The Ripon connection endures through generations

Ripon connections

make the world a smaller place. Mohammad Nafisi ’21 was living in San Francisco, California, doing an internship and finishing his last semester online. He knew no one there, but there were new friends just waiting in the wings.

Bill Neill ’67 and his wife, Judy Wilkinson Neill ’68, who lives in Ripon, had met Nafisi at a local church. When they learned of his California dilemma, Neill appealed to classmate Nancy Wadley Keough ’67 and she “took it from there.”

Keough and her husband, Jim, live about 120 miles south of San Francisco. They made contact, “and a wonderful friendship ensued,” Keough says. “He is an engaging young man, and the three of us, me, my husband and Mohammad, just hit it off.”

“We learned that Mohammad had made LOTS of friends at Ripon. We met frequently with Mohammad and shared many fun lunches and dinners.”

“It was a beautiful feeling to know a Ripon alum in northern California,” Nafisi says. “Nancy was super kind to take me lunches who have absolutely no connection to Ripon except their long friendship with me and who had never met Mohammad, they also contributed.”

The funds provided for round trip travel to Ripon, new clothes for the ceremony, spending money and money for presents Nafisi wanted to give to three of his professors.

“I was so grateful when I heard that Nancy was taking the initiative to raise money to send me back for the graduation,” Nafisi says. “I was shocked and felt blessed. I was so grateful to see the fundraising effort completed, giving me a chance to visit Ripon again.” and I hope to pay it forward.” and dinners. got know each other and learned about how Ripon has changed over time. I loved to hear about their travel stories and have a piece of my alma mater in a distant state.”

In August 2022, Nafisi left the United States to join his family in Australia, where they had emigrated from Iran. He had not seen them in more than six years. His new visa was approved, and he returned to the United States in late February.

When she learned that Nafisi would be financially unable to return to Ripon for his Commencement ceremony in May 2021, she made it her mission to get him to Ripon.

“I contacted classmates, other alumni and my Kappa Delta sorority sisters to see if we could put together a sort of small homemade Go Fund Me effort to get him there,” she says. “Suffice it to say it was a resounding success to the point that when I shared it with two of my high school friends

He says the ceremony meant so much to him because a large portion of his time at Ripon was during the pandemic. “While I loved my time and memories, being back at the almost pandemic-free graduation sounded marvelous.

“I kept the fact that I was going back for graduation a secret to most of my friends. It was a delightful experience to see them after a year and sharing memories again. It felt like I got the ending I wanted. Just like a cliché fairytale, the story ends on the best note possible. Seeing that strangers and Ripon alumni funded my travel expenses made me tear up about the community we have at Ripon. Their generosity means the world to me. I love the willingness of everyone to help

Contributing to Nafisi’s support were Nancy Wadley Keough ’67 and Jim Keough of Pebble Beach, California; Bill Neill ’67, retired director of charitable gift planning, and Judy Wilkinson Neill ’68 of Ripon, Wisconsin; Sue Boothroyd Loomer ’67 and Norm Loomer, professor emeritus of mathematics and computer science, of West Bend, Wisconsin; Kathy Santimays Dunn ’67 of Salisbury, North Carolina; Jane Person ’65 of Petaluma, California; and high school friends of Keough’s, Mary Kaye Fisher and Karen Whedon.

JAYE ALDERSON COLLEGE EDITOR

above left Sue Boothroyd Loomer ’67, left, Norm Loomer and Mohammad Nafisi ’21 above right Nafisi ’21 and Nancy Wadley Keough ’67 at a farewell sushi lunch.