Kelly Curtin, 2012 Art, joined Teach for America right after graduation and taught high school Special Education and English in San Jose, Calif., for the past four years. This past year, Curtin made the switch to Montessori education, and currently teaches middle school humanities at a Montessori middle school in Campbell, Calif.

Douglas Harding, 1985 Geography, has completed 11 years at Hope Flight Foundation as Founder, President, and Chief Pilot. Hope Flight Foundation provides free flights for children with cancer from the small remote towns of California to the specialized cancer hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles area.

Mike Margolies, 1976 Kinesiology & Recreation Administration, moved to Dallas Texas in 2015 to work with Mental Training, Inc., and in 2016 he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the company. The company trains athletes, performing artists, and executives around the world to be mentally tough. Margolies writes, “I owe my entire career start to the education I received at HSU.”

I moved to Colorado accepting a sports anchor position at CBS KKTV. I now get to cover teams like the Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets, and the Air Force Academy.

Melody Stone, 2007 Journalism, after three years in public media at Capital Public Radio, just started as the marketing and communication specialist at the University of Nevada, Reno journalism school. Stone is also teaching a design lab.

Billy Wright, 2014 Communication, is currently teaching and coaching in Kerman, Calif., at Kerman High School. Wright was recently invited to coach a high school All-American game played at the Oakland Raiders’ stadium where he will coach alongside guys who played or coached in the NFL.

Bob Lackey, 1967, Fisheries Biology, continues to teach part-time at Oregon State University in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. These days, he spends a good portion of his spare time training his young shetland sheepdog, Chandler. Lackey reports that “training progress has been painfully slow, but I think I see glimmers of progress. This little 23-pound dog definitely has a mind of his own and is rarely convinced that my training priorities are fully compatible with his priorities.”

Ryan Bieker, 2013 Political Science, began working at the California Public Employee Retirement System as an associate governmental program analyst administering the affordable care act with public agencies and state departments. Bieker also provides customer education, retirement and health program counseling, and responses to customer inquiries.

Monica Topping, 2009 Journalism, is one of the recipients of the 2016 Victor Thomas Jacoby award, which supports Humboldt-area artists as they seek to expand their skills. Topping will be learning how to do lampwork glass bead making with recycled glass.

Gordon L. Bussell, 2006 Native American Studies, is working to revitalize the Hupa language by teaching teachers in the Early Childhood Program. Bussell is also working to create a first-level immersion program targeting 0-6 year-old children on the Hoopa Reservation. As a Curriculum Specialist, Bussell is charged with implementing and designing all curriculum with the help of one assistant.