News from Alums

Jason DeRose, '97 (derosejason@yahoo.com)
I just moved from Chicago to Santa Monica, California to become an editor on the NPR mid-day program Day to Day. For my job, I write much of what you hear spoken by the hosts of the program --Alex Chadwick and Madeleine Brand. My days in the English Department come in quite handy, as do my nights at the late, great WCAL. Drop me a line if you're visiting Southern California. Not enough Oles live here.

 

Todd Boss, '91
Todd is the Director of External Affairs at The Playwrights' Center and has poems published in Poetry, The New Yorker, and many other prestigious journals. His first collection of poetry, Yellowrocket, will be published in 2008 by W.W. Norton and Company.

 

Matt Nienow, '05
I just received word that my poem, "Six Ways of Looking at the Moon," was selected by Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Natasha Trethewey, for inclusion in the Best New Poets 2007 anthology. The book should be in stores late October. You can find more info at these sites: (http://www.bestnewpoets.org/) and (http://www.upress.virginia.edu/books/bnp07.HTM).

 

Charlie Braman, '05
After graduating in 2005, I spent a year traveling and working in South America. I backpacked through Peru, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. In Montevideo, Uruguay, I interviewed for an English language instructor position, got the job, found an apartment, and decided to live for about 8 months after backpacking. In Montevideo, I taught private English classes to high-profile Uruguayans such as the director of the Uruguayan Federal Bank. Currently, I am working as a teacher's assistant in the Saint Paul Public Schools special education program. In June, I will relocate to NYC to begin a 2-year stint as a secondary English teacher with Teach For America in the NYC Public Schools.

 

Lauretta Dawolo, '04
Lauretta is writing for Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, the oldest African American newspaper still in print in the Twin Cities (72 years).

 

Elizabeth Holmes, '02
Elizabeth, who attended Columbia University School of Journalism after graduation from St. Olaf, has just become a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. She says, "It's very exciting! I work like a dog, but it's definitely worth it."

 

David Pisa, '99
David has founded the Walking Shadow Theatre company in the Twin Cities, dedicated to, among other things, "examining local culture in a global context."

 

Daniel Fahl, '05
Daniel has been accepted into Rutgers University in New Jersey to study Library Science.

 

Jeff Neidt, '05
My name is Jeff Neidt and I am an '05 graduate of St. Olaf. I doubled majored in English and Political Science while at St. Olaf.

I just found out that one of my essays, entitled Slouching Toward Gomorrah, will be excerpted in an upcoming national book from the Traveler's Tales series, called What Color is Your Jockstrap? Funny Men and Women Write From the Road.


Steven Dickens, '98
Presently, I am teaching at the American Cooperative School in Paramaribo, Suriname (located in South America, formerly Dutch Guiana). Our school is an international school; we have students from Suriname, China, Indonesia, India, Africa, Holland, Canada, the USA, Japan, Mexico, and other countries. Most of our students are missionary kids (all the teachers, including me, are considered missionaries and are paid a missionary salary of $450 per month). Some of our students have parents that run local businesses; others have parents who work in Embassies. I teach: 7/8th grade English, 6th grade English, 7th grade math, and 7th grade Bible. Most recently I got back from teaching at an international school in Kunming, China. More information is available on my website. http://sdickens.tripod.com

 

Nancy Shaw, '80, njoyshaw@yahoo.com
I'm working at a professional regional theatre in the suburbs of Philadelphia called The People's Light & Theatre Company. My work is Coordinator of Education Programs.

Megan Ryan, '95, meganryan224@hotmail.com
I work in Pacing Communications at Medtronic in Minneapolis. My group works on product literature for all pacemaker product launches.

Kristine Martens, '97, martensk1@gateway.net
I teach English as a Second Language in the Chaska-Chanhassen School District. I work with 6th and 7th grade students from 17 different countries and 7 different languages. This winter, I finished my master's degree in education from the University of St. Thomas.

Holly Welch, '91, hollyw@guthrietheater.org
Somehow my journalism master's degree led me to a job in theater: I am the graphic designer at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. The highlight of my last year was being chosen to paint a Snoopy sculpture as part of the Peanuts on Parade tribute to Charles Schultz in St. Paul.

Karla Hult, '95, tvkarla@keyc.com
I started as a reporter for newspapers in Washington, DC, Virginia, and Alaska. I then picked up a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York. I'm now reporting for KEYC-TV in Mankato.

Jeanne Landkamer, '79, jeannelandkamer@hotmail.com
I'm a freelance writer in Minneapolis, working mostly for government agencies doing media relations, annual reports, brochures, etc., though I have also written curricula. I also work part-time for the YMCA, leading groups through an outdoor adventure learning "ropes" course.