Alumni Class Notes

Class Class Notes Notes

Bayley Baker, 2020, was promoted to senior copywriter at Summit Marketing Agency.

Kara (Protasio)

Baden, 2015, is a field experience representative for HOKA ONE ONE, a shoe company. She and her husband, Josh, welcomed baby boy Flynn on Sept. 28, 2020.

Jennifer (Funk) Bell, 2015, and her husband, Dalton, are expecting their first child, a boy, in June 2021.

Joshua Cannon, 2020, is a livestream production specialist for Washburn University.

Tricia (White) Con-

nors, 2008, received Security Benefit’s 2020 Home Office Leadership award. She is the company’s distribution and marketing coordinator.

Fahra (Noorani)

Daredia, 2010, and her husband had a baby girl. Daredia started working for Kern County Library systems as head library associate, and she created a podcast called “Book Talk Bakersfield.” She’s currently working on a master’s degree, with an emphasis in library information and science.

Sarah Farlee, 2008, was promoted to public relations and marketing director at FreeState Electric Cooperative in Lawrence, Kansas. She is a 2020 Spotlight on Excellence Award winner after winning a gold award in the special publications category. The award also recognizes excellence in cooperative communications across the country by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Tesa (DeForest)

Eldred, 2012, has been a graphic designer and assistant to general manager at QuikPrint in Topeka for 5 years. She married Stephen Eldred in September 2019, and her daughter, Amelia, is 8.

Mark Feuerborn, 2018, directs the “FOX 43 AM Live” show, and he won an award for Best AM Newscast in 2020 from Kansas Association of Broadcasters. He also passed the Federal Aviation Association’s Part 107 Certification exam, making him the station’s new drone pilot. Feuerborn is also working toward a ComTIA’s A+ Certification for IT support specialists.

James Gorman, 2020, is a program analyst for the General Services Administration, which is an independent agency of the U.S. government established to help manage the basic functioning of federal agencies.

Eriko Hanoi, 2020, is a production sound mixer at Shiba Tech in Japan.

Jessica Herrera Rus-

sell, 2014, has worked as a public information officer for the Kansas Lottery since February of 2020. She married Eric Russell April 17, 2021. She also graduated with a master’s in leadership and communication from Washburn in December of 2019.

Amy Horvath, 2011, is now the business operations manager in the Office of Academic Affairs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Maggie (McKinley)

Hubbard, 2012, accepted a new position with The Moody Center based out of Massachusetts. She is the director of marketing and donor engagement. She had her first child in 2019, and she and her husband are now expecting their second child in October of 2021.

Matthew Kelly, 2013, is the marketing manager at the Capper Foundation.

Curtis Kitchen, 2002, was selected to join the American Society of Association Executives Research Committee’s AI Automation Task Force on a one-year term.

Misty (Ribordy)

Kruger, 2007, and her husband, Tom, welcomed baby Ryken Cole on July 9, 2020. He joins sister, Kayleigh, and brother, Thomas. Kruger works as an advisor training manager at Advisors Excel.

Hailey Mann, 2020, started a new job as web coordinator/graphic designer at Peterson Publications in Topeka.

Shalyn (Marsh)

Murphy, 2009, and husband, Stuart, had their second son, Solomon James, Sept. 3, 2020. He joins older brother Elliot, 5, who says “it sure is nice to have a baby around the house.”

Alicia (Phillips)

Mowder, 2008, has been head of U.S. marketing for Circle K, in Charlotte, North Carolina. She also earned her certificate in Destination Marketing from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a also serving on a customer advisory board member for Waze.

Bob Platt, 2008, joined the Culligan team as a Residential Water Expert in 2019 and earned the Sales Contest Record Holder award in 2020. Bob resides in Tonganoxie with his beautiful family and serves the Topeka, Lawrence, and Kansas City areas.

Taryn Wilkins, 2018, is a transaction associate for HPC Puckett & Co.

Jennifer Yi, 2021, was accepted into the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.