, I am home!”
John Winkelman MCDS’64 and his wife, Pam, were profiled in a publication for the Howard Young Foundation to honor their years of dedication to the Lakeland Pantry in northern Wisconsin. Their efforts helped transform the pantry from a small operation in a gymnasium to a thriving community resource that serves over 21,000 individuals annually.
70s
1974 Football Team members were inducted into the USM Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2025. They were honored for being one of the most successful teams in USM’s history, earning a 9-0 record under the tutelage of Charlie Kerr.
Kip Jacobs ’74 was honored with a chair dedication in the Virginia Henes Young Theatre at USM in November 2025, the first chair to be dedicated in the theatre. “Kip has been a steady champion of performing arts at USM for many years,” said Katie Gonring, Middle School drama teacher and Performing Arts chair (pictured, right). “We are sincerely grateful for his ongoing support of the arts here at USM.”
Kate Elsner Lilek ’75 (pictured right, with Jenny (Gruesser) Jansen ’84) was inducted into USM’s Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2025. Lilek participated in four sports during her Upper School tenure—field hockey, basketball, volleyball, and softball—and earned 13 varsity letters. In 1982, she returned to USM to teach art and coach field hockey and girls soccer, roles she held for the majority of her 12-year tenure.
Curt Wuesthoff ’75 enjoyed the great outdoors and the autumn hunting and fishing seasons in northern Wisconsin, Iowa, and throughout the Midwest this past fall.
Lynn Wuesthoff ’75 traveled to Madrid, Spain, and dined at a restaurant called the Milwaukee Butter Burger Bar while there.
Angela Topetzes ’78 was named the director of partnerships and investments at Penfield Children’s Center in Milwaukee.
80s
Raj Bhala ’80 presented on a panel at the International Bar Association’s annual conference in Toronto, attended by 6,000 lawyers from several dozen countries. Bhala is an officer of the association’s international trade committee and its academic and professional development committee. He also appeared on Legal Talk Network’s “Lawyer2Lawyer” program to discuss Trump’s tariffs, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the impact on international trade law. Bhala is the Brenneisen Distinguished Professor in the University of Kansas School of Law and an expert in international trade law. He is also a USM Alumni Association board member. Bhala and his wife, Dr. Kara Tan Bhala, are proud of their daughter, Shera, a first-year law student and dean’s scholar at Vanderbilt Law School.
Gary Ames ’81 submitted the following note: “After retiring in 2021, I have been spending six months of the year in Canada with my family, two months in Port Washington, which is ‘home base,’ and the rest of the time on Isle of Palms, South Carolina. All three locations have so much to offer us retirees, but my heart remains in Canada.”
Allison Kelsey ’84 submitted the following: “Although it was a slog at times to work full time and be in grad school full time, I earned my M.Ed. in Higher Education last May (2025) from Temple University. I direct a college scholarship program here in Philly, and while I had program ops experience, I needed the education credential to keep doing this work until I shuffle off to the great beyond. And my students were so encouraging to me!”
Susan Zarwell ’87 and Ben Zarwell ’87 were hosted by retired Upper School Spanish teacher Holly Morse and her husband, Dan, at their home. They were joined by retired Upper School history teacher John “J.S.” Stephens and his wife, Carolyn. The group convened to watch a distinguished lecture on international trade policy given by Raj Bhala ’80, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor in the University of Kansas School of Law
and international trade law expert.
90s
Lindsey Canonie Grady ’91 submitted the following note: “After two terms on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Bench, I am taking my legal experience and love of Milwaukee to the Big Gig!
I will serve as chief administrative officer and general counsel for Milwaukee World Festival Inc. See you at Summerfest!”
David Lee ’94 was promoted to the rank of captain in a ceremony at the Pentagon on Oct. 3, 2025. After graduation from Johns Hopkins in 1998 and the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2001, David joined the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He currently serves as one of the legal advisors in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and lives in northern Virginia with his wife and son.
Anwar Floyd-Pruitt ’95 was remembered in “Milwaukee Magazine” for his many contributions to the Milwaukee arts community. He passed away in September 2025.
Aaron ’96 and Stephanie (Asmuth) Gardner ’96 hosted a gathering of alumni at their home to celebrate Porter Jones’ ’96 induction into the USM Athletic Hall of Fame.
Porter Jones ’96 was inducted into USM’s Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2025. Jones was a WISAA state champion tennis player an unprecedented four times in his four years of Upper School, and ranked as the top singles player in the state from 1993 to 1996. In his four years, he held a 58-9 record in singles, going undefeated his junior and senior years.
Will Piper ’96 spoke to 1st grade students in October about the history of USM, including cultures and traditions from the predecessor schools that continue at USM today. Piper is USM’s assistant director of alumni relations and reunion giving.
Alison Kliegman ’99 co-founded one of the newest abortion clinics in the state of Wisconsin, called Care for All Community Clinic, on Milwaukee’s near west side. The nonprofit, independent clinic also provides services for miscarriage management, birth control, pregnancy continuation and family care, and more.
Kathryne Martin Nelson ’99 and her husband, Jason, have owned and directed Camp Kamaji for Girls for 13 years together. Kamaji is the oldest all-girls sleepaway camp in Minnesota (founded in 1914). Kathryne became the proud parent of a Kamaji camper when her 7-year-old, Felicity, became an official eight-week camper during the summer of 2025!
00s
Christopher Chan ’00 was a finalist in the “Shepard Express’” Best of Milwaukee awards in the Milwaukee Author category. Finalists were nominated by community members. In addition, his book “The Autistic Sleuth” won a Best Indie Book Award in the TV History category.
John Graham ’02 is helping to lead the North American launch of The White Hag Brewery, one of Ireland’s most acclaimed craft breweries. Based in Milwaukee, John is focused on building brand awareness and developing distributor partnerships across the U.S.
Fatima Laster ’02 hosted a 10-hour immersive festival of art, music, food, and community action in September 2025 to benefit 5 Points Art Gallery + Studios, for which Laster serves as owner, artist, and curator.
Tope (Awe) Berry ’03 was inducted into USM’s Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2025. Berry was an exemplary volleyball, basketball, and track and field athlete who won the Marion Chester Read Sportsmanship Award in 2003 and holds the school record for shot put
and discus.
Jonathan Lund ’03 and his wife, Anna, welcomed their second child, Sadie Marie, in August 2025. “Big sister Sophie has been a huge help and is so excited to have a little sibling,” he wrote.
Thomas Keily ’06 and his wife, Holly, welcomed Callum Quinn Keily in May 2025. They reside in Denver.
Susan Krejci Callan ’09 and her husband, Patrick Callan, welcomed daughter Jade Marina Callan in August 2025, pictured here with Susan’s late mother, Marina Spheeris Krejci ’68.
10s
Tessa Nowakowski ’10 was honored during USM’s Homecoming week. The varsity field hockey team held its annual Tessa Nowakowski ’10 field hockey game in memory of Nowakowski, an outstanding student and athlete, who passed away in 2009.
Annie Stanford ’10 married Paul Boeshaar on June 14, 2025 at the historic Pabst brewery in Milwaukee. USM alumni in attendance were Helen Keller ’10 (bridesmaid), Saira Khanna ’10, and Augie Wilhelms ’10.
Josh Baker ’12 was inducted into USM’s Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2025. Baker played baseball, basketball, and soccer from 2009 to 2012, earning a total of 12 varsity letters and the Henry H. Uihlein Sportsmanship Award in 2012.
Adam Salaymeh ’12 and his wife, Shelby, welcomed their first child, Lucia, in September. She was named after the Caribbean island where they fell in love.
Meredith (Jeffers) Malicky ’13 has worked as a trainer with Burn Boot Camp in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, for three years. This past year, she competed against trainers from across the nation in Burn Boot Camp’s Athlete Games, where she won a spot at nationals and finished 10th in the nation and first in one of the events. “It was by far the most physically and mentally taxing thing I have done since playing competitive sports in Upper School and college,” she wrote. “While I am proud of how much I pushed myself and was able to achieve, I am even more proud of the way that I, and the other athletes, carried ourselves and supported one another throughout the weekend.”
Amber Baker Bender ’14 and her husband, Ryan, welcomed twins Owen and Wren in May 2025.
Djdade Denson ’14 met with USM students when they conducted research for their Tower Projects at ThriveON King, an inclusive community hub located in the heart of Milwaukee’s
Bronzeville district.
Chandler Sullivan ’16 attended the Women in Tech SEO festival in Philadelphia, representing her team at SocialSurge Marketing in Milwaukee. “I can without a doubt say this was one of the most inspiring conferences I’ve been to. I can’t think of a time when I was surrounded by 100+ womxn/people of marginalized genders in one space that felt so inclusive and welcoming,” she wrote.
Ethan Ford ’19 released his first album as a recording artist under Sony Music, with Sana Records, in June 2025. The name of the album is “2001” by @fordomusic, and it can
be found on all music platforms. The music video for “Nobody’s Watching” can be found on YouTube.
Ayesha Kazi ’19 was the youngest person to pitch her venture, ASL Aspire, at EdTech Week in New York City. Kazi pitched ASL Aspire, a game-based approach to American Sign Language STEM education, to early stage EdTech investors for $500,000. Although she did not take home the win, it was still a worthwhile experience. “This was one of the few competitions where I genuinely felt joy for every winner, because we’re all working toward the same mission: equitable, innovative education for every learner,” wrote Kazi.
20s
Teddy Kies ’20 recently joined the Peace Corps and is currently stationed in Malawi, Africa.
Mimi Norman ’21 led 5th grade students from USM in a freshwater activity during their retreat at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. Norman, who is an environmental educator, showed students a reptile and amphibian, and taught them how they can protect wildlife.
Greta Hinke ’22 served as a captain for Northwestern University’s field hockey team, which won its second consecutive national championship in November 2025, topping Princeton University 2-1 in double overtime.
Thomas Stephens ’22 earned 20th place (25:26.2) at the Cardinal Invitational as part of the Amherst College men’s cross country team. Thomas and his brother, Drew ’22, both compete on the team.
Talia S. Ciralsky ’23 was featured by Case Western Reserve University as a recipient of their fall all-academic honors for the women’s soccer team.
India C. Vielehr ’23 attended the 39th International Electric Propulsion Conference (IEPC 2025) in London in September 2025. She contributed to the research efforts and was a part of the authorship for the paper “Collision-Induced Fragmentation in Commonly-Used Ionic Liquid Propellants for Electrospray Thrusters,” which was presented during the electrospray development sessions. She is grateful to be part of this research within the University of Southern California’s Laboratory for Exploration and Astronautical Physics (LEAP) and to keep contributing to advancements in electric propulsion. This work will be expanded upon and published in the “Journal of Electric Propulsion” in the coming months.
Joey Darrow ’24 won the club championship at the West Bend Country Club in August 2025, which gives him an automatic bid to compete in the Wisconsin State Amateur Championship, also at West Bend Country Club, in July.
Brock Miller ’25 received Rookie of the Week honors from the Liberty League for football for two weeks in a row in September 2025. Miller is a defensive back for the University of Rochester Yellowjackets football team.
Annie Norman ’25 set a personal best of 18:09.1 at the Adidas Cross Country Challenge, as part of the Davidson College women’s cross country team, and was named Rookie of the Week by the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Introducing: The Wildcat Way Podcast
Check out the latest way to stay connected to USM: the Wildcat Way Podcast!
- Episode One: Learn about the recent growth of campus and the Opening Day tradition. What is it like to attend USM in 2025?
- Episode Two: Coach Don Forti has been inspiring Wildcats for more than 40 years. Take a closer look at his legacy and impact on USM.
Visit usm.org/podcast to listen and subscribe!
Linda Mellowes Receives Milwaukee Award
Linda Mellowes was named a 2025 Quadracci Family Betty Award Winner by “Milwaukee” magazine. Mellowes was chair of USM’s Board of Trustees, and currently serves as a trustee of USM’s Endowment board. She has led seven local boards, including being the first woman to chair the board of the United Way, and has helped to raise funds to support a number of local health care, education, and women’s causes.
- Alumni