Fall 2010 Class Notes

Mary O’Rourke Sullivan (FP94), Kat Scott Boyd (FP95), Mary Fanelli (FP95) and Carol Paige Rodrigue (FP95) gathered for a mini MHC reunion and celebration of Kat’s birthday on Cape Cod in Aug. Mary O. and her husband, Dan treated them with a trip to Sampson’s Island. Mary says “that living on the Cape with my family; raising our children Nora and Daniel in the community in which we were raised; and enjoying all our environment has to offer is amazingly joyful. Our home is close to our marina. We have chickens and peacocks, and grow our own vegetables and fruit. Working primarily outdoors as a land surveyor, I was considered for this position alongside men who had more experience, but I persevered! I enjoy the physical and mental rigors and it fits into my life. I am a lucky person with an angel on my shoulder, and I’m totally using it.” Kat is still a player on her stage, “strutting and fretting in my petty pace from day today, trying to finish a memoir, find an editor and agent, and paint another picture.”

In early Oct., Mary Fanelli retired from the French Dept. at MHC, where she served as the admin. assist. for over 10 years. She is renovating her Wilmot, NH, retirement home, barn and restoring the gardens. Mary joined the local Grange in keeping with her agrarian surroundings and she founded the classics book club at the Wilmot library. Carol enjoyed the MHC 1995 & FP reunions and the MHC mini-reunion at the Cape. She was blessed with several visits from family and friends over the summer. She and her husband Louis will spend the month of Jan. in Arizona, savoring the big sky, the mountains, but most of all, play time with their grandson, Tyler. Carol continues her endeavors in the fields of affordable homeownership, financial fitness and social justice working with the food pantry at her local church and as a faculty member of NeighborWorksAmerica® Training institute.

Arlene O’Connell (FP08) finished the summer semester and will receive her MLIS from Simmons College in Dec.

Carie Bernard (FP97) opened her own acupuncture and Facial Rejuvenation practice in Falmouth, ME in Nov. last year. “I am seeing patients and I absolutely love my work! Check out my new website: http://www.acumaine.com.” This summer she taught Patient-Practitioner Relationship at New England School of Acupuncture She loved teaching and considers doing it again. She is focused on building her practice right now but had some non work-related fun this summer and spent a week on the beach in FL in Sept.!

Since graduating, Elizabeth Tierney Brownlow (FP05) has pursued her own form of post-graduate art study–taking master classes with painters she admires, the New American Luminists Joseph McGurl, Donald Demers, and William Davis. “Painting landscape, still life and portrait, I had paintings in 5 juried shows over the last couple of years. I moved my studio into the Paragon Arts and Industry Building. I am an associate artist at the Lyme Art Association and I paint with the Putney Art group in Putney, VT, and the CT Plein Air Painters. For fun, my husband and I love Santa Fe, NM and enjoyed a couple of the operas there this past August. We do this quite often and always travel by train.”

Laurie Balliett (FP94) is currently living in Eastham, MA and works as Editorial Assistant for Cape Cod Magazine and South Shore Living Magazine. They have me writing, editing and doing lots of photography. At the same time, I continue to pursue painting in oils.

Linda Benoit (FP00) writes, “I am a licensed, independent, clinical social worker (LICSW).I recently achieved international certification as a drug and alcohol counselor (ICADC) through the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium.”

Maura Faulise (FP91) lives in southern NJ with son Cullen (16), daughter Kassia (15), and husband Steve. She teaches writing and literature courses at a community college and, “whenever I can, carve out time to go for a hike, jump on the bike, take a trip, or read something clever. Because of my geographic locale, my days frequently demand that I disassociate myself with all things ‘The Jersey Shore’!” Maura would be happy to hear from friends: mcfaulise@gmail.com.

Brunilda (Bruni) Hernandez (FP93) says “hello to all my friends that I have not heard from in a long time. I continue to live in Del Ray, Alexandria, VA, with my wonderful partner of 11 years Melissa and our labradoodle Cosmo. We love it here and plan on staying for awhile longer. I continue to work as a Public Health Nurse for Arlington County DHS. I am the Coordinator of their Car Seat Program, and I also assist the Coordinator for Arlington County’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program. I am also a Case Manager for the Public Health Community Health Services Division. I love what I do and I do what I love. Receiving the Mountain Day notice makes my heart jump for joy because I know that I belong to such a network of great women.

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