Class Notes

Lucy Blanco-Maratita, B.A., Fairhaven interdisciplinary concentration - law and diversity, is an assistant attorney general in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, serving in the Civil Division. 

Greg Meier, B.A., communication, became the head men's basketball coach at Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Arizona. 

Matt Galley, M.Ed., secondary school administration, and '05 and '14, administrative certificates, is the superintendent of Nooksack Valley School District in northern Whatcom County. Matt has worked in Nooksack schools since 1999 as a teacher, coach and principal before becoming superintendent in 2021. He was also selected by Whatcom County to serve on the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission. 

Traci Rogstad, B.A., international business, is returning to Western as the new associate vice president for Facilities Development and Operations. Previously, Traci was senior facilities program director and deputy executive director for Capital Planning and Construction. She has also worked for the Northshore School District and Washington State Ferries. 

Corey Ashline, B.S., plastics engineering technology, recently became a senior account executive for the equipment finance company Tamarack Technology. 

Lauren Hurst, B.A., geography, became a survey technician with R&M Consultants in Fairbanks, Alaska. 

Lynn Sordel, B.A., recreation, recently retired as Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts director of the city of Lynnwood, where he oversaw the renovation and expansion of the Lynnwood Recreation Center. He'll continue as the president of the Lynnwood Parks and Recreation Foundation and on the board of the Sound Foundation for Public Health, but hopes to spend more time with his family, traveling, and writing a book about his experiences in Lynnwood. 

Landyn Olsen, B.A., business administration - finance, became the sports development coordinator for the Snohomish County Sports Commission. 

Andrea Entz, B.S., psychology, is a voice actor, podcast manager and stand-up comedian who recently moved to Los Angeles after performing in Seattle and Tacoma. 

Erik Lowe, B.A., history and political science, is the force behind "Spokane Reimagined," an ambitious $1 billion, 20-year  tax levy proposal that would fund pedestrian- and bike-friendly infrastructure in the city. "I've always been the kind of person to swing for the fences," he told the Inlander in March.  

Jory Mickelson, B.A., English - creative writing, published their second book of poems, "All This Divide," with Spuyten Duyvil Press in May. Their third book of poems, "Picturing," is forthcoming in January from End of the Line Press in Canada. 

Alison Cochrun, B.A., English literature, writes full-time after teaching high school English for 11 years. Her third book, "Here We Go Again," was released by Atria Books in April. Her first queer romance novel, "The Charm Offensive," won the 2023 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Romance and Erotica. 

Mateo Messina, B.A., business administration - marketing, is a Grammy-winning composer for films and television. He also writes a symphony each year to benefit Seattle Children's Hospital, and expects to premiere his 25th symphony on Nov. 8, 2024. 

Michael Farmer, M.Ed., was recently selected to be the chief of schools for the Peninsula School District, overseeing the administrators of the district's 17 schools. Michael is the superintendent of Dieringer School District in Lake Tapps and has worked as an administrator with Tacoma Public Schools and the Eatonville School District.  

Adam Lervik, B.A, business administration - finance, recently  became the Whatcom Commercial Banking market leader for Peoples Bank, where he's worked since 2017.

Lani Difiesta, B.A., interdisciplinary studies, is the director of development and community engagement for Defend Our Health, an organization devoted to environmental public health based in Portland, Maine. 

Brett Mitchell, B.Mus., composition, recently became music director of the Pasadena Symphony. He's also the artistic director and conductor of the Sunriver Music Festival in Oregon. Brett has worked with the Colorado Symphony in Denver, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Houston Symphony. 

Samantha Wohlfeil, B.A., visual journalism and Spanish, recently became news editor of the Inlander weekly and online publication in Spokane. 

Annie Oien, B.A., fitness and exercise science, is the executive director of United Way of Lewis County. Previously, Annie taught health and physical education at Centralia College and worked at the Centralia College Foundation.  

Carter Dojan, B.S., Plastics and Composites Engineering, is working toward his doctorate at Colorado State University's School of Advanced Materials Discovery, where he recently completed the National Science Foundation's I-Corps entrepreneurship program. Carter's research is on novel technologies for rapid and automated manufacturing of fiber reinforced polymer composites.