Andover Alumni Now: Class of 1991

Episode 9: Francisco Contreras - "Through spans of distance and time, here we are!"

This episode I caught up with Francisco Contreras at his current home in Houston. I say “current home” because Fran’s life since Andover has been marked by near constant movement: from Houston to Mexico where he went to college and got married, then to grad school in Germany and Pennsylvania, then to work in Santa Barbara, San Jose, Raleigh NC, BACK to Mexico and now in Houston again, crossing cultures and languages, with four kids in tow.

Episode 8: Jon Odo - Our Overlapping Perspectives

Jon Odo’s work focuses on the productive functioning of teams. In this episode, Jon and I explore how everyone on earth engages the world from their own unique subjective perspective and what that means for groups of people who hope to pull in the same direction and serve a common goal, whether that be in a corporation, a community, a nation or even a family. I caught up with Jon where he lives with his family in a quaint little Boston suburb you may have heard of.

Episode 7: Meka Egwuekwe - Giving ...and Forgiving

In this episode I caught up with Meka Egwuekwe in Memphis, where his simple dedication to fatherhood led to a shift in his career that, over the years, has expanded to impact every family in the state of Tennessee, but not before a significant shift in his understanding of his own family.

Episode 6: Mike Blanton - Managing Change, In Science And In Life

In this episode I caught up with astronomer Mike Blanton in his office in Pasadena California, where he is the new director of Carnegie Observatories. I found Mike at a moment when he, his wife and their two high schoolers are all facing exciting life changes, and navigating them well.

Episode 5: Julia Bloch - At Work (And At Play) In A World Of Words

In this episode, I caught up with Julia Bloch in Philadelphia, where she lives and works as the director of the creative writing program at the University of Pennsylvania. We talked about her life as a teacher, as a poet, as a mother and as a daughter, and found ourselves delighting in how the ever-changing nature of language impacts and enhances our lives. And I learned how poetry, in particular, has a unique power to challenge norms, make unexpected connections and change how we think and move in the world.