Rollins

Class News: April 2024

April 16, 2024

By Olivia Demarco ’02 ’15MBA

A collage of Rollins alumni.

In this monthly roundup, get the latest on what’s happening in the lives of your fellow Tars.

Welcome to the April 2024 edition of Class News, our monthly snapshot of the personal and professional milestones and adventures of your fellow Tars.

Each month we’ll share a collection of the most recent submissions, so don’t forget to keep us up to date on your latest news.

Alumni gatherings
Clockwise from left: Grove Party gathering; Tocarra Mallard ’10; Terry Kelley, Shelley Wilson ’77, Anne Barnes Colin ’77, Alison Flesh Morrow ’77, and Doug Morrow; alumni in Miami with Crummer dean Anil Menon; Carole Conklin Leher ’68.

Gatherings & Milestones

Alumni Weekend 2024 was full of heartfelt moments and connection, with nearly 1,200 alumni and guests. Check out our digital album of the best moments from the celebration.

Carole Conklin Leher ’68 and her husband, Robert, hosted President Grant Cornwell for a special March alumni event in Naples, Florida, where attendees met and mingled with Ena Heller, Bruce A. Beal Director of the Rollins Museum of Art.

On April 4, Rollins Trustee Rod Adkins ’81 hosted the final event of the recent Presidential-Dean Tour in Miami at La Gorce Country Club.

Suellen Fagin-Allen ’74 ’04MA was honored to celebrate her 50th reunion early by singing with other Chapel Choir alumni and friends at the March 18 memorial service for Marguerite Wettstein, wife of the late Knowles Memorial Chapel Dean Arnold Wettstein. Musicians included many alumni and former and current Rollins faculty.

During Alumni Weekend, Anne Barnes Colin ’77 and Shelley Wilson ’77 attended an alumni gathering celebrating their Phi Mu sorority affiliation at the home of Alison Flesh Morrow ’77 and her husband, Doug.

Pilot sitting in plane engine and alumna headshot.
From left: Ryan Antisdel ’08 and Devorah Burgess ’21.

Onward & Upward

Ryan Antisdel ’08 recently celebrated his one-year anniversary of being a commercial pilot at United Airlines.

Devorah Burgess ’21 has joined the Walt Disney Archives in California as an assistant archivist. She is excited to help collect, preserve, and make available for research the historical materials relating to Walt Disney and the company he founded.

Alumna holding music award.
Mackenzie Abrahamyan Cooper ’16

Honor Roll

Rollins Trustee David Lord ’69 ’71MBA ’16H has been nominated for Housing Colorado’s prestigious Eagle Award, which recognizes individuals for their work around affordable housing. The nomination committee states, “David’s heart beats for Silver Key Senior Services and senior affordable housing, a testament to his profound commitment. [His] impact echoes through the community, weaving a tapestry of hope and shelter for those in need.”

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation presented its 2024 Luminary Award to Mark F. Peres ’85 P’20 during the 2024 version of the foundation’s annual Sullivan Showcase.

This March, Mackenzie Abrahamyan Cooper ’16, promotion coordinator at Triple Tigers Records, was honored as the “New Face of Country,” a peer-nominated award presented to a rising leader in the country music industry. Presented at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee, the annual Country Aircheck Awards recognize outstanding achievement among broadcasters and record company executives in 21 categories. This award is voted on by country radio, streaming, record industry, and allied industry professionals from across the country.


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Lula Mae Gaines, a Rollins graduate from the former Patrick Air Force Base campus who was unable to attend her commencement ceremony in 1980, walked with the Holt Class of 2024 on May 11.

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Past experiences inform future goals for Olivia Demarco ’02 ’15MBA, Rollins’ new executive director of alumni engagement.

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