Alumni Class Notes February-July 2025

1960s

Rudy Groomes ’60 celebrated his 85th birthday.

Lloyd Saunders ’66, who earned a Ph.D. in biology in 1969 from the University of Waterloo, spent 35 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

1970s

George Murray Jr. ’75 expanded his small business, Mimi & Papa’s Gourmet Popcorn and Sweet Shop, to provide popcorn concessions at all major UNCW sporting events.

1980s

Jeff Richter ’82 retired after more than 36 years as a biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Kyle Hodge ’85 is a procurement specialist in the Union County Department of Procurement and Contracts in NC.

Margaret Bailey ’87 has co-authored 12 books with her husband, James Allen Bailey. Topics include genealogical research, local history and midwestern history.

Capt. Angela Denise W. Owen ’87 received the Civil Air Patrol United States Air Force Mid-Atlantic Region South Carolina Wing 2024 Senior Member of the Year Award on March 15 in Richburg, SC.

Orie Bradshaw ’88 retired as a medical technologist after 36 years.

Yolanda Daniels ’89 was awarded the 2025 Starfish Public Advocacy Award by Smart Start Children's Champion.

James Juma ’89 has authored 45 short story ebooks, all available on Amazon. He retired after 33 years of service at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

Paul Polito ’89 retired after 32 years with Merrill Lynch and moved to Paris.

1990s

Jodi Haire ’92 and her husband, Jay, celebrated 17 successful years of running Springdale Printing, based in Raleigh, NC.

Hughes Waren ’93 and Janet Waren ’94 celebrated 30 years of marriage on Oct. 14, 2025.

Amanda Leese ’95, owner of Wilmington Walking Tours, was honored with the 2024 Wilmington Tourism Star Award.

Zandra Harris Pinnix ’95 earned an M.Ed. in higher education leadership from Harvard University, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. 

Emilio Cortés ’96 retired from federal service after 30 years.

Tara Taylor ’96 celebrated 28 years of working at Duke University.

Hannah Moon ’99, ’08M was named the NC Southeast Regional Teacher of the Year and appointed to NC Governor Josh Stein’s Teacher Advisory Board.

Carrie Slaughter ’99, ’25MBA completed the Cameron School of Business MBA program and graduated in May 2025.

2000s

Leslie Bost ’00 launched BOSCO BBQ in September 2023, starting with a small-batch production of her late father’s signature barbecue sauce. 

Charlie Blanton ’02, ’13M is an attorney with the U.S. Army and completed a deployment to Africa as an international law officer.

Daren Dean ’03 has a prose chapter book, Lovesick, selected for publication by Louisiana Literature Press.

Charlotte Beck ’04 was appointed head of school at Ignite Achievement Academy in Charlotte, NC.

Nanda Jones Sr. ’04, compliance manager and BSA officer at KS Bank in Smithfield, NC, became a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist.

Kate Shanahan ’05 launched Surf City Reiki, offering energy healing to support physical, emotional and spiritual balance.

Casey Quimby ’06 co-founded Animals Fiji, which provides clinics, shelter and outreach programs.

2010s

Jamie Brummitt ’10 had a book, Protestant Relics in Early America, published by Oxford University Press in June 2025.

Patrick Scott ’11 took a position as an assistant county attorney in Wake County, NC.

Melissa Bove ’12 returned to UNCW and is enrolled in the Master of Healthcare Administration program.

Kathryn Parsons ’12 and Russell Crouch ’16 welcomed their fifth future Seahawk in August 2025.

Scott Russo ’14 was granted a patent for his invention of a novel cloud security system.

Natalie Wiggins ’14 finished her tenth year as a first grade teacher at Carrollton Elementary School in Carrollton, GA.

Lindsey Rickards ’15, private wealth advisor with The CWS Group at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, was recognized on the Baltimore Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list.

Caleb Stewart ’15 and Liz Bernardo-Stewart ’15 welcomed their son, Ezra Areopagita Bernardo-Stewart, on May 19, 2025, almost exactly 10 years after they graduated.

Allison Heine ’16 became engaged to her fiancé Tyler during a sunrise proposal at Johnnie Mercer’s Pier
in Wrightsville Beach. 

Courtney Terry ’16, ’21M is in her fifth year of teaching at Cape Fear Elementary School in Rocky Point, NC. 

Annastasia Pratt ’17 and Kyle Dorsay ’17 were married on May 2, 2025. They met at UNCW in 2014.

Logan Secord ’17 published his first book, The Wisdom We’ve Lost: Forgotten Keys to Joy, exploring ancient lessons for lasting happiness.

Michael Cobb ’18Ed.D. retired from Cape Fear Community College as vice president of institutional effectiveness, planning and compliance.

Anna Campbell ’19 started a new job as an influencer talent coordinator at FamFluence Talent Management.

Melissa Ortega ’19 is working on a prostate cancer study with the Institute for Medical Research.

Michelle Rackley ’19, ’21M is pursuing her third degree from UNCW, an MBA in finance.

Samantha Smith ’19 works for the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a nurse.

Jasmine Trotter ’19 was promoted to director of digital teaching and learning at Shaw University.

2020s

Susannah Cricket Moore ’20 married Adam Cave on June 1, 2025, in Raleigh, NC.

Nancy Parada Garcia ’21 married Eliseo Cervantes on Feb. 10, 2024.

Jason Saliba ’21 attained his commercial pilot license.

Morgan Thomas ’21 is a marketing specialist at LS3P, an architecture firm that recently completed the exterior design of UNCW’s Discovery Hall.

Kayla Norman ’22 graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law with her J.D. and is studying for the bar exam.

Georgia Rowe ’22 married Jacob Orman on March 7, 2025, in Wilmington, NC.

Jake Bolin ’23 had his UNCW honors thesis research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B (ProcB) and featured in The New York Times. Read more about his research on the UNCW website.

Remy Hoelen ’23 was an office production assistant on the Amazon Prime TV show, The Runarounds.

Brianna Thiry ’23 is working with the nonprofit Feast Down East, which promotes food access in Wilmington, NC, while supporting local farms.

Matthew Wise ’23 received the SAR Bronze Good Citizenship Medal and the Colonel George Waller Chapter Teacher of the Year Award.

Eden Anderson ’24 completed her student teaching internship while expecting, graduated in May 2024 and welcomed her first child in November 2024.

Amanda Lindsay ’24 started the master’s in pharmaceutical chemistry program at The University of Florida.

Quentin Proulx ’24 appeared in A Song for Imogen, which premiered on Amazon Prime in June 2025.

Diandre’ Richie ’24 achieved his first lead-author publication in Frontiers, one of the world’s leading research publications.

Carson Jackson ’25 is pursuing a master’s in pharmaceutical chemistry at UNCW.

Ambrie Kagel ’25 is working at Johns Hopkins Hospital as a pediatric emergency department nurse.

Harvey Woolf ’25 is pursuing music video production and working for ROCNATION.