Class Notes

Ken Scholes, B.A., history, is the author of the five-novel series, "The Psalms of Isaak," published by Tor Books. He's also a singer-songwriter who combines his music and stories in hybrid events, and plans to visit Western in May.  

Tim Ashcroft, B.A., economics, recently became the president and CEO of the Hawaii Credit Union League and the HCU Services Corporation. Tim has worked in credit unions in Hawaii for 27 years. 

Julie Reiber, B.Mus., performance, recently performed with the North American tour of the musical "Jagged Little Pill," loosely based on Alanis Morissette's 1995 album. Julie has also performed on Broadway and in national tours of musicals such as "Wicked," "BKYLYN: The Musical," and "RENT." She recently released a solo album, "Love Travels," 

Kelly O'Neill, B.A., Fairhaven interdisciplinary concentration, reports that she's officially retiring in June after more than two decades in communications. After moving from journalism into public relations and marketing, Kelly served in a variety of capacities for Tacoma Goodwill, The Art Institute of Seattle, Grande Ronde Hospital, Gritman Medical Center and finally the University of Idaho, where she worked for the Department of Theatre Arts and the Lionel Hampton School of Music.

Rob McDonald, B.A., journalism, recently became communications director for Energy Keepers, Inc., an independent power producer, owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Energy Keepers manages the Se̓liš Ksanka Qĺispe̓ hydropower project on the Flathead Indian Reservation, which has the capacity to generate 208 megawatts of electricity. Previously, Rob worked as the communications director for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. 

Three alumni have turned their passion for the ocean and its creatures into careers with the MaST Center Aquarium located at Highline College.

Rus Higley, '94, directs the 2,500-square-foot aquarium that serves Highline students, faculty and the public. He's joined by fellow graduates in biology with a marine emphasis Emily Bjornsgard, ‘20, the lead aquarist, and Lily Gray, ‘21.

The MaST (Marine Science and Technology) aquarium in Des Moines features more than 250 local species and two touch pools.

Three alumni have turned their passion for the ocean and its creatures into careers with the MaST Center Aquarium located at Highline College.

Rus Higley, '94, directs the 2,500-square-foot aquarium that serves Highline students, faculty and the public. He's joined by fellow graduates in biology with a marine emphasis Emily Bjornsgard, ‘20, the lead aquarist, and Lily Gray, ‘21.

The MaST (Marine Science and Technology) aquarium in Des Moines features more than 250 local species and two touch pools.

Three alumni have turned their passion for the ocean and its creatures into careers with the MaST Center Aquarium located at Highline College.

Rus Higley, '94, directs the 2,500-square-foot aquarium that serves Highline students, faculty and the public. He's joined by fellow graduates in biology with a marine emphasis Emily Bjornsgard, ‘20, the lead aquarist, and Lily Gray, ‘21.

The MaST (Marine Science and Technology) aquarium in Des Moines features more than 250 local species and two touch pools.

Katie Royse Ginther, B.A., theatre and B.S., psychology, lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is the artistic director of Kitchen Sink Theatre Co., which she launched in Seattle.

Samantha Clark, B.A., psychology, is the assistant vice president - strategy and business development at MultiCare Behavioral Health in Spokane, where she recently received a Women of Achievement Award from the YWCA of Spokane. 

Jerry Goodwin, B.S., industrial technology, became the president and CEO of Guerdon Modular Buildings, which specializes in building large projects in sections to be assembled on site.  

Kathryn Eyraud, B.S., environmental science - marine ecology, recently became a partner at Althauser Rayan Abbarno, a law firm in Centralia. Kathryn, who earned a law degree from Roger Williams University, specializes in family law and previously worked as a family law facilitator for the Clallam County Superior Court. 

Kirby Larson, B.A., broadcast communication, has a new book out, "Gut Reaction," which she wrote with her daughter Wyatt Quinn. Published by Scholastic Press, the middle-reader novel follows a young teen competing in a junior baking competition all while figuring out how to manage Crohn's disease. 

Gary Benson, B.S., visual communication, is a musician who performs at coffeehouses, farmer's markets and assisted living centers in the Seattle, Bellevue and Kent areas. He specializes in the songs by artists he loved growing up: James Taylor, John Denver, CSNY, the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and others. Three of his performances, "Catch the Wind," "Love Me Tender," and "Carolina on My Mind," were recently broadcast on Evening Magazine to close out three episodes.   

Steve Sundin, B.A., urban and regional planning, is a senior planner for the city of Bellingham and recently received the Public Service Award from the Whatcom Business Alliance. 

Nico Sanchez, B.A., Fairhaven interdisciplinary concentration, is a musician, music producer and the owner of Black Noise Records, an independent music label and record store in Bellingham that was recently nominated for Startup of the Year by the Whatcom Business Alliance. 

Jeffrey Kallen, B.A., Fairhaven interdisciplinary concentration, retired in 2019 from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland after 39 years of teaching linguistics. In 2023, he published a book with Cambridge University Press called "Linguistic Landscapes -- A Sociolinguistic Approach," which examines displays of written language in the public space. 

Arthur Lim, B.S., P.E., sport psychology, founded Let's All Pickleball, a non-competitive pickleball league with fewer rules, aimed at encouraging broader participation in the sport by people of all abilities. 

Alison Lührs, B.A., theatre, is the narrative director of the video game "Destiny 2" at Bungie. "I'm thrilled to use the skills I learned making devised theatre every day as a director and creator," Alison writes. "We have a player base of over 30 million people, and I'm excited to bring a little bit of Western to every release." 

Mindy Uber, B.S., environmental science, is the senior director of environmental health and safety for Skanska USA Building and was recently appointed to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health.