Bear Pause Archives

When he's not hard at work helping to reduce pollution, Craig Swanson '84 spends time with his wife, Larey ʼ84, and children, Serena ʼ17, Savannah ʼ17 and Craig Jr.

Kelly Ohman Prchal ’00 is a healthcare consultant and co-founder of Engage Venture Partners. She lives with her husband and daughters on a hobby farm in Orono, Minnesota.
 

A perfect day for Nico Valiente ’23 consists of relaxing in bed while binging Hayao Miyazaki and Jordan Peele films.

Kelly Corcoran Smith ʼ98 is on hiatus from his international ice skating tour days, focusing instead on the domestic market and skating choreography and also coaching Blake's figure skating team.

Ann Ford ʼ08 lives in Mid-Michigan, loves cooking, hiking and shark movies and is always open to hot sauce recommendations.

Like many of us, Conway Yung ’02 is navigating life with a sense of humor and would like to remind everyone that acerbic wit and repartee will only get you so far, especially in Fort Worth, Texas.

Julia Connors Soplop ʼ00 is a science writer and photographer whose latest book, “Information Crisis,” will be published in 2024. She lives with her husband and three daughters outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

When he’s not planning a Blake reunion, Jeff Goldenberg ʼ83 can be most easily found at his payroll/HR company, Press Gold Group, along the shore of a Minneapolis lake or lounging on his hammock.

Farzad (Haider) Alvi '84 lives in Toronto, where he’s walked on the edge enough to know he doesn’t need to do it again. 

Annika Gutzke ʼ19 is a recent Macalester graduate and now a kindergarten teacher who loves being in nature and creating art.

Since graduating from Blake, Bryan (Barton) Black ʼ90 has immersed himself in the arts, landing jobs at the Walker Arts Center, as a sound designer for Prince and as a songwriter for Depeche Mode, in addition to starting his own band.

Having two teachers as parents, Eva Druskin ʼ15 seemed almost destined to work in an educational setting, but she briefly considered a career in tax(idermy). 

Mayank Keshaviah ʼ92 has lived a number of lives: from biking around Europe for eight months, to working on a Wall Street trading desk, to teaching third grade, to writing an off-Broadway play. These days, he lives in Los Angeles as a stay-at-home dad in search of his next career and his true passion.

Zoe Feldshon ʼ21 is a sophomore at Northeastern University and a coxswain on the men's rowing team. When she's not at practice or studying, you can find her dogsitting or on the hunt for the best burrito bowl.

David Schall ʼ72 lives in Edina and invests in real estate for his family, including his mom, sisters and their significant others. He's been mistaken for "Gladiator" Russell Crowe more than once.

Sarah Weinshel ʼ18 graduated from Swarthmore College, where she studied biology and art history. She is pursuing a Master of Philosophy in genetics at the University of Cambridge and excited to spend a year abroad.
 

Scott Forbes '82 lives and skis in Denver, Colorado. He has a knack for making friends in high places.