Alumni Features
FROM CLASS PRESIDENT TO STATE SECRETARY
Recently, the News Journal coverage has focused our attention on the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and its team working tirelessly for the citizens of Delaware. Representing the DHSS as its public voice is Secretary of the Department and Caravel Class of ’95 graduate, Kara Odom Walker. She leads one of the largest agencies in state government, in addition to serving as a Cabinet member for Governor John Carney. The DHSS has 11 divisions, employs more than 4,000 people and in one way or another affects almost every citizen in our state. The divisions provide services in the areas of public health, social services, substance abuse and mental health, child support, development disabilities, long-term care, visual impairment, aging and adults with physical disabilities, state service centers, management services, financial coaching, and Medicaid and medical assistance. The Department includes three long-term care facilities and the state’s only public psychiatric hospital, the Delaware Psychiatric Center.
According to Dr. Walker, “I am most passionate about health care costs and the work we are doing to establish a health care benchmark, address substance use and treatment, particularly around the opioid crisis, and reducing violence and its impact in our communities. Many of my priorities are interconnected and if we can find ways to rectify one problem. I’m confident that we can tackle the others as well. In carrying our department’s mission, our employees and contractors provide services that touch almost every Delawarean every day. While providing those services is a critical part of our mission, we also are dedicated to ensuring that your tax dollars are well managed. We take our responsibility as stewards of the taxpayer’s money seriously. That’s why we work hard to provide the best services we can in the most effective and efficient way possible, and welcome the opportunity to embrace continuous improvement.”
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Kara attended Medical School at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. She completed her residency with the University of California, San Francisco and worked on her master’s degree in Health Services Research from the University of California, Los Angeles, and school of public health where she participated in a postgraduate fellowship in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program. Along the way, she became a board certified family physician and published research papers on physician workforce issues, and health care organization and delivery.
Prior to her role as Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Kara worked as the Deputy Chief Science Officer at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a nonprofit, nongovernment organization in Washington, D.C. that is authorized by Congress to improve evidence available to help patients, caregivers, employers, insurers and policymakers make informed health care decisions.
Broadly, her graduate work and career experiences prepared her with practical and didactic training in health policy, management, data analytics, public health and leadership skills. Dr. Walker credits Caravel with her early schooling, “I am a fortunate recipient of 12 years of education at Caravel Academy. The school has changed since I attended and graduated in 1995, but I will never forget the teachers, friends, and experiences.
According to Dr. Walker, “I am most passionate about health care costs and the work we are doing to establish a health care benchmark, address substance use and treatment, particularly around the opioid crisis, and reducing violence and its impact in our communities. Many of my priorities are interconnected and if we can find ways to rectify one problem. I’m confident that we can tackle the others as well. In carrying our department’s mission, our employees and contractors provide services that touch almost every Delawarean every day. While providing those services is a critical part of our mission, we also are dedicated to ensuring that your tax dollars are well managed. We take our responsibility as stewards of the taxpayer’s money seriously. That’s why we work hard to provide the best services we can in the most effective and efficient way possible, and welcome the opportunity to embrace continuous improvement.”
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Kara attended Medical School at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. She completed her residency with the University of California, San Francisco and worked on her master’s degree in Health Services Research from the University of California, Los Angeles, and school of public health where she participated in a postgraduate fellowship in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program. Along the way, she became a board certified family physician and published research papers on physician workforce issues, and health care organization and delivery.
Prior to her role as Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Kara worked as the Deputy Chief Science Officer at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a nonprofit, nongovernment organization in Washington, D.C. that is authorized by Congress to improve evidence available to help patients, caregivers, employers, insurers and policymakers make informed health care decisions.
Broadly, her graduate work and career experiences prepared her with practical and didactic training in health policy, management, data analytics, public health and leadership skills. Dr. Walker credits Caravel with her early schooling, “I am a fortunate recipient of 12 years of education at Caravel Academy. The school has changed since I attended and graduated in 1995, but I will never forget the teachers, friends, and experiences.
COURTYARD ART
Students and faculty using the Alumni Courtyard walk on campus can now enjoy the artwork of Olivia Kwiatkowski ’15 positioned above the double doors in the 400 and 600 wings. Olivia is studying at the Delaware College of Art and Design in Wilmington, Delaware. She created, designed and painted two signs for the Courtyard in her last semester as a Caravel senior and we are so grateful for her talent. They will be enjoyed for years to come.
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MODEL AND FUTURE MARINE MAMMAL TRAINER
Brooke Kaitlyn Dawson '15 just finished her third internship with the National Aquarium in Baltimore training marine mammals. She has also interned with the Plumpton Park Zoo and the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, where she performed/facilitated the Sea Lion Show. In Baltimore, she worked with the dolphins. In addition to food prep, cleaning, and animal observation, she worked with the dolphins utilizing behavioral training techniques and completed a project where she tracked how different stimulating enrichment devices worked for the dolphins, dependent on different variables. Brooke just received her PADI Open Water Dive Certification in Florida and will be lifguarding this summer. Brook is a Psychology major with a theatre minor at the University of Delaware. In addition to her marine studies and schoolwork, Brooke just recently placed in the top 150 models (out of 15,000) in the Miss Jetset Cover Model Competition. She has been busy with her internships but plans to pick her modeling career back up soon. |
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Alumni Newsletter
Alumni Updates
Tripp Way ’91 is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a degree in business administration and a concentration in finance. He began his career in real estate as a commercial appraiser handling long-term care facilities, hospitals, and medical office buildings. After moving on to become a commercial real estate broker, his responsibilities included tenant and landlord representation and investment property analysis and sales. Previously he served as Senior Consultant to the Herman/Turner Group, as a consultant with Capital Valuation Group and was a partner at Emory Hill Real Estate Services. Today, he is the Managing Partner, SIOR for DSM Commercial Real Estate at 910 South Chapel Street, Newark, Delaware.
Padmini Manrai ’03 has received her MD degree from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. She will begin her residency training in Pathology at the Yale University – New Haven Hospital in June 2017.
William Hickman ’07 was graduated from Boston School of Medicine on May 14, 2016 and in June he graduated from Officer Development School as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. He is currently stationed in Portsmouth, Virginia. Now know officially as: Lt. William B. Hickman IV MD.
Heather Marsh Walker ’07 is a graduate of Penn State University in 2011 and Emory University in 2013. She is currently working at Yale University as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Yale Cancer Center in New Haven, Connecticut. She and Greg were married in May 2016 at Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania. He is the US Paralympic Men’s Volleyball team head coach, which competed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September 2016. He also coaches the men’s volleyball team at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. Heather serves on the Caravel Alumni Scholarship Committee.
Erin Crow ’08 received her degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and is currently working as a graphic artist and product designer for Livie & Luca, a kid’s shoe company in Emeryville, California. She is also a freelance illustrator, animator and designer in her free time.
Alexandria Stanley ’10 is engaged to her college sweetheart Nicholas Golio. They plan to be married in August 2017. She is a preschool teacher in the Caravel Early Education Center. Nick is a small business sales specialist at Corporation Service Company.
Nolan Kinslow ’12 attended the University of Delaware and is currently employed by Radius Systems, LLC located in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Radius is a full service provider of HVAC and Lighting Control Systems, Indoor Environmental Quality systems and Security systems.
Jonathan Hickman ’13 was inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars at the end of his freshman year of college. In May 2016 he was honored by being inducted into Beta Sigma Gamma National Business Honor Society. Last summer he completed an internship at JP Morgan Chase working as a financial analyst. Jonathan has returned to Montclair State University in New Jersey to complete his senior year.
Tiara Malcom ’01 has been named Head Coach for women’s basketball at Florida International University. Previously she was an assistant coach for the Panthers at FIU and the Blue Hens at UD for ten years.
Desiree Lake Brubaker ’05 is a 2009 graduate of Frostburg State University and a 2015 graduate of Wilmington University where she earned a master’s degree in human resources management. She is currently employed by Delaware Technical Community College at the Terry Campus as a Human Resources Specialist I. She and her husband, Mah, are the proud parents of Everett Jameson born in January 2016.
Mark McMahon ’05 married Kelly McKinley in October 2015. Shortly after, he was named as a Pharmacy District Manager for Rite Aid. This promotion will mean relocating from Charleston, SC to Wilmington, NC. Although looking forward to the move, they hope to return to Charleston in a few years.
Hannah Abrams ’12 was graduated from Ithaca College located in Ithaca, New York in May 2016 with a degree in music education.
Kelly McMahon ’12 was graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina in December 2015. She has since relocated to Charlotte, NC where she works as a financial analyst.
Victoria Edwards ’15 and Brendan Jordan ’15 were both inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.
Jamie Samans ’97, a captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, completed Squadron Officer School and was selected for a ten-month active duty tour with the U.S. Strategic Command at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, convenient to his home in Alexandria, VA. He and his wife Gwen recently celebrated their daughter Tara’s first day of Kindergarten. Jamie is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Air Warfare and is excited to be attending the AFCEA Cyber Symposium this winter in Bulgaria.
Raju Manrai ’04 and Rachna Mathur were engaged in Maui, Hawaii in December 2014. Their destination wedding was held at the Lowes Royal Pacific Resort Hotel in Orlando, Florida including four days of festivities in November 2015. Dr. Manrai is employed at the Harvard Medical School as a research associate and Rachna is currently working as a tax attorney at Earnst & Young in Boston.
Yooku Tachie-Menson ’06 is a graduate of Penn State University and is employed at NAVAIR, Naval Air Systems Command headquartered in Patuxent River, Maryland. NAVAIR provides material support for aircraft and airborne weapon systems for the United States Navy. He is currently living in California, Maryland.
Mark Lawrence ’07 and Emmalee Redstone ’07 are engaged to be married in May 2016.
Keasel Broome '10 was recently selected as a goalkeeper by the Major League Soccer club, San Jose Earthquakes, in the third round of the MLS draft. He will attend preseason and work hard to be offered a contract.
Kye Williams ’12 a biology major at Neumann University has been accepted to the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. While at Neumann Kye has played first base for the Knights baseball team. He was named to the CSAC (Colonial States Athletic Conference) All-Academic Team recognizing student-athletes who have achieved a grade-point average of 3.20 or higher.
Victoria Edwards ’15 is a freshman at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. She is studying International Business and Contemporary Japanese through their Honors Program.
Padmini Manrai ’03 has received her MD degree from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. She will begin her residency training in Pathology at the Yale University – New Haven Hospital in June 2017.
William Hickman ’07 was graduated from Boston School of Medicine on May 14, 2016 and in June he graduated from Officer Development School as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. He is currently stationed in Portsmouth, Virginia. Now know officially as: Lt. William B. Hickman IV MD.
Heather Marsh Walker ’07 is a graduate of Penn State University in 2011 and Emory University in 2013. She is currently working at Yale University as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Yale Cancer Center in New Haven, Connecticut. She and Greg were married in May 2016 at Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania. He is the US Paralympic Men’s Volleyball team head coach, which competed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September 2016. He also coaches the men’s volleyball team at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. Heather serves on the Caravel Alumni Scholarship Committee.
Erin Crow ’08 received her degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and is currently working as a graphic artist and product designer for Livie & Luca, a kid’s shoe company in Emeryville, California. She is also a freelance illustrator, animator and designer in her free time.
Alexandria Stanley ’10 is engaged to her college sweetheart Nicholas Golio. They plan to be married in August 2017. She is a preschool teacher in the Caravel Early Education Center. Nick is a small business sales specialist at Corporation Service Company.
Nolan Kinslow ’12 attended the University of Delaware and is currently employed by Radius Systems, LLC located in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Radius is a full service provider of HVAC and Lighting Control Systems, Indoor Environmental Quality systems and Security systems.
Jonathan Hickman ’13 was inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars at the end of his freshman year of college. In May 2016 he was honored by being inducted into Beta Sigma Gamma National Business Honor Society. Last summer he completed an internship at JP Morgan Chase working as a financial analyst. Jonathan has returned to Montclair State University in New Jersey to complete his senior year.
Tiara Malcom ’01 has been named Head Coach for women’s basketball at Florida International University. Previously she was an assistant coach for the Panthers at FIU and the Blue Hens at UD for ten years.
Desiree Lake Brubaker ’05 is a 2009 graduate of Frostburg State University and a 2015 graduate of Wilmington University where she earned a master’s degree in human resources management. She is currently employed by Delaware Technical Community College at the Terry Campus as a Human Resources Specialist I. She and her husband, Mah, are the proud parents of Everett Jameson born in January 2016.
Mark McMahon ’05 married Kelly McKinley in October 2015. Shortly after, he was named as a Pharmacy District Manager for Rite Aid. This promotion will mean relocating from Charleston, SC to Wilmington, NC. Although looking forward to the move, they hope to return to Charleston in a few years.
Hannah Abrams ’12 was graduated from Ithaca College located in Ithaca, New York in May 2016 with a degree in music education.
Kelly McMahon ’12 was graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina in December 2015. She has since relocated to Charlotte, NC where she works as a financial analyst.
Victoria Edwards ’15 and Brendan Jordan ’15 were both inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.
Jamie Samans ’97, a captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, completed Squadron Officer School and was selected for a ten-month active duty tour with the U.S. Strategic Command at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, convenient to his home in Alexandria, VA. He and his wife Gwen recently celebrated their daughter Tara’s first day of Kindergarten. Jamie is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Air Warfare and is excited to be attending the AFCEA Cyber Symposium this winter in Bulgaria.
Raju Manrai ’04 and Rachna Mathur were engaged in Maui, Hawaii in December 2014. Their destination wedding was held at the Lowes Royal Pacific Resort Hotel in Orlando, Florida including four days of festivities in November 2015. Dr. Manrai is employed at the Harvard Medical School as a research associate and Rachna is currently working as a tax attorney at Earnst & Young in Boston.
Yooku Tachie-Menson ’06 is a graduate of Penn State University and is employed at NAVAIR, Naval Air Systems Command headquartered in Patuxent River, Maryland. NAVAIR provides material support for aircraft and airborne weapon systems for the United States Navy. He is currently living in California, Maryland.
Mark Lawrence ’07 and Emmalee Redstone ’07 are engaged to be married in May 2016.
Keasel Broome '10 was recently selected as a goalkeeper by the Major League Soccer club, San Jose Earthquakes, in the third round of the MLS draft. He will attend preseason and work hard to be offered a contract.
Kye Williams ’12 a biology major at Neumann University has been accepted to the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. While at Neumann Kye has played first base for the Knights baseball team. He was named to the CSAC (Colonial States Athletic Conference) All-Academic Team recognizing student-athletes who have achieved a grade-point average of 3.20 or higher.
Victoria Edwards ’15 is a freshman at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. She is studying International Business and Contemporary Japanese through their Honors Program.
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