Cathy Lipop - Class of 98

Hello ladies! I am so glad to hear how you are doing and to see the wonderful lives you are leading! Two days ago I was thinking of AOII for some reason and wondering how to get in touch with everyone. I'm glad you started this!

Pic of Jenna Hicks and me...


I moved back to Atlanta and started working with UPS a month after I graduated from Samford. That was nine years ago and I'm still here. I had positions in Communications, HR, and now I'm a project manager in Corporate Marketing. I have a little condo close to work, close enough to the city, and close enough to the burbs to be just right for me. I'm involved in North Point Community Church. I got my Master's in Organizational Development a few years ago, got bored and started doing triathlons. Two years ago I did my first sprint (short and quick)tri. I kept moving up the tri distances and last month I did my first Ironman. An Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mie bike ride, and 26.2 mile run. It took me 16 hours. (I know, I'm crazy.) I'm dating a great guy who loves me and my hand-me-down cat, Junior.


At the Ironman Finish Line! 16 hours, 19 minutes.


There you go ~ there's a line about my life for each year I haven't seen you! If you come to Atl, get in touch! Now that I'm not training like a mad woman I have plenty of time to sit and chat. clipop@hotmail.com or myspace.com/cathylipop

Update from Michelle

Hey Everybody,
It has been so good to hear the updates from all of you guys and know what's going on in your lives. I'll add mine to the list as well, here.

My life has definitely changed a lot in the last several years. I moved to Ft Lauderdale, FL in 2003 and was part of planting a church there called The Harbour for several years. After being in staff there doing short term missions, the Lord opened a door for me to work overseas all the time. For the last year and a half I have been working as a full time missionary with Book of Hope International (bookofhope.net). My job involves a lot of different things, but basically we go into schools doing presentations on life skills and give out a book for the kids that is the four gospels combined so the children will understand it.

I spent almost all of last year in Africa and this year I have been in South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Peru and I am writing right now from El Salvador. Sarah Graves actually worked with some of my friends in Swaziland just a few weeks ago. My life is full of crazy adventures, ridiculous stories and amazing opportunities to see things and go places most people never have the opportunity to. I have been truly blessed all along the way with friends who are as close as family and I wouldn't trade a moment of it. No husband or kids yet, but I'll attach a couple of pictures so you can see some of the little faces that are a part of my everyday life.

Michelle

Hi all!

What an awesome idea, Candace! Even though I was only with you all for 2 years, I still love getting updates on everyones whereabouts and what's new in your lives!

After leaving Samford after sophomore year, I transferred to Virginia Tech and graduated with a Hospitality and Tourism Mgt. degree in 2001. From there I lived in Richmond, VA and Sarasota, FL, working for Hyatt, before moving up to the DC area in 2003. My very first day in DC I met my now husband, Jay, through mutual friends. During that time, I also decided that a career change was in order and eventually got a job teaching high school special education. I just recently completed my 3rd year of teaching special ed. and just finished my Masters in Special Education at George Mason University.

Jay and I were married this spring in Richmond (the picture above is after the wedding) and were so happy that Rachel (Maxcey) Smith, and her husband, and Lezlie Rupert were able to make it to the wedding. Since then we've moved to Charlotte, NC. It's really nice to be closer to Leigh and Rachel, and we're planning a get together soon, which will be so much fun!! We bought a house and will be moving in the 2nd weekend in August. I'm also keeping busy planning for the start of the school year and obtaining my NC teaching license, as I will be continuing to teach high school special education down here. Our pug, Tucker, also keeps me busy during the day. It's been a crazy year and we're looking forward to things settling down this fall and getting used to life in the south.

I look forward to hearing more about everyone's lives! And if you're ever in NC, I know Leigh, Rachel, and I would love another ladies get together.

Take care,

Emily (Nast) Reedy

Lezlie Rupert - update

Hi Rho Delta :)

How fun! Thanks Candace.

I am in Washington, DC & really love the city. So, if any of you come visit or when y'all start bringing your kiddos on the treck to visit our nation's capital, please let me know~ :) I live across from the National Cathedral - just for a point of reference, but am always daydreaming about moving to an edgier part of town. I moved to here to go to graduate school (American University) and stayed. I had been a Capital City Fellow for the local District of Columbia government and recently got hired with the District Department of Transportation (d. - I love our marketing symbol!). So far, so good! I really enjoy local government and like the state / local / federal mix.

I also am active in my church: Grace DC (www.gracedc.net). It is PCA and it is interesting to get involved in a denomination different than the one I grew up in. The people are fantastic; our congregation is young, and that is fun and also gives a nice base for friendships. I ran my first marathon last fall (Marine Corps Marathon) with some girlfriends from church. It was pretty awesome.

As Leigh mentioned, I went on vacation with Sarah earlier this summer. It was great! We went to Amsterdam where we met Justin Timberlake! :) and then we spent a week in Barcelona. It was georgous! Other than that, I'm just working and trying to get to the beach as much as possible this summer!

Oh, and I was glad to hang out with Rachel (Maxcey) Smith recently too & meet her husband @ Emily Nast's wedding :)

I'm so glad to read about all of your lives! We are an impressive bunch! :)
All the best,
Lezlie

Thanks Candace!

Thanks for starting up this blog! Love the classic photos!!! I'll have to find some oldie, but goodies and scan them in!!

Hope others take advantage of this!!
Katie T. Lown

Welcome, AOII Rho Delta Alumni!

Hi everyone! It was such fun to read about where everyone is now and what is going on in your lives that I thought it might be good for us to have a central place to post what is new!

Candace Echols update

Hi! Well, I thought I'd start it. After college, I moved to England for two years and worked as a youth intern with a church there. Then, I moved back to Memphis for two years and worked in the office of British and European Studies at Rhodes College. That job enabled me to spend nine months of the year in Memphis and the summers in Oxford, England, which I enjoyed. During that time, I met my husband, Jim Echols, through Tim and Jen (Bray) Davenport (Samford folks). Jim moved to New York City in the summer and I was offered a job there in the fall of that year as a personal assistant to an interior designer there. I took it in a heartbeat, largely because I was given an apartment just off of Park Avenue for free to live in! I MEAN! Who can pass that up!?!?! A week after I arrived in NYC, Jim and I got engaged (we had been dating for two years) and we were married in Memphis five months later. That summer, Jim's job there ended (it was a one-year deal) and we moved back to Memphis. I started my job as an apprentice at Presbyterian Day School, a Christian all-boys school here. I also started my Masters in Education. I've now been at PDS for two years and have my own class and have finished my Masters. Jim and I bought our first home, a loft in a 100-year old warehouse in downtown Memphis. Jim will finish his residency in ophthalmology in June of 2008. At that point, we'll be moving on to a new phase in life. Whether that will be in Memphis or not, we're not sure. But we shall see! We have a little puggle named Wrigley (Jim's a Cubs fan).