Bulletin

He’s been called the man who collects molten lava, was recently featured in National Geographic magazine, and is widely respected as one of the world’s top isotope geochemists. Ken Sims ’86 is associate professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, recruited back to the West from a tenured position as…

Jake Norton loves a challenge. So it’s not surprising to see his name attached to a project appropriately titled Challenge21. Jake, 37, is a motivational speaker, photographer, and professional climber in Golden, Colo. He grew up in Massachusetts, and climbed his first big mountain — Washington’s Mount Rainer — in 1986 at the age of…

Kaui Hart Hemmings ’98 has been called “Hawaii’s Cinderella.” Who is her Prince Charming? George Clooney, of course. Their relationship isn’t the stuff of fairy tales. Instead, it’s an artistic collaboration that has resulted in a movie version of Kaui’s first novel, “The Descendants.” Kaui’s novel has been adapted for the big screen, and that…

Darren Schwartz ’89 always believed he would end up in a ministry role. He majored in religion at Colorado College, and worked for his church before becoming a counselor. But his most recent career move surprised him. “I signed up for the Army almost three years ago, at the age of 41. I just felt a calling from…

After many years, I decided it was “la hora a aprender Español!” I took a one-month leave from my job with the State of Oregon in July 2010, to study Spanish with Jessica Dover of the Castaliga Language Center in downtown Portland. I graduated in 1985 from CC with a degree in religion. I enjoyed…

A “refugee from the semester system,” Annie Petsonk ’79 transferred from Harvard to Colorado College seeking the ideal liberal arts education. Today, she credits the “ideal liberal arts education” she says she received at CC with giving her the confidence to embark on a career in environmental law — a field in which she has excelled…

Matt Claman ’81 has boated most of the road-accessible rivers in Alaska, completed ski marathons, and competed in bike and cross-country ski wilderness races. He was a rafting guide in the Grand Canyon. He worked in a gold mine in Alaska. But ask this adventurer, attorney, and long-time resident of Alaska to name the most…

Jo Garner Boatright ’57 is a petite woman who has been called a “lioness of the keyboard.” When she sits down at one of the three grand pianos in her Buena Vista, Colo., home, it’s easy to see why. Her hands are blurs as she unleashes her power and sends sound soaring. It all started…

What was it about the young alumni trustee position that interested you? I realized that the impact my time at CC had was immeasurable. It is thanks to CC, the high expectations from professors, the challenging classes, the dynamic dialogue, the strenuous schedule, and the intellectual people that I was able to move into a…

Kari Thompson ’99 knew her chosen career of medicine would serve her well no matter where she went, but it took a trip to Cameroon, Africa, for her to realize just how universal her general surgery skills were. “Becoming a general surgeon is the most translational specialty,” she says. “Appendicitis in Africa is the same…