Winter Performance. Photo by Wolf Photography

Aaron Burr (Class of 2012) Aaron is attending Northern Arizona University as a secondary music education major with an emphasis in instrumental music. He’s the public representative for NAU's chapter of the National Association for Music Education or NAFME. NAFME visits schools in Flagstaff and assists with the music programs and also produces clinics for the musicians at NAU. Aaron plays tenor in a saxophone quartet that is always looking for gigs in Flagstaff. After college, Aaron is considering getting his masters in saxophone performance, then ultimately a DMA in saxophone performance as he’d like to teach at a university. Aaron says, “If there are students coming to NAU for music it is a fantastic program and they should definitely check out NAFME, and there are also several other organizations that promote music education but they are focused on choir and strings.”

Burrell Jones (Class of 2011) Burrell is attending Northern Arizona University, majoring in Applied Indigenous Studies and minoring in Political Science. He expects to graduate in 2015. He's involved with Connecting Higher Education Indigenously (CHEI), a student group at NAU. Burrell continues to pursue photography and art on his own and is contemplating applying to law school.

Lindsey Jones (Class of 2011) Lindsey is currently attending Northern Arizona University and just recently declared a major in Interdisciplinary Studies of Speech-Language Science and Technology. She is a member of the NAU chapter of Sigma Alpha Lambda, a national leadership and honors organization. Lindsey works in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation. She plans to open her own Speech Pathology practice specializing in children's speech after obtaining her Masters.

Sean Loritz (Class of 2011) Sean is attending Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, majoring in Liberal Arts with focuses in Baroque Opera Performance and 16th Century English Literature. He has been active in theatre on campus, appearing in student-run productions of "Pippin" and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," and has also been involved in some of the school's LGBT groups. Sean will be studying opera, art history, and Italian language in Florence, Italy next year, and after his graduation in 2015 plans to attend graduate school in literature and music, going on to pursue a career as a professional opera singer. His favorite FALA memories include being approached by a very traditional-looking, elderly woman after the performance of the extremely avant-garde play Small Lives, Big Dreams raving about how much she enjoyed the show.

Alexandria (Zander) Myers (Class of 2011) Zander transferred from West Virginia University to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and is a sophomore studying English and Literature (with an unofficial emphasis in 19th century female Gothic works) and so far, LOVING every minute of it! The campus is gorgeous and everyone is really enthusiastic, and there is an interest niche for anyone! This semester, Zander is involved in ALLY which is an LGBT group—similar to a Gay-Straight Alliance. She is also a member of the Hall Council in her residence hall (basically a student council). She attends weekly study groups for various classes and occasionally an Italian conversation group that meets every week. Most of her time is spent reading and writing for her English classes. Zander's goal is to be a literature professor, with an official emphasis in 19th century female Gothic literature.

Bailey Schneider (Class of 2011) Bailey is attending Arizona State University majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Music. She has been active as a member of several reading and writing related clubs on campus and uses her spare time to make YouTube videos. This summer she plans to attend Vidcon (a conference for people who make online videos) to learn to get better at producing them. After graduation in 2015 she hopes to continue to write as an author. Her favorite FALA memories include Mr. Anderson's morning discussions of "What's Going On in the World" and all the craziness that was Mike Levin's The End of the River.

Emily Dove (Class of 2010) is a junior at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. She is a double major in dance and Africana studies, and is pursuing her interest in African dance both within the classroom at HWS and outside as a member of an African dance group in Rochester, NY. She will be spending next semester in South Africa continuing her studies. She is looking at continuing her dance education with a masters in dance anthropology after her undergraduate. Emily has become very attached to the Geneva community--she is an EMT and a firefighter and volunteers her time with several organizations in the community. 

Rose Haag (Class of 2010) was recently awarded an internship in the Community Service office at Whitman College (and is the youngest intern). Her position is to help coordinate and plan community service trips all around the Pacific Northwest and New Orleans during Spring Break. Each trip focuses on a different social issue. Rose has been both a participant and a leader of these trips and states that they are an incredible hands-on learning experience. She also lives in the Writing Interest House, for which she helps coordinate events for the Whitman student body and acts as an active part of their small living community.

Rose recently declared a combined major of Environmental Studies and Sociology with plans of a minor in Economics. To supplement this, she plans on studying abroad for a semester next year in Kenya, doing hands on work with wildlife conservation on a reserve that crosses the border between Tanzania and Kenya.

Riana Johnson (Class of 2010) is a junior at NYU majoring in politics with a minor in studio art. Riana is involved in an Americorps program called Jumpstart where college students help children in the Lower Eastside prepare for kindergarten by promoting literacy. When she I graduates, she hopes to join the Peacecorps and then attend law school. Riana would like to pursue a career in painting and politics-- hopefully combining them in some way.

Michelle Olguin (Class of 2010) Michelle is an Art Studio major/Geology minor at Mount Holyoke College and will be graduating spring of 2012. She is a rower on the Varsity crew team, Chair of True Colors (Mount Holyoke's GSM-Gender and Sexual Minorities student organization), and a participant in various dance performances within the five college consortium including West African dance this semester!  

Sharilyn Scott (Class of 2010) Sharilyn graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale in May 2012, and has been working at New Frontiers Natural Market in Sedona as a baker. She continues to take dance classes from Darrion Gallegos when he’s in town.

Thomas Scott (Class of 2010) Thomas is attending school the second semester of his junior year at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England (UK). He will be back at Middlebury College in Vermont for his senior year, class of 2014. Thomas has been part of the hip hop group “Riddim” since his freshman year at Middlebury. He is a computer science/theatre arts (emphasis: playwriting) double major. Last year he sang the part of Sancho in their production of Don Quixote. He enjoys musicals the most because they combine acting, singing and dance. He has been in numerous plays since being there, as Middlebury has a wonderful theatre program.

Marta "Sol" Soledad Serpas-Guardado (Class of 2010) - Sol is a junior Philosophy major at NAU and is part of their Philosophy Mentoring Program. Through this mentoring program, Sol and her colleagues give between 10-15 presentations per semester to local high school students. She was recently back on FALA's campus to mentor our students and guide them through the thinking required to grasp abstract and complicated ideas and concepts. Here's a short article about the program and this mentoring effort.

Sarah Sumita Kosso (Class of 2009) Sarah is finishing her fourth and final year at the University of Nevada in Reno, Nevada. She is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Psychology. Sarah has been involved in the field of Student Affairs and has been a Resident Assistant representing the Residential Life, Housing, and Food Services Department for two years. She has also enjoyed her part-time job as a Student Worker in the Office for Prospective Students, working with recruitment for the University. Finally, she has volunteered as a Student Ambassador for three years, giving prospective students and their families tours of the campus. Sarah has been a member of a variety of clubs on campus including the Dance Co-op, Center for Student Cultural Diversity, and Undergraduate Students Social Work Association. Sarah is applying to graduate school to study Higher Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies. She intends to complete a PhD and travel as much as possible. She has many favorite FALA memories. A couple include helping FALA organize one of their largest canned food drives creating the "Grand CANyon," as well as participating in the search to bring author Sherman Alexie to FALA after being inspired by Mr. Paul's class, and finally taking a community service field trip to Hopi and baking bread in bread ovens with Mr. Anderson's group.

Mariah Alexander (Class of 2008) Mariah attended Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR, graduating with a degree in International Affairs and a minor in Art in 2012. Mariah wrote her thesis on the Military Coup in Thailand in 2006 and graduated on the dean’s list. She moved back to Flagstaff because she wanted to go to Graduate School in Arizona. She feels fortunate to get a job with Saint Mary’s Food Bank and to launch her career helping people in the community she grew up in. What Mariah will always remember the most about FALA is the sense of community that FALA fosters. “I loved working hard on all our dances, plays and art shows and seeing what amazing things we were capable of with the support of our teachers! I’ll always remember lying out on the old FALA decks in the sunshine and doing homework or working on a class project.”

Melissa Nowinski (Class of 2008) - Melissa graduated from NAU with a Bachelors in Biomedical Science and from CCC with an Associates in Criminal Justice last May. She has been certified in three states as a veterinarian technician and is now working on getting accepted to Vet School in Colorado. Melissa says this about FALA: “It was a wonderful place for me to grow and mature. I miss the arts, especially dancing and music. The teachers are just not the same in college, I wish they were more like the FALA group. (Mr. Paul, Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Bell, Ms. Henes, Ms. Buss, Mr. Levin and Mr. Corbin). I couldn't believe how big the world really is and I thank my teachers at FALA for teaching me things I probably wouldn't have learned anywhere else. The new campus is stunning. I wish the best of luck with the graduating classes to come. It can't get any better at FALA.”

Ryan Lawrence was recently featured on the cover of the University of Arizona's Master of Fine Arts dance brochure. Ryan started dancing while a sophomore at FALA and currently lives in New York.

FALA Prom 2012. Photo by Jake Bacon.

Katie King (Class of 2006) After studying in Switzerland, London, New York City, Hollywood, Costa Rica, and The Gulf Coast, Katie King received her BA from The Evergreen State College, creating her own interdisciplinary degree and focusing on performance and photography. She now owns her own photography business, A Sense Of Place Photography as well as a touring one woman show. Her self-published poetry book, The Breath Between Whirscapes & Landwinds is available at your local library. She is currently writing songs and doing freelance work in the Mariana Islands. She wants to thank all the FALA faculty for the immense support they gave her.

Erin Joyce (Class of 2005) Erin has just been named the inaugural Art Editor for Aslan Media Inc. Founded by Reza Aslan, author, professor, and Middle East expert, Aslan Media, Inc. provides news and information about the Middle East to global English speaking audiences. The company has multiple entertainment and media holdings, including BoomGen Studios and Appovation, LLC., with products and services such as mobile phone applications, independent movies, and a news wire service via Twitter (taken from their website)
 
As the art editor, she is responsible for all art content - visual, performing and literary for Aslan Media and their global communications outlets. She will be serving as acting Art Editor throughout her graduate work in the history of art.

Summer (Long) Rush (Class of 2005) Summer graduated from the University of Arizona in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish.She currently lives in Utah with her husband who is stationed at Hill AFB. She is a social worker at an inpatient psychiatric facility for mental health patients who are in crisis or are considered a danger to themselves or others. She plans on going back to school in the next year to work on a degree in nursing.

Katherine Tesch (Class of 2005) Katherine received her BA in English, Spanish and Portuguese from the U of A. While in college she joined the touring group Flam Chen Pyrotechnic Theater and currently works for them as an aerial acrobat, acrobatic stilter, fire spinner and dancer. She has traveled with them for the past 5 and half years and also helps to run their educational branch, Tucson Circus Arts, teaching aerial and circus arts to kids (and adults) of all ages. In addition, she writes and performs her own dance and aerial works. Highlights up to now include working with Tim Burton at the Scream Awards, performing with and directing groups for the All Soul's Procession and doing aerial acts hanging from helium balloons!

Marja van der Loo (Class of 2004) With no desire to leave FALA, Marja bid farewell to Flagstaff and attended Smith College. It was too cold in Massachusetts, so for her junior year Marja studied abroad in Brazil. She majored in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies and Art History. For two years she worked in museums in the States and in The Netherlands, but the Flagstaff vortex pulled her back. She now works for Flagstaff Cultural Partners at the Coconino Center for the Arts-very close to the FALA campus. This is wonderful because she sometimes gets sneak peeks of the celebrities of her past like Ando-man, the ever patient Ms. Bell, the notorious Levin, the stop-your-crying-you-can-do-it Henes or in Marja's day, the tapping storm- Mr. Bowie!

Kristin Robyn (Class of 2002)  Kristin graduated from NAU in May 2010, and is a member of the Peace Corps.  She left for Mali in Africa on June 30, 2010 and will be there for 2 years working in education, health education, and will be teaching English to French speaking students.

Laurah Hagen (Class of 2001) Laurah's undergraduate degree is in psychology from Whitman College, and her master's in experiential education is from Prescott College. Laurah currently works at NAU out of the Gateway Student Success Center. They have a lean team that focuses on career development, and her role is to develop learning objectives and workshops for  the four-year career development progression. She wasn't expecting to find a position that so perfectly matched her academic background. As part of this position, she advises an honors society comprised of friendly, motivated NAU students.

Karen (Feinsinger) Hackler (Class of 2000)  Karen graduated from Oberlin College. At Oberlin, she created her own interdisciplinary major in Irish Studies, comprised of the study of Irish history, literature, language, sociology, archaeology, anthropology and politics. She also created a new study-away program in Ireland, and attended the National University of Ireland, Galway, for a year and a half. After graduating in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Irish Studies and a minor in English, she attended and graduated from the Denver University Institute of Publishing. She returned to Flagstaff to be the Marketing and Sales Director of Salina Bookshelf, Inc., a publishing company specializing in children's books. While at Oberlin she had developed an interest in social work, education and sexual health, and so when an opportunity opened at Northland Family Help Center to be a community educator, she was excited to be offered the position. At Northland, she works within the broader Northern Arizona community to educate youth and youth-affiliated adults on the primary prevention of sexual assault. Last year I was the coordinator of The P.E.A.C.E. Project, a joint project between NFHC and Theatrikos Theatre Company that trains local high school students in the primary prevention of sexual assaults. These teens then create skits and use other creative expression techniques to educate their peers on these important issues. This year she is creating and coordinating a new program, the P.E.A.C.E. Club, a program with goals similar to those of The P.E.A.C.E. Project, but aimed at middle school-aged students. Karen returns to Ireland frequently to visit friends and take classes, and plans to live there permanently some day soon.She’s a stepmother to eight year-old twins and had her first child earlier this year. Her family lives happily with their two dogs.

Julia Fiske (Class of 2000)  Julie is the Director of Performing Arts at the Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts in Massachusetts.

Kari Barton (Class of 1999) After graduating from FALA, Kari attended NAU. Her sophomore year at NAU, she studied abroad in Limerick, Ireland. She returned to NAU and then transferred to Columbia College Chicago to complete her undergraduate studies in Performing Arts Management in 2004.

Kari returned to Flagstaff and NAU in fall of 2004 to pursue her Master of Music in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy. She graduated in 2006 and has remained in Flagstaff, teaching a studio of 40 violin and viola students. She performs with the Flagstaff Symphony and Verde Valley Sinfonietta and is a member of The Knockabouts. She also runs two companies, Living Traditions Presentations (founded in 2004), which promotes concerts of Celtic music, and the Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy (founded in 2009), which brings in instructors of Celtic arts to Flagstaff each summer.

In her spare time, Kari enjoys hiking with her dog, camping, river rafting, and enjoying the company of friends and family.

Elizabeth (Markle) Solinga (Class of 1999) Elizabeth is working in Boston and completing a masters degree in Museum Studies through the Harvard Extension School).

Laurel Clohessy (Class of 1997) Laurel received her B.A. in Theatre Performance from NAU in 2002, and also attended Hunter College CUNY and Stella Adler Theatre Conservatory in New York City for a short time. She tries to keep at least her pinky in theatre when she can with Theatrikos or other local random performances. Those skills come in handy when you need funny mom-voices/impersonations…Laurel has two wonderful sons, Liam is almost 10 and Kahlil is three. This is Laurel's fifth year as a Program Coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff. She spent four years running a college-access program for low-income high school students called GEAR UP, and now runs BBBS' local School-Based Mentoring. As a Senior at FALA, she volunteered as a Big Sister, and continued to Mentor for three years. It is a great opportunity for H.S. students to be a friend and make an impact in a young person’s life! Another part of her life is teaching yoga at Northern Arizona Yoga Center. She is currently loving the modern dance class at CCC in which she is enrolled. Her husband, Johnny Swoope, and she are part of the team that puts on Firefly, a growing Arts and Consciousness festival." My FALA year and the awesome wacky big-hearted friends created stories and bonds that last far beyond 1997. "

If you have an update, email Becky Daggett, our Executive Director. We want to keep all alumni updated and connected to the FALA community. Please subscribe to our newsletter!