Santa Clara Magazine

Duncan Fife '56, of that Dynamic Class, functions productively in Foster City, California. His five virtually perfect children, and two perfect grandchildren, and wife Robin celebrate the recent publication of his second book: Giving the Gift of Giggles—Incredibly True Confessions of a Singing Telegram Entertainer, available at Amazon. He writes, "Thank you for a great magazine: It gets better and better with each issue!"

Rita Beamish '74, a freelance journalist and writer, backpacked the 211-mile John Muir Trail, along the unsurpassed, scenically sublime spine of the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite to Mount Whitney, in August 2016. She summitted Whitney at the southern terminus on August 28, completing the challenging but indelibly glorious, bucket-list trail in 20 days. Whew.

Betsy (Aulik) McBride '76 is currently a marriage and family therapist in the Los Angeles area and a retired attorney. She and her husband, Kevin, are proud to have two of their children attend SCU's Leavy School of Business: Connor '09 and Claire '17.

"I launched my photography business," writes Thomas Osborne '77, "that specializes in weddings and portraits. I've always been involved in photography—outside of my engineering job, mainly in imaging/optics—and I wanted to focus on it more on a full-time basis. I love working with people and helping them capture their memories of a lifetime. Check it out at tomosbornephotography.com."

Andy Miller '82 joined the board of directors of iRobot Corp (NASDAQ: irbt). He is EVP and CFO of software company PTC, and he and his wife Joyce (Valadez) Miller '82 now reside in the Back Bay of Boston, enjoying life as empty nesters, while their two children pursue BFA degrees in the performing arts.

Timothy J. O’Hanlon '84 has been elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation is an honorary organization of lawyers, judges and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession. Membership in The Fellows is limited to one percent of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction (Oregon). Members are nominated by their peers and elected by the Board of the American Bar Foundation.

Betsy Ferguson '87 was was named one of the 2016 Top 10 Redesigners for United States and Canada by the Real Estate Staging Association. As the owner of The Home Artisan, Betsy provides home staging and redesign services in the Los Angeles area. She received the 2016 Houzz Service award and was recently featured in a Forbes article about home staging. She lives in Montrose with her two boys, ages 14 and 10.

Rhianna Henry Casesa '03 received her Ph.D. in Education from the joint doctoral program between San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University in August 2015. She is currently a tenure-track assistant professor at Sonoma State University. Her research interests include dual-language education, literacy, and biliteracy. She is currently living in Sonoma County with her husband, Marco, and their 4-year-old daughter, Giovanna.

Renee (Osborne) Benedict '02 writes, "My daughter, Sophia Marie, was born in July 2015. I am really enjoying her. It's the first grandchild for Connie Osborne '75."

Jennifer Ferrari '04 started in her new role as the associate directorfor Santa Clara University's Career Center, providing leadership and strategic planning support. Jennifer has more than 10 years of experience in higher education. Santa Clara is a big part of Jennifer’s history, as she has worked on campus since 2005, previously serving as the business manager in Auxiliary Services before taking on her former assistant director role in the Career Center. Her work is inspired by her own Santa Clara experience and she loves helping SCU students explore the intersection between their passions, talents, and the needs of the world to discover meaningful opportunities. Jennifer has a BS degree in Psychology with minors in Sociology and Italian and an MA in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Career Development from Santa Clara University.

Daniel Figoni '03, MBA '07 and Elizabeth Figoni '06 welcomed their first child, Rose Cecelia Figoni, on July 11, 2016.

The Santa Clara Alumni Association welcomes  Zach Plaza '07. an assistant director. Zach is focused on being an Alumni Relations regional expert, engaging our Bronco community and building relationships across the globe. Zach comes to us from nine years with the San Jose Sharks. From media relations to customer service and sales manager roles, it's fair to say he knows the Sharks well... but, he knows and loves the Broncos more! Zach truly identifies with the mantra "Once a Bronco, Always a Bronco" and couldn't be happier to be back on campus, contributing to the Alumni Association and serving the SCU community. Zach enjoys following his favorite Bay Area sports teams and spending time with his friends and family, especially his wife and their newborn son.

Zach will be managing the following chapters and groups: Central Coast, Fresno, India, Las Vegas, LGBTQ, Marin, Monterey/Salinas, New York, Orange County, Palm Springs, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and SCU Bronco Builders Association (SCUBBA).

Angela Choy MBA '13 is the co-founder and CEO of Edmission, a college planning site that empowers students and parents to get affordable, high-quality, and personalized college admission advice. Angela has spent her career helping organizations improve processes and drive efficiencies. She is a learner and reader. She loves entrepreneurship, startups, and women leadership. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a mother of two. Follow her on twitter @angelahchoy.

The Santa Clara Alumni Association welcomes Liz Connelly '15 as an assitant director. Liz will be focused on being an Alumni Relations regional expert, engaging our Bronco community and building relationships across the globe. Liz has spent her last year in Scranton, PA, with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She was the Community Health Program Assistant for an organization called United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA. She received the St. Clare medal when graduating from SCU, was a Honzel Fellow with the Markkula Center, and worked as the assistant resident director in Swig. Liz and her family are from Spokane, WA, but don't worry—her loyalties lie with the Santa Clara Broncos!

Liz will be managing the following chapters and groups: African American, Asian Pacific Islander, Chicano Latino, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, East Bay, Napa/Santa Rosa, Peninsula, Phoenix, Portland, Reno/Tahoe, Seattle, Spokane, Stockton/Modesto, and Washington, D.C.

Candace Guthmiller ’16 taught geometry at Christian Brothers High School over the summer. She is currently attending University of California Davis - School of Law.