English at ñ
Alumni Profiles
Shelby Denhof '14
Shelby Denhof has recently been accepted to the summer institute for teachers. Held at Stanford University in California this year,
participants will explore John Steinbeck in new, creative ways.
Denhof is currently teaching English at Rockford High School. While she was at Aquinas she majored in English and German and received her Secondary Education Certification.
Briana Asmus '05
After a two-year stint in Korea teaching English as a second language, Briana returned
home to Kalamazoo for a year before heading off in fall 2007 for a year of teaching
in Japan. Briana recently completed her Ph.D. in English Education at Western Michigan
University.
Jon Bacarella '06
Jon, his New Zealand wife, son Talor (shown) and daughter Layla live in New Zealand
where Jon accepted a job at Pakuranga College in Auckland, teaching English and Business
Studies. He is also coaching the under 56k Rugby team and advising the yearbook. The
family follows the Detroit Tigers religiously via the Internet.
Laura Bertram '08
Laura Bertram moved to Cleveland, where she is attending Case Western University School
of Law.
Brianna Boedeker '10
Brianna is the National Recruiter for Coastal-1 Communications. She also writes a
column, A Healthy Face of Diabetes, on everydayhealth.com.
Joe Boomgaard '03
After graduating with a bachelor's degree in English from ñ, Joe earned
a master's degree in journalism from Point Park University in Pittsburgh in 2005.
There, he contributed research for the Innocence Institute, a university-based program
run in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that investigated claims of wrongful
imprisonment. After his graduate program, he was hired as a staff writer at the Ludington
Daily News and covered local government, business, state politics and criminal justice
issues. At the newspaper, he won two first place awards - for breaking news and public
service reporting - from the Associated Press. He was named a fellow of the Knight
Center for Environmental Journalism's Great Lakes Environmental Journalism Training
Institute in 2007, furthering a lifelong interest and a study he began at Point Park
during an independent program. He recently accepted a new business reporter position
at MiBiz, a west Michigan business periodical. Joe married Claire Waltman '03 in 2005.
They live in Muskegon and enjoy frequent trips north along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
An avid angler, Joe enjoys pursuing steelhead in rivers across the Great Lakes.
James Bromley '00
Having completed his Ph.D. in English at Loyola University Chicago, Jim was hired
as an assistant professor of English at Miami University of Ohio in 2007.
Ann Burke '08
Ann is working on a master's degree in Composition/Rhetoric at Ball State University
in Muncie, Indiana. She has published essays on the National Council of Teachers of
English Gallery of Writing site and in the Language Arts Journal of Michigan.
Sarah Carter Conklin, Dec. '01
Since August 2001, Sarah has been a Language Arts teachers at Bridgman High School,
in southwest lower Michigan. "Though it was a difficult decision to make, I chose
Bridgman because of its small class sizes, supportive community, and respected reputation.
Bridgman is on a 90-minute, 8-period block schedule, which means I am teaching six
different courses. Most people think I was crazy to take a position as challenging
as this one, but so far I have loved each and every day."
I am teaching courses that I am passionate about and that I have a great deal of freedom
with: Effective Writing, Humanities, Vocabulary-Spelling-Grammar (VSG), Alternative
Education English, and freshman English. I am also
teaching a "study skills/conflict management/welcome to high school" course for freshmen
which provides a nice break in my intense preparation. I have found my work with the
students in A.S.P.I.R.E. (Bridgman's alternative education program) to be highly rewarding.
My experiences in the English and education courses at Aquinas, as well as the core
of my liberal arts education, have served me well in my first few weeks here at Bridgman.
I see my teaching career here as a Bridgman Bee to be one of great longevity. Coaching
is an option, as I am an alum of the Aquinas cross country and track programs, and
I have already been offered the women's head track coach position for the spring.
I share "Ireland" stories with my students on a daily basis and look forward to returning
to the Emerald Isle over Christmas break. I hope to begin a "Sampler-like" publication
with my Effective Writing class and have used my contact with the Humanities and English
faculty at Aquinas as a tool in creating a liberal arts atmosphere in my own classes.
Sarah and her husband, Matthew, have a daughter named Caroline.
Katie Carty '10
Katie is at the University at Buffalo SUNY working on a master's degree in Comparative
Literature with a focus on Latino Studies. She is also working to supply books to
impoverished children in El Salvador.
Angela Critchett '04
Angela earned her teaching certificate and is working on a Master's in Education at
Aquinas. She plans to teach English at the middle school level.
Stacey Dearing '09
Stacey earned a master's degree at Auburn University. In the fall of 2013 she will
begin work on a Ph.D. in English.
Kate Dernocouer '06
While working on an MFA in writing at Western Michigan University, Kate was inducted
into Phi Kappa Phi, an honors society for graduate students in the upper ten percent
of their class. She finished her degree in 2010. In addition, Kate has published her
work in journals such as Fourth Genre, Airplane Reading, Apropos, Whistling Fire,
and South Loop Review.
Caitlin Dillon ‘98
I recently completed my doctorate in Linguistics at the University of Indiana after
completing an MA in Linguistics at Cambridge University in England. I am now working
in a post-doctoral position at Yale University, working with hearing impaired children
who have had cochlear implants. While at Indiana University, I taught a variety of
courses, including English as a Second Language and a basic linguistics course called
Introduction to Language. I have also been a teaching assistant for a course called
“Indiana Dialects and Language Variation,” a sociolinguistics class about the history
and development of dialects of American English, with a focus on dialect variation
in Indiana.
The English program at Aquinas served and continues to serve me well. Aquinas truly
was a great place for me and the English Department provided me with an excellent
education.
Elizabeth Dudek '01
I am currently living in the Chicago area and working at CCH (Commerce Clearing House,
Inc.) located in Riverwoods, Ill. I am one of four Production Specialists for the
Estate and Gift Tax Department, a group that focuses on such things as estates, wills,
and financial planning. CCH, a subsidiary of the Dutch publisher Wolters-Kluwer, puts
out material geared towards such individuals as accountants and lawyers. My job revolves
around copy, editing and proofing various products the group puts out, mainly aiding
in the monthly production of New York Estates, Wills, and Trusts , information about
New York probate law. I enjoy my position at CCH very much, and the more I work there
the more I realize that I really and truly want to stay in publishing. I am reading
and writing whenever I can, with hopes of eventually getting published and possibly
doing some free-lance work. A crowning moment for me recently was entering the city-wide
Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards. I submitted my poem "Hips" on a whim, and as luck
would have it, the poem made it to the top 25. I performed the piece along with 24
other hopefuls in front of a live audience. Chicago is a great, vital city full of
diverse people and opportunities to be creative. I am glad I ended up here. Without
my education at AQ and the wonderful English professors who gave me both guidance
and friendship, I don't think I'd be here.
Will Eberle '10
Will is Deputy Press Secretary for Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in Washington, D.C.
Andrea Grant '12
Andrea has decided to become an archaeologist. She has participated in two expeditions
to unearth Etruscan artifacts in Italy.
Katie Yenglin Greer '03
In 2005 Katie earned her M.A. in Art History at the University of Notre Dame and in
2007 she completed her M.S.L.I.S. degree from Drexel University. Currently she is
an Information Literacy and Instructional Technology Librarian at Oakland University
in Rochester, Mich. Katie and her husband, Scott, have a son named Caleb.
Alyssha Hayden Munt '02
Alyssha earned a master's degree in Human Development and Leadership at Murray State
University in Kentucky. Currently she works as the Academic Services Coordinator
at Kansas State University (Salinas Campus). Alyssha is also pursuing an Ed.D. in
Educational Leadership from Northeastern University. She and her spouse, Ross, welcomed
their first child, Hayden, in February 2012.
Jeffrey Hole '95
Having completed his PhD in English at the University of Pittsburgh in 2007, Jeff
worked as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, for
two years. Now he is an assistant professor at the University of the Pacific in Stockton,
California.
Patrick Hurley '04
Patrick studied writing at Aquinas and spent a semester interning with the Great Books
Foundation in Chicago as part of the Chicago semester. After graduation, he was hired
by the Foundation and currently serves as a senior editor. He has had several of his
short stories published recently.
Shawn Jacobs '05
Shawn, known professionally in his earlier career as "The Amazing Egghead," now teaches
English at Zeeland High School (Zeeland, Michigan) where he also is advisor for the
newspaper and yearbook. He regularly uses "Romeo and Drooliet," a dog and cat version
of "Romeo and Juliet," to get his freshman students into Shakespeare.
Katie Jensen '04
After graduating from Aquinas, Katie moved to Pittsburgh to earn her M.A. in Literary
and Cultural Studies from Carnegie Mellon University. Currently she lives in Busan,
South Korea, where she teaches English Conversation to students at Dong-Eui University.
Brian Keilen '07
Brian earned a master's degree in Popular Culture at Bowling Green State University
in Bowling Green, Ohio. Now he is enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His focus is Media, Cinema, and Digital Studies.
Rachel Koval '09
Rachel earned a master's degree in English at Boston College. She is a Teach for America
2011 Corps Member working with pre-kindergarten students in Heronville Elementary
School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Rickie-Ann Legleitner '06
Rickie-Ann earned a master's degree in English at DePaul University in Chicago and
currently is working on a Ph.D. in English at the University of South Dakota.
Tracey Lindsley '06
Tracey is teaching English on an Indian reservation in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Kara Madden '10
Kara is an apprentice with Verb Ballets in Cleveland. She rehearses and performs
full-time with the company.
Chris Manning '99
After graduating from Aquinas, Chris moved to Los Angeles to earn a Master of Professional
Writing degree at the University of Southern California. Currently Chris works at
Lansing Community College, where he is an assistant professor of Developmental Writing.
Jennifer Marquardt '05
Jennifer completed a Ph.D. in Writing at the University of Southern Mississippi. She
teaches English at Kean University-Wenzhou in Wenzhou, People's Republic of China.
Jeffrey McCrystal '98
Jeffrey lives in Arizona, where he and his spouse, Wendy, run a business that sells,
repairs, and appraises Modernist North American and European home furnishings, fine
art, and ephemera. He also facilitates creative writing workshops for a not-for-profit
behavioral health agency.
Zarah Moeggenberg, Dec. '09
Zarah will begin work on her M.F.A. in writing at Northern Michigan University in
the fall of 2011. The University awarded her a full-ride assistantship.
Daniele Reisbig '10
Daniele participated in an AmeriCorps Vista program to reduce poverty in Billings,
Montana. Currently she is at Michigan State University, where she is earning a Master
of Social Work degree with a concentration in Organizational and Community Practice.
Cheyna Roczkowski '10
Cheyna plans to join the FBI. In the meantime, she is attending the Michigan State
University College of Law in East Lansing, Mich, to earn a Juris Doctorate degree.
The MSU College of Law granted her an Academic Excellence Scholarship, which covers
75% of her tuition.
Meadow Rose Snyder '99
Meadow Rose lives in Saline, Michigan, and works with autistic children privately
and in the public schools.
Scott D. Southard '96
Upon graduating from ñ, Scott went on to study at the graduate level
at both Michigan State University and the University of Southern California (where
he received his MPW in Professional Writing). He has written three award-winning novels,
all of which are published (My Problem With Doors, Megan, and 3 Days In Rome), and
a 10-episode radio comedy series that was played on many radio stations across this
country (The Dante Experience). Currently, while continuing to create his own fiction,
Scott works as a professional editor for a research company and also occasionally
teaches.
Luke Sprunger '10
Luke is enrolled in the master's program in History at Portland State University in
Portland, Oregon. He was awarded an Editorial Fellowship with the Pacific Historical
Review.
John Taylor '09
John is currently enrolled in the Michigan State University College of Law in East
Lansing, Mich.
Kelsey Tithof '10
Kelsey works as a Customer Service Specialist for TechSmith Corporation in Okemos,
Mich.
Dan Treul '09
Dan is the Communications Coordinator for Local First in Grand Rapids, and he runs
his own public relations company, Creative Incite. In addition, Dan is currently
working on a master's degree in Communication at Grand Valley State University.
Jessica Venlet '10
Jessica is working on a Master of Science in Information degree at the University
of Michigan. She's specializing in Library and Information Services.
Monica Walen '08
Monica is earning a Master of Library and Information Science degree online through
Wayne State University in Detroit. She is specializing in Youth Services.
Jen Sikora Wright '04
In the fall of 2011 Jen will begin work on a master's degree in Technical Communication
at the University of Central Florida.
Heather Young '99
Since my 1999 graduation from ñ, I have been working as a writer and
project manager for a strategic marketing and communications firm called Williams
Group. I help organizations strengthen the work they do by using a consistent "voice"
and carefully selected messages. This amounts to the creation of presentations, brochures,
web sites, advertisements and other marketing tools.
I feel good about the work because much of it is for nonprofit clients such as the
Council of Michigan Foundations, Community Foundations of America, Council on Foundations,
the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Frederik Meijer Gardens
and Public Education Network. I have also helped build communications for corporate
clients including Steelcase Inc., DuPont Canada, Lucent Technologies and Wyeth-Ayerst
Pharmaceuticals.
While at Aquinas, I studied English and Spanish and put a lot of energy into writing
for and editing The Aquinas Times. While my curricular and extracurricular writing
provided me a specialty here at Williams Group, I find that the most valuable aspect
of my ñ experience was an exposure to many disciplines - a credit to
the liberal arts degree. In meetings with clients and partners of my organization
alike, an ability to think creatively and strategically has proven to be my advantage.
Thanks in part to Aquinas, I'm not just a wordsmith, I'm a thinker.
Debra Mary Zoppa '00
During my last two semesters at Aquinas I began to contemplate what I would do upon
graduation in spring of 2000. While finishing my coursework, I started to explore
different careers thinking about my expectations, my interests, time, money, and how
to use what I was learning in my English and psychology classes at Aquinas. I felt
I had very strong literature and language communication skills that could be utilized
in a variety of ways. I eventually decided to combine my love of learning with helping
others learn. While finishing my bachelor's degree, I started taking classes as a
guest student in the Masters in Education program at Aquinas. I will complete a master's
degree in August 2002.
Since earning my Michigan Teaching Certificate in May, 2001, I have been teaching
seventh and eighth grade Language Arts at St. Thomas the Apostle School. I find teaching
to be challenging and rewarding on many different levels. I feel secure that the English
classes I took at Aquinas prepared me well for teaching. Each day presents itself
with amazing opportunities and expectations, and I enjoy the chance to share my love
of literature and poetry with energetic students. I like preparing creative lesson
plans based on my knowledge, using writing, grammar, and literature as a basis for
future learning. The classes I took at Aquinas have given me a unique outlook towards
teaching and filled me with a desire to continue my education. I seriously doubt if
I would have chosen teaching as a career if not for the excellence demanded at Aquinas
both academically and personally. Aquinas English classes provided an exceptional
place for me, as an adult student, to learn and thrive with confidence.