Eleven recent graduates are pursuing their passions around the world during the 2025–26 academic year. As Fulbright scholars and teaching assistants, they’re continuing a rich tradition of post-grad international learning and service—and carrying Kalamazoo College’s spirit of exploration around the globe.
Fulbright
Erik Danielson ’25, Alex Nam ’25, Leo McGreevy ’25, Stacy Escobar ’21 and Joseph Horsfield ’25 are Fulbright scholars in the U.S. Student Program.
In partnership with more than 140 countries, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the federal government’s flagship for international educational exchange as it offers opportunities in graduate study, conducting research and teaching English abroad. K has earned recognition as a top producer of Fulbright students for six consecutive years. Graduating seniors apply through their educational institution. Alumni apply as scholars through their institution or as at-large candidates. As a nod to their academic merit and leadership potential, Danielson, Nam and McGreevy will serve Fulbright in Austria; Escobar will travel to Guatemala; and Horsfield will go to Ireland.
Danielson, Nam, McGreevy and Escobar will work as English teaching assistants (ETAs). In their roles, they will serve as teachers and cultural ambassadors while promoting an understanding of the U.S. and its culture, learning about their host country, and engaging with their communities.
Horsfield will attend the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and begin a Ph.D. program that has been offered to only two U.S. students each year since 2019. The opportunity, based in Dublin, encourages scientists to develop innovative research projects related to cancer; neurological and psychiatric disorders; population health and health services; biomaterials, medical devices and pharmaceutical sciences; surgical science and practice; or vascular biology. Fulbright will cover the first year of Horsfield’s educational costs and RCSI will cover the last three.
NALCAP
Fuzail Ahmed ’25, Maya Hester ’25, Sierra Hieshetter ’25 and Alexa Wonacott ’25 have received Spanish government teaching assistantships through the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP) of Spain. And Madeline Hollander ’25 and McKenna Lee Wasmer ’25 will fulfill government teaching assistantships through NALCAP in France.
The Education Office of the Embassy of Spain, located in Washington, D.C., promotes the NALCAP opportunities in Spain, seeking diverse educational outreach and long-lasting ties between American and Spanish citizens. France Education International maintains the program for France with a desire to cooperate globally in education along with technical and vocational training while supporting the teaching of French around the world.
Both programs have similar structures with Hollander, Wasmer, Ahmed, Hester, Hieshetter and Wonacott each expecting to be abroad for seven to eight months beginning in October. Afterward, the participants may apply for renewal.
NALCAP recipients receive a monthly stipend and medical insurance for 12–16 hours of assistant teaching per week depending on their program. They make their own housing arrangements and are encouraged to immerse themselves in the language and culture of their host countries while sharing the language and culture of the United States with the students they teach.
Alex Nam ’25 will be one of five Kalamazoo College alumni abroad in the 2025–26 academic year while serving the Fulbright U.S. Student Program as an English teaching assistant in Austria. He is pictured during his study abroad experience in Regensburg, Germany.
Alexa Wonacott ’25 will return to Spain this year thanks to the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program. She will be an English teaching assistant through a program offered by the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain.
“I’m proud of the Kalamazoo College students and alumni who seek opportunities like these because they support international cooperation on issues that are shared around the world,” Center for International Programs Executive Director Margaret Wiedenhoeft said. “Each honoree is an example of the curiosity, courage and global perspective we aim to cultivate in K representatives throughout their lives. The fellowships are not just awards. They’re opportunities to engage deeply with the world, seek challenges in new environments, and grow academically and personally. Their success reflects the strength of our programs and the passion our students bring to global learning.”
While some students spent spring break relaxing on beaches, several Kalamazoo College students took a different route, immersing themselves in the professional world through a new job-shadowing initiative.
K in the Zoo, organized through the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), connected students with alumni and local businesses in professions ranging from lab science to education, and project management to marketing. For many participants—such as Anna Phyo ’27—it offered a rare, hands-on glimpse into the day-to-day life of a potential future career.
“I’m really grateful I had this opportunity through the CCPD and I hope they do it again for more students,” Phyo said. “I believe it was beneficial, not only to the students who participated, but the companies as well because everyone got to talk with talented people. Spring break was a great time to do it, too. I didn’t have any other plans, and as an international student, I didn’t have time to go back to my home country, so it was good to learn something, engage with the recruiting process, and begin to create a career.”
Phyo, an international student from Myanmar, majors in computer science and business and minors in Japanese while working as a student assistant for the Information Systems Help Desk. One of her supervisors at the Help Desk sent her a link with information about K in the Zoo and encouraged her to apply for it.
Haziel Cerroblanco ’28 (from left) is among the Kalamazoo College students who took advantage of spring break in March to job shadow at local businesses. As a bonus, his experience at SalesPage Technologies allowed him to network with four K alumni: Ana Evans ’02, Ranjeet Ghorpade ’15, Jasmin Murillo ’22 and Trevor Hunsanger ’22.
Emily Perez ’28 (right) Perez observed substitute teacher Mason Bower ’09 (left) and program director/lead teacher Debbie Long ’89 (middle) at Calvary Kids Co-Op Preschool in Mattawan, Michigan.
Anna Phyo ’27 (right) job shadows with Greenleaf Hospitality Group Recruiting Manager Meg Brake during Phyo’s job-shadowing experience. Phyo will have an internship this summer in Traverse CIty, Michigan, thanks in part to some advice she received during her visit to GHG.
Alumnus Doug Lepisto ’04, a co-founder of Sleeping Giant Capital, met Schareene Romero ’27 to share firsthand career experiences and a practical understanding of his role in business with her during a job-shadowing opportunity.
After the CCPD compared students’ interests with volunteering employers, Phyo was matched with Greenleaf Hospitality Group (GHG) at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo. It led to a full day for her that included meeting with managers from recruiting, hotel operations, event sales and services, technology services, marketing and human resources.
“I had never known much about the hospitality industry before this,” Phyo said. “I talked with a lot of managers, so I got detailed information about how they operate. The impressive thing is that the people are very friendly. That’s how I learned how important people are for their company. They say, ‘employees first,’ and then the employees, as a result, treat the customer well.”
During the shadowing, GHG Service Desk Engineer Alex Peterson suggested that Phyo take an online course on essential Google Cloud infrastructure. The lessons have helped Phyo secure a summer internship at Hagerty, an automotive lifestyle and insurance company, in Traverse City, Michigan. Plus, the shadowing experience overall has taught Phyo that she would like to be a technical support professional for GHG.
“As a student, I love that they’re very close by, being located downtown,” Phyo said. “And after graduation, I don’t want to have to move to another state because I have friends and a host family here. I love the company, their culture, and their inclusive, collaborative and positive environment.”
Alex Quesada ’25, a double major in business and psychology, visited another major Kalamazoo-area employer. Stryker is a global leader in medical technologies, devices and equipment. He said it was a no-brainer to participate in K in the Zoo.
“It’s not easy to try to have career conversations with people you don’t know,” he said. “You might try to email someone or try messaging them on LinkedIn. And yes, you’re building your network that way, but that can be intimidating. Doing these job shadows lessens the idea that you might be faced with rejection. An experience like this makes career exploration more exciting. I see a lot of the people who work in the CCPD because I work in the Center for International Programs and we share an office. I see a lot of their faculty and staff, so I trust them, and they made it super easy.”
At Stryker, he met Andrea Fleckenstein ’15, an experienced project manager, who shared her background and discussed her career path after K. Ultimately, Quesada decided that project management isn’t what he wants to pursue in his career, but he found the experience to be beneficial, especially for the opportunity to talk with a K alumna.
“With my current job search, one of my anxieties is that my degree is not super specialized,” he said. “With Andrea, I could ask how she leverages her liberal arts skills to enter the real world and the job market as someone with a broad degree. It helped to hear that Andrea said she didn’t major in business; she majored in French and political science, and now does project management for Stryker. It was reassuring to ask, ‘How did you do it?’ and ‘How did you end up here?’ She kept saying that it’s because K teaches you how to think and ask good questions.”
Many alumni hosts said they benefited from similar career networking experiences as students and were happy to pay it forward to current students.
“I know that when I was in school, I had the opportunity to talk with and be guided by those that had come before me, so I wanted to make sure that I was providing the same opportunity to current students,” said Christina Anderson, Kalamazoo’s city planner and deputy director of community planning and economic development. Anderson welcomed Anne Galin ’26 to her office, spending the day with her while attending public meetings.
“I was so appreciative that she just dove right in,” Anderson said. “She figured out what needed to be done and where I needed help, and she had the ability to participate in the discussion. She had no qualms about it and got right to the work of the night, which was discussing the city’s strategic vision goals. She took the initiative to ask us a lot of questions.”
Anderson also provided Galin with some advice.
“We talked about taking future opportunities and how not liking them can be as valuable as loving them,” Anderson said. “Crossing things off is just as important as understanding what you want to do. We talked about staying involved, whether it’s with the City of Kalamazoo or other organizations, and to keep up with what the city is doing as a way to integrate yourself into your community. When you’re here as a student nine to 10 months out of the year, make the city a better place for yourself and all the students who will come after you. Ask how you can positively shape your community.”
The city’s chief operating officer also is a K alumna and a current assistant cross-country coach, so she feels a strong connection to the College.
“My roots run deep with K, and as an individual who benefited significantly from service learning and my experiences there, I’m deeply committed to helping students expand their career horizons and understand more about the real world by giving them a chance to experience local government as I see it every day,” said Laura Lam ’99, whose husband, Daniel Lam ’98, also attended K.
She welcomed Hollis Masterson ’26, who majors in political science and history.
“The opportunity presented itself and I had that initial question of, ‘Am I too busy?’ I then thought no matter how busy I was, interacting with students would inspire me, too,” Lam said.
To cater an experience to Masterson based on his interests, Lam connected him with Vice Mayor Jeanne Hess—a K professor emerita and former volleyball coach—for a conversation about what it’s like to be an elected official in Kalamazoo; Anderson because she spent some time on Capitol Hill in D.C.; and City Clerk Scott Borling along with Deputy City Clerk Shelby Moss, who are responsible for hosting elections.
“I can’t tell you how impressed I was with Hollis’ preparedness,” Lam said. “I believe I set the bar pretty high for K students, but he came with a longer list of thoughtful questions than I could have possibly imagined. With his eager, thoughtful, helpful questions, there was never a lull in conversation. He asked about the things that interested him and I’m sure he was the same way in the other meetings I planned for him.”
With such positive reviews coming from all sides, K in the Zoo students were more than passive observers. Their meetings were more about engaging in conversations and talking about careers. It proved to be a pilot program that CCPD Associate Director Rachel Wood hopes to replicate for more students in the years ahead.
“I’m so grateful to our incredible hosts and student participants for making the first K in the Zoo such a success,” Wood said. “The energy and insight from both sides made it clear this is something worth growing. These place-based, hands-on experiences are exactly what help students apply what they’re learning in the classroom to real possibilities for life after K. I’m excited to expand the program with more hosts and new opportunities moving forward, especially in partnership with the greater Kalamazoo community and local employers who are eager to support the next generation.”
A Kalamazoo College alumna is among the people playing important roles in the fight against Parkinson’s disease (PD) at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), headquartered in New York City.
The foundation, which launched in 2000, says it’s dedicated to finding a cure for PD—a progressive chronic neurological movement disorder—through an aggressive research agenda that also ensures the development of improved therapies for those living with the disease today. As the organization’s director of research resources, Nicole Polinski, Ph.D. ’12 ensures that industry and academic researchers have access to the biology tools—called reagents—and preclinical models that they need for performing biology and chemistry experiments.
High-quality research tools are vital for successful, reproducible science. MJFF’s Research Tools Program team, including Polinkski, works with the research community to understand the gaps in the research tool space, develop and distribute reagents and models to fill these gaps, and better understand the characteristics of available research tools.
“I think my biggest challenge is to make sure that our limited resources have the biggest impact possible,” Polinski said. “It’s trying to identify what we need as we get suggestions for where we should focus our laboratory-tool development. It’s trying to connect the dots between different things you’re hearing from different folks to make sure that we prioritize and select the programs that have the potential to impact a lot of labs. Figuring out what to prioritize and who to work with on those programs.”
The early signs of Parkinson’s disease include tremors, often in the hands or fingers; a loss of smell; trouble moving or walking, including stiffness and balance problems; constipation; a reduction of facial expressions; dizziness or fainting; sleeping problems and stooping or hunching over. Polinski said Parkinson’s is diagnosed through such traditional motor systems, but until recently, it’s pathology could only be confirmed at autopsy. As a result, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is still all too common.
“The two pathological hallmarks that are confirmed in an autopsy are in the brain,” Polinski said. “One is the presence of a protein that’s normally in the brain, but it starts to clump abnormally with Parkinson’s. It’s the presence of those clumps and then the loss of a specific brain system, which consists of a circuit that deals with movement.”
Research, though, through MJFF and its partners, is beginning to provide more methods for diagnosis as well as treatment.
Nicole Polinski ’12
National Parkinson’s Awareness Month
April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month. Organizations such as The Michael J. Fox Foundation, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the American Parkinson Disease Association host events and campaigns, provide resources for people living with Parkinson’s, and support research efforts in the fight against the ailment, which afflicts more than 10 million people worldwide including about 1 million in the U.S.
In 2023, an international coalition of scientists led by MJFF discovered a Parkinson’s biomarker—a tool that can detect the earliest biological signs of the disease in living people.
“We need better ways to diagnose it, and I think we’re making good headway,” Polinski said. “There’s now a test with cerebrospinal fluid that can detect those clumps. It’s still not perfect. A lumbar puncture to collect the fluid is not easy. Hopefully, we might be able to use saliva and blood or other bodily fluids that require less invasive procedures in the future.”
Michael J. Fox is widely known as an actor for his role as Alex P. Keaton on the 1980s situation comedy Family Ties. He later became a movie star with roles in Teen Wolf,Back to the Future, The Secret of My Success and Casualties of War. In 1991, Fox developed a tremor in his pinky finger. He consulted a neurologist and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at just 29 years old. Still, he found a way to channel that life-changing news into a way to help others.
“I’ve met Michael a number of times and he came to our all-staff meeting earlier this year for a fireside chat,” Polinski said. “He talked about his experience and where he’s at now. You know how he feels about the work and all that the foundation he established has accomplished. It’s always great to see him. He’s as nice as he is portrayed.”
In her early years at K, Polinski knew she wanted to major in biology, but no one in her family had a science background, and her exposure to the medical field was primarily through medical doctors. She assumed she would also go to medical school and become a physician herself until she started her Senior Integrated Project (SIP).
“I ended up doing a summer internship at a spinal cord injury lab at The Ohio State University and I really liked being in the lab,” Polinski said. “After that, I started looking more into graduate schools and went on to get a Ph.D. in neuroscience.”
Shortly after graduate school at Michigan State University, she began working for The Michael J. Fox Foundation as a research program officer, advancing to associate director and senior associate director before earning her current position. It’s a role she relishes, knowing her work contributes to an important fight.
“We’re well on our way to improving ways to diagnose Parkinson’s disease with some recent breakthroughs, and we have more diverse therapeutic strategies in testing than ever before,” Polinski said. “On top of that, we’re identifying new pathways to tackle Parkinson’s disease by looking at patient bio samples to better understand the disease at a basic biological level. I’ve been here almost nine years, and no two days ever look the same. It’s a field that is ever evolving, and even within my laboratory tools space, new technologies and targets are popping up that need support with new players in the field. It’s something that’s always changing, and I really enjoy that challenging feature of this work. I never get bored, and I love my job.”
When Sashae Mitchell ’13 stepped into her new role as director of the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) last year, it was a meaningful return to the place where her journey in civic and global education began. She follows in the footsteps of founding director Alison Geist, who retired after years of visionary leadership.
Before coming back to K, Mitchell was making a difference in her home country of Jamaica as the founder and managing director of Mitchell’s Math Centre, offering math instruction and tutoring to students in grades four through 11. She also served as an assistant lecturer in the faculty of business at Montego Bay Community College.
Mitchell holds a master’s degree in international education and development from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her bachelor’s in mathematics right here at K. We caught up with her to learn more about what inspired her return and her vision for the Center’s future.
Question: How did you get involved in civic engagement as a profession? Tell us about your career path and why you have decided to return to K?
Answer: The CCE was my first introduction to critical community engagement, where students, faculty and community members work together to strengthen communities to promote a more just and equitable society. Through the CCE, I learned the immense value of this work, its role in fostering a sense of belonging, and its ability to help students find and sustain their community while on a college campus. The CCE also provided opportunities for students to learn from and collaborate with community members. This experience significantly shaped my career path. When I entered K, I aspired to become an actuary, but my involvement with the CCE ignited a passion for education and addressing educational inequities which shifted my focus and took me on a different journey.
As the new leader of the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement, Sashae Mitchell ’13 wants to expand its impact while sharing its efforts nationally and even globally.
Upon graduating from K, I interned with the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, where I collaborated on reports and strategic planning sessions to advance the Learning Network of Greater Kalamazoo and conducted data analysis on the Kalamazoo Promise. This experience helped refine my focus on education and community development.
In 2014–15, I returned to K as the post-baccalaureate fellow at the CCE, which deepened my commitment to this work. One of the highlights of that year was when I co-facilitated a class with former CCE director Alison Geist and former associate director Teresa Denton, exploring critical service learning by examining contemporary social issues and their intersections. Working closely with students and facilitating their leadership development as they managed more than 15 community partnerships was incredibly rewarding. This experience also paved the way for my graduate studies in international education and development, where I further honed my skills and gained international experience through an internship with an educational think tank in South Africa. There, I applied many of the principles I learned at K, especially those focused on collaborating with the community to develop educational interventions. Throughout this process, we made sure to center the voices of those impacted by the inequities we were working to address.
Though my career path took many twists and turns, including returning to Jamaica as a lecturer teaching mathematics, the common thread throughout has always been community engagement. I worked with students who struggled with the subject, and I applied the CCE’s principles of community to help encourage collaboration and mutual support in the classroom.
Returning to K has felt like a natural, even destined, step. Although my journey took me down various paths, the central theme has always been how to work in community. Being in this role feels like kismet—serving as the director of the department that helped shape my worldview, career goals and life’s work has been deeply fulfilling. I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to the place where it all began.
Q: What made K special for you as a student and now as a civic engagement professional?
A: Kalamazoo College is truly a unique institution, and surprisingly, I only fully realized this after graduating in 2013. My life has been profoundly shaped by the various aspects of the K-Plan that I had the privilege of experiencing as a student.
My passion for civic engagement began as a first-year student when I joined two programs—Community Advocates for Parents and Students (CAPS) and Keeping the Doors Open (KDO). CAPS captured my heart, and I remained involved in the program throughout my four years at K. Working on the city’s northside at Interfaith Homes through CAPS was the first time I truly felt a sense of belonging at K. It was clear that the CCE would become my home away from home. My involvement in civic engagement grew, and it was no surprise that I became a Civic Engagement Scholar in my sophomore and senior years, eventually returning to work at the CCE as a post-baccalaureate fellow after graduation.
K’s commitment to preparing students to become enlightened leaders through a flexible curriculum, which encourages applying learning in transformative ways, is one of the many reasons the college stands out as a gem in southwest Michigan. Experiential learning is deeply embedded in the culture at K. It has been an absolute pleasure returning to campus. K provides opportunities for students to study abroad, work with community partners and learn from professionals through a variety of internship and externship opportunities. I certainly wouldn’t have gone to China without K’s excellent study abroad program.
The CCE provides an opportunity for me to work with students, faculty and community in collaborative partnerships that employ critical civic engagement and seek to address social justice issues. We facilitate opportunities for students to work alongside community partners, enhancing educational experiences and supporting efforts to create a more just and sustainable world. What a great place to work!
Q: What are your goals, short term and long term, for the Center for Civic Engagement?
A: For more than 20 years, since its inception, the leadership of the CCE has worked to build the department and establish the prominence it now enjoys. As we enter the next chapter of the CCE, our goal is to continue building on this legacy while elevating our work both on campus and within the community. We aim to expand our impact, sharing our efforts nationally and even globally.
Our goals for this next chapter include:
Engaging new and sustaining existing community partners to support our student-led programs, community-based courses and community-building internships.
Collaborating closely with faculty to ensure our work is consistently grounded in scholarship.
Enhancing our data collection methods to more effectively share the stories of our impact.
Fostering the continued growth and development of our Civic Engagement Scholars.
Increasing student participation and engagement across our initiatives.
Through these efforts, we hope to build on the foundation laid by our predecessors and take the CCE to new heights of excellence and influence.
Q: How do you like to connect with students? What’s your approach?
A: I truly enjoy working with students and I would argue that this has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my role. As a Kalamazoo College alum, I take great pride in sharing my K story with students I meet, offering insights into both the successes and challenges I’ve faced and how I navigated them.
Currently, I primarily work with our Civic Engagement Scholars, along with many other students involved in our programs. They have appreciated coming to our offices, and my open-door policy has created a space where they feel comfortable to visit whether to seek advice, share experiences or simply connect.
As a woman of color in this role, I am deeply mindful of how I show up in these spaces, particularly for BIPOC students. Representation matters, and I believe it is vital to support them in meaningful ways. During my time as a K student, I was fortunate to have advocates who ensured my experience was fulfilling and impactful. It’s my mission to pay that forward and be a source of support and guidance for future K students.
Q: On a personal note, what are three things people might be surprised to learn about you?
A: I’m currently learning to swim with the Kalamazoo Master’s Swim Club and it’s been a life-changing experience!
I majored in math at K and I still have a strong passion for the subject. My degree helped me develop critical problem-solving skills that have shaped the way I approach both life and every role I’ve held in my professional career.
I grew up in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and although the Michigan winters are still an adjustment, I absolutely love the winter outfits!
Carter Dillet portrays George Stinney Jr. in the Opera Grand Rapids production of “Stinney: An American Execution.”
Daniel Sampson plays George Stinney Sr. in “Stinney: An American Execution.”
Chasiti Lashay appears in the role of Alma Stinney during the Opera Grand Rapids production of “Stinney: An American Execution.”
Cody Colvin ’18 has been striking powerful chords at the intersection of opera and media production. This February, he was honored with the Michigan Association of Broadcasters’ Best Independent Producer award, which recognizes the best public television program in the state by an independent producer. Colvin shares the honor with fellow producers Emilee Syrewicze and Phil Lane for their work on Stinney: An American Execution, a cinematic capture of Opera Grand Rapids’ groundbreaking world premiere.
Colvin served as director, producer and co-executive producer on the project, which tells the harrowing true story of George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy who, in 1944, became the youngest person ever legally executed in the U.S. after being wrongfully convicted of the murder of two white girls in South Carolina. Decades later, in 2014, a South Carolina judge vacated his conviction, citing an egregious lack of due process.
“The film hurts to watch every time,” Colvin said. “It reminds me of how important this story is and why we told it.”
The opera, composed by Frances Pollock with libretto by Tia Price, premiered in 2022. With Colvin as director, the production was transformed into a cinematic experience now streaming nationwide and broadcast across Michigan through Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliates. The film also marks a technical achievement as it’s believed to be the first full-length opera captured entirely on cinema cameras. It features cutting-edge audio with technology from DPA Microphones and Tentacle Sync, mixed in immersive Dolby Surround with nearly 40 channels of recorded sound.
Colvin began conversations about filming Stinney in 2021, when he approached Opera Grand Rapids’ then-chorusmaster about singing in the chorus. That conversation quickly evolved into a production opportunity. OGR Executive Director and Stinney Co-Executive Producer Emilee Syrewicze then brought Colvin and his company, Colvin Theatrical, on board to produce the film.
“After touring with the American Association of Community Theatre in 2021, we were looking for a project we could really sink our teeth into,” Colvin said. “This was that project, technically ambitious and thematically vital.”
Before Colvin’s involvement, Syrewicze had begun preliminary broadcast talks with WGVU, Grand Rapids’ PBS affiliate. Once Colvin joined the team, WGVU escalated the project to PBS national headquarters. Emmy-winning PBS Senior Director of Programming Doug Chang, known for Live from Lincoln Center, worked with Colvin to help refine the film for national release. It now lives on the PBS app and has aired across multiple Michigan regions.
“When we screened it for the first time, the stunned silence in the room was palpable,” Colvin said. “I was able to watch the initial broadcast with the Opera Grand Rapids donors who helped bring the project to life, and their thoughtful and emotional response to the film reaffirmed why we do this work.”
Colvin founded Colvin Theatrical in 2020 during the pandemic, helping theater companies reach audiences far beyond their venues. One early breakthrough came in 2021, when he filmed 11 of the 12 Outstanding Production nominees at the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) Festival, earning international media coverage. In 2023, he launched Colvin Media to expand into broader film, television and advertising projects. Colvin Theatrical now operates under that umbrella.
A classically trained bass-baritone, Colvin nurtured his passion for singing during his time at Kalamazoo College. He made his principal opera debut in 2024 in La Bohème with Opera Grand Rapids, and his next milestone comes this spring with a Carnegie Hall debut.
Colvin to Perform at Carnegie Hall
Cody Colvin ’18 will make his Carnegie Hall debut at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, performing a solo with the West Michigan Opera Project. The Grand Rapids-based ensemble focuses on educational outreach through concerts, workshops, and master classes. A public sendoff concert is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 6. RSVP for either event at the West Michigan Opera Project website.
Alyssa Toepfer portrays Jean Binnicker during the Opera Grand Rapids production of “Stinney: An American Execution.”
Cody Colvin ’18, a business and theatre arts double major at K, founded Colvin Theatrical in 2020. In 2023, he launched Colvin Media to expand into broader film, television and advertising projects.
A movie with Kalamazoo College ties that seeks to change society’s views on marijuana incarceration policies is now available for pre-purchase and will be available digitally through Apple TV+ beginning Friday, April 18. Grassland stars Quincy Isaiah ’17, an actor known for his role as Magic Johnson in the HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Adam Edery ’19 served the movie as a producer and Shon Powell ’18 as a consulting producer.
“Overall, we’ve gotten overwhelmingly positive feedback on the film, not only on platforms such as Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB, but from individuals letting us know how moved they are by it,” Edery said. “The biggest takeaway people seem to have is that they didn’t realize how many people are still incarcerated for cannabis offenses today, and seeing the direct impacts this has on families.”
Set in 2008 during the Great Recession, the movie follows a single Latina mother whose illegal marijuana business is jeopardized when her son befriends new neighbors, a young white boy and his police officer grandfather. Actors Mía Maestro and Jeff Kober star alongside Isaiah, who plays Brandon, a character who feels stuck with few options for moving on thanks to a mistake he made as a child.
Grassland had a private screening with guests Edery and Isaiah at K’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership in November 2023. The film then had a world premiere at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. It since has played at the Monterrey International Film Festival, the Boise Film Festival, the Pan African Film and at events in Detroit, New York City and Los Angeles with more screenings still to come.
Executive producer Common, who is also an actor and rapper, will lead an April 25 impact event at Shinola San Francisco, which will include conversations with him, members of the film team and the Last Prisoner Project’s (LPP) director of advocacy. LPP works to free people who are still incarcerated for cannabis offenses.
“We are using our social impact campaign not only to educate people on the realities of cannabis incarceration today, but also to spur them to take action and provoke change in their communities whether it be calling their congressman to ask for clemency for a local LPP constituent, or moving from buying their cannabis from a national retailer to a local, cannabis-justice driven shop,” Edery said.
Edery added that he won’t measure the film’s long-term success by the amount of money it makes or the amount of people who purchase it, but rather the amount of change that is driven from it.
“If we can meaningfully contribute to even one person being freed from prison as a result of efforts correlated with this film, I will consider it a success,” he said. “And that starts with people watching the movie and becoming educated on the issue while also being entertained in the process.”
Quincy Isaiah ’17 stars in “Grassland,” which is now available for pre-purchase through Apple TV+. Adam Edery ’19 is a producer and Shon Powell ’18 is a consulting producer.
Actor Quincy Isaiah ’17 (left) and Producer Adam Edery ’19 returned to Kalamazoo College in November 2023 to screen their independent film titled “Grassland.”
Kalamazoo College alumni continued to distinguish themselves locally, nationally and around the world through personal accomplishments, professional achievements and efforts that will make a difference in the educations of K students for years to come. Here are their top 10 stories of the year as determined by your clicks at our website.
Ali Randel, Andre Walker Jr. and Maggie Zorn, all from the class of 2024, were selected for the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP) through the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain. They are working under the supervision of teachers in Spain to help Spanish students improve their English skills and understand American culture.
Many people think of household pets like cats and dogs when they think of veterinary medicine, yet it’s a whole other animal for Maddie Chilcote ’17. She is a wildlife and conservation medicine intern at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), a nonprofit teaching hospital and visitor education center in Sanibel, Florida.
Chilcote brought this mottled duck back to health after performing its surgery at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife.
Shannon Milan ’16, previously an admission counselor and assistant admission director, returned to K in August after working for Portage Public Schools as a school psychologist. We sat down with Shannon to talk about her background and goals for admission.
Nicholas Gann ’12 has recognized how his liberal arts education at K prepared him for his career through wide-ranging roles such as substitute teacher, laborer, political researcher, roofer, public relations and tourism manager.
Nicholas Gann ’12 hikes in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, near Centennial, Wyoming, in 2021.
Kalamazoo’s KP Cinemas was one of 25 theaters around the country to screen He Went That Way, a thriller co-produced by alumnus Hugh Broder ’77 and based off a chapter in a book written by the late Kalamazoo College Professor Emeritus Conrad Hilberry.
Hugh Broder ’77 (middle), is the co-producer of “He Went That Way.” Zachary Quinto (left) stars as Jim Goodwin and Jacob Elordi (right) stars as Bobby Falls in the film.
Evans earned her medical degree from the University of Kentucky and completed her Internal Medicine residency there after an internship at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her commitment to improving health outcomes was recognized when she was named a physician champion for the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support program by the Kentucky Department of Public Health.
Each year during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend in October, K recognizes several outstanding alumni who bring honor and distinction to the institution through their accomplishments, service and achievements.
Kim Aldrich ’80 received the Weimer K. Hicks Award during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.
Kalamazoo College alumna Samantha Moss ’24 had a new job working for Major League Baseball in 2024. Moss, a timing operations administrator, was at MLB headquarters in New York, ready to assist on-the-field officials who needed help interpreting the league’s new rules, especially those related to pitch clocks.
Samantha Moss ’23 served Major League Baseball as a timing operations administrator during the 2024 season.
Four members of Kalamazoo College’s class of 2024 were selected for prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for the 2024-25 academic year. Julia Holt, of Owatonna, Minnesota; Teresa Lucas, of Mattawan, Michigan; Ally Noel, of Midland, Michigan; and Danielle Treyger, of West Bloomfield, Michigan; are among the students, artists and young professionals representing the U.S. in about 140 countries for one academic year.
Sydney Salgado ’24—who was a triple major in religion, Spanish and international area studies in Latin America—was just the second K graduate to receive a Jerry Sherbin Fellowship, designed to send one graduating senior overseas to explore a topic of personal interest for one year. She now is pursuing ethnographic research around Latin American cultures and how they view death in unique ways.
Sydney Salgado ’24 shakes hands with President Jorge G. Gonzalez at Commencement.
Each year during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend in October, Kalamazoo College recognizes several outstanding alumni who bring honor and distinction to the institution through their accomplishments, service and achievements. The award recipients, through their personal and professional accomplishments, represent the lasting value of K.
The Alumni Association distributed its awards for 2024 on Friday, October 18. The citations and the alumni receiving them included:
Steven Yeun ’05, the Distinguished Achievement Award. The honor recognizes alumni who achieve distinction in their professional fields. National or international recognition indicating a continuing or enduring level of achievement is desirable. Yeun, an Academy Award Best Actor nominee, will reunite with Director Bong Joon Ho for Mickey 17, a highly anticipated 2025 film also featuring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Colette. He also will star next year alongside Kristen Stewart in Love Me, a sci-fi romance.
In 2024, Yeun earned Golden Globe, Emmy, Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild Awards as an actor and executive producer in the Netflix series BEEF. Earlier in his career, Yeun starred as Ricky “Jupe” Park in the Jordan Peele film Nope (2022); as Jacob in the movie Minari (2021); as Ben in the movie Burning (2018); and as Glenn Rhee in the TV show The Walking Dead.
At K, Yeun majored in psychology, took theatre classes and participated in Monkapult, a student organization focusing on improv.
Steven Yeun ’05
Gene Bissell ’76, the Distinguished Service Award. The honor recognizes individuals who have made exceptional volunteer contributions to Kalamazoo College. Bissell—a political science major, student government treasurer, yearbook committee member and resident advisor at K—spent most of his 34-year career at two companies, AmeriGas and BOC Gases. He worked at several levels, from management trainee to executive, in locations throughout the U.S.
In 2000, he was appointed president and CEO at AmeriGas, the largest propane company in the country. In retirement, he has continued to serve on several boards of directors; most important to him, however, were his 15 years on the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees, from 2004–19, including serving as the first chair of the Audit Committee, as chair of the Finance Committee for seven years, and on two capital campaign committees.
He and his wife, Joann, established two endowments at K, one to support students from outside Michigan and the other to support students on study abroad. They have also donated funds to establish the Bissell Theater.
Gene Bissell ’76
Alex Morgan ’11, the Young Alumni Award. The citation is distributed to chosen K alumni within 15 years of their graduation for outstanding achievement; personal growth in their career; or outstanding professional, civic and cultural service.
After earning a master’s degree from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee and serving Teach for America, Morgan moved to Evanston, Illinois. He worked there for Rep. Brad Schneider’s re-election campaign and organized for the Sierra Club, where he helped close several coal-fired power plants.
In 2015, Morgan—a political science major at K—teamed up with a colleague from the Schneider campaign to start the Progressive Turnout Project, an organization focused on rallying Democrats to vote. The Project has become the largest voter contact organization in the country outside of the collective efforts of the DNC and state parties.
Alex Morgan ’11
Kim Sullivan Aldrich ’80, the Weimer K. Hicks Award. This award honors a current or retired employee who has provided long-term support to the College programs or activities beyond the call of duty, or who has provided excellent service in the performance of their job, making a significant contribution to the College in ways that have advanced the goals of the Alumni Association.
Aldrich began her career at K as a gift and data systems processor. Two years later, she was promoted to assistant director of management information systems, and in 1988, she advanced to director of development operations and records. By 2006, she had taken on the role of director of alumni engagement, a position she held until her recent retirement.
At the time of her retirement, Aldrich was the longest-tenured employee among those actively working at the College. She served on search committees for the men’s and women’s head basketball coaches, she was staff liaison to the Alumni Association Engagement Board and the Emeriti Club Leadership Council, and her service earned her the College’s LuxEsto Award (2020) and the Honorary Hornet Award (2024).
Kim Aldrich ’80
The Emeriti Club of Kalamazoo College is an alumni organization for members of classes that graduated at least 50 years ago. The organization honored two of its members on Saturday, October 19, with the annual Citation of Merit Award. The recipients have demonstrated their affection for the College through loyalty, service, financial support and their involvement in K’s activities and programs. This year’s honorees were:
Jim Cameron ’69, a Chelsea, Michigan, native. Cameron taught Michigan and U.S. history at Saline High School after earning two master’s degrees in health, recreation and physical education, and social studies at Eastern Michigan University.
Cameron has received accolades for service in education including the Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year Award (2010), Hall of Fame honors at Saline Area Schools (2019), the Leadership Award by the Michigan Department of Education (2019) and the Historical Society of Michigan’s (HSM) History Hero Award (2023).
He wrote the books Voices Over the Valley: An Oral History of Saline Valley Farms, earning HSM’s Award of Merit in 2005; and Immigration to Saline and Michigan (1995). He co-authored The Meredith Bixby Marionettes, An Oral History (2024) and As Long as There Are Ships on the Great Lakes, An Oral History (2024), with his late wife, Marcia (Buchmueller) Cameron ’70.
Jim Cameron ’69
Gwen Fountain ’68, a native of Hart, Michigan. Fountain earned a fellowship, a master’s degree and a doctoral degree from the University of Michigan before teaching economics for two years at Eastern Michigan University, two years at the University of the Philippines and 24 years at Butler University. From 2000-02, she served Butler as interim president.
Later, she was the director of investments at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Fountain served in various positions and on boards for the Indiana Association for the Hearing Impaired, Butler Preschool for the Gifted and Talented, SPARCS for Learning Inc., Orchard Country Day School, Indianapolis Public Schools, Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, Project Leadership Service and others including the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees from 2000–21.
Gwen Fountain ’68
Brant Haverdink ’02
Christopher Manning ’12
Jillian McLaughlin ’10
The Athletic Hall of Fame honors alumni and teams who attained distinction at K as athletes, coaches or individuals closely associated with athletics. This year’s honorees on Friday, October 18, included five individual athletes, three men’s tennis teams and three football teams:
Brant Haverdink ’02, football. All-MIAA First Team (2000, 2001); MIAA Defensive MVP (2001); Academic All-American (2001); All-American Third Team (2001).
Christopher Manning ’12, swimming and diving. All-MIAA (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012); MIAA MVP (2011, 2012); 13-time All-American; nine-time MIAA champion in individual events; nine-time MIAA champion in relay events; set five school records; member of two MIAA championship teams and four teams finishing in the top 13 in the nation.
Jillian McLaughlin ’10, women’s cross country. All-MIAA First Team (2006, 2008, 2009); All-Region (2007 –09); NCAA Division III Championships qualifier (2008, 2009); GLCA Championships winner (2006); U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Award (2009).
Stacey Nastase Lambert ’02, women’s soccer. All-MIAA First Team (1998–2001); All-Region Third Team (1998–2001); only player in school history to earn All-Region all four years; scored 16 career goals with eight assists as a defender; member of two MIAA championship teams.
Beau Wangtrakuldee ’10, women’s tennis. All-MIAA First Team (2007–10); MIAA Co-MVP (2007); 53-22 career singles record; 57-20 career doubles record; member of 2007 MIAA championship team.
1898 Football Team. First undefeated team in school history (7-0), MIAA champions.
1916 Football Team. Second undefeated team in school history (7-0), MIAA champions.
1936 Football Team. Third undefeated team in school history (7-0-1), MIAA champions.
1995 Men’s Tennis Team. MIAA champions; third at NCAA Division III championships; 21-7 overall record, 6-0 MIAA record.
1996 Men’s Tennis Team. MIAA champions; third at NCAA Division III championships; 23-5 overall record, 6-0 MIAA record.
1998 Men’s Tennis Team. MIAA champions; third at NCAA Division III Championships; 21-8 overall record, 6-0 MIAA record.
Kalamazoo College will soon be reaching out to thousands of alumni about their career preparation at K and their subsequent career pathways.
The College has partnered with Lightcast, a global leader in labor market data, to conduct the National Alumni Career Mobility Survey (NACM), which will be open from October 15 through December 15, 2024. Alumni will receive an email with a personalized invitation and link to participate. While the sender will say Kalamazoo College, the sender address will say kalamazoo@qumailserver.com. Don’t worry, it’s not spam—it’s safe to open and respond!
“We know our graduates go on to be successful in a variety of industries, and many credit K for helping them get their start,” said Valerie Miller, director of the CCPD. “We want to capture that bigger picture with quantitative data and find out what we are doing well and what we can do better to advance future K students’ career-readiness.”
The survey, which will take around 10 minutes to complete, is completely confidential. Data is shared with the College in aggregate and will be benchmarked with data from graduating peers across the nation.
Retirees may notice that the tool asks questions about a graduate’s “current” job. Would-be participants may reflect on their most salient or recent career experiences as they answer these questions.
“This survey is a really important tool to help us understand the career pathways of our alumni and improve how K prepares our students for future success,” said Alumni Engagement Director Suzanne Lepley. “These insights will also help us demonstrate the impact of a K education to prospective students and their families.
“Alumni sometimes ask about ways to give back to the College that can have an impact but don’t require a huge time commitment or a monetary contribution. Sharing your insights through the NACM survey is a great way to support current and future students, and it only takes a few minutes.”
Alumni who did not receive an email can also access the survey through this survey link through December 15.
About Lightcast
Lightcast provides trusted global labor market data, analytics, and expert guidance that empowers communities, corporations, and learning providers to make informed decisions and navigate the increasingly complex world of work. With a database of more than one billion job postings and career profiles, our team provides best-in-class customer service with robust data, clear analysis, and expert guidance on skills, jobs and opportunities.
Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and Moscow, Idaho, Lightcast is active in more than 30 countries and has offices in the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, and India. The company is backed by global private equity leader KKR. For more, visit www.lightcast.io.
A Detroit-based experimental theatre company, co-directed by Kalamazoo College alumna Liza Bielby ’02, will present its newest project, a critically acclaimed play billed as a funeral for whiteness, this month in the Olmsted Room at Mandelle Hall.
Will You Miss Me? layers traditional Appalachian songs with family secrets, ancient Welsh mythology, brutal comedy, and rituals—both inherited and invented—to push audiences to examine the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and grieve the selves that have been forgotten.
When a haunting song echoes, a weary traveler is drawn into a funeral service for one of many white workers who moved from Appalachia to Detroit in the past century. But as the funeral unfolds, the mourners are confronted by their pasts, their ancestors, and helpful and malicious spirits. Their confusion forces them to question whether they even knew the man they’re mourning and whether he existed at all.
Bielby is a former Fulbright Scholar; a student of the Sichuan Chuanju Academy, now Sichuan Vocational College of Art; a graduate of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre; a board member of the Bangla School of Music; and a professor of movement at Wayne State University’s Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance. Bielby, Jenna Kirk, Richard Newman and Maddy Rager are performers in the show with direction from Bielby and Newman. Kirk and Bielby serve as scenic designers. Livia Chesley—who acted in the original performance—designed the show’s masks and puppets with assistance from Monty Eztcorn.
Will You Miss Me? premiered in 2022 with outdoor versions of the piece performed at Spread Art in Detroit; Tympanum in Warren, Michigan; and Double Edge Theatre in Ashfield, Massachusetts. In 2023, the piece was presented at Play House in Detroit and at Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, through Goodyear Arts with lecture-performance versions shown at the University of Michigan Flint and Teatro Libre in Bogotá, Colombia.
“It hit me on a body level, a gut level, and it sent me into a kind of reverie that I haven’t felt from a piece in a long time,” said Zak Rose of Slate Magazine. “I was haunted by it, not just on my drive home, but I woke up the next day thinking about it. I kept talking about it and l couldn’t get back to my life before buying a ticket to go see it again the following week.”
For more information on Will You Miss Me? and the Hinterlands company, visit thehinterlands.org.
Actors Richard Newman, Livia Chesley, Jenna Kirk as Remy and Liza Bielby ’02 perform a remixed European bear ritual midway through “Will You Miss Me?” Photo by Milena Dabova.
Kirk and Newman take on ancient spirits as a funeral dissolves into a forgotten ritual in “Will You Miss Me?” Photo by Paul Biundo.
Newman, Kirk and Bielby perform in “Will You Miss Me?” Film still by Adam Sekuler.
