72 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | CLASS NOTES many mornings in classes and afternoons on the Saucon Valley Rail Trail. Whenever she had gaps of time, she went back and forth between studying and training. The organization she ran with also provided her a training schedule, which also helped her stay on track. Chelsea described running the marathon as an absolutely incredible experience. Growing up outside of New York City, she said it felt great to run through a city that meant so much to her. She described each borough as having its own energy, while running across the bridges as the most difficult part without any spectators. Having friends and family throughout the race cheering her on made the experience mean so much to her. She plans to run at least one more marathon in the future. Chelsea is also a member of the executive board of the Lehigh University American Medical Student Association, the Pre-PA club, the Lehigh Panhellenic Council, Lehigh Chabad, Tamid and the Gift of Life campus ambassador. Training for the marathon, while balancing academics and extracurricular activities, taught Chelsea the importance of time management and how to balance different commitments at once. Both Chelsea and Lexa reflect the drive and commitment the Class of 2024 has to go above and beyond expectations and accomplish goals inside and outside of the classroom. ’25 Stephanie Kasulka, sek225@lehigh.edu Hello! At the end of the semester, it’s a particularly nice time to reflect on just a few of the many endeavors and accomplishments the Class of 2025 embarked on last fall. Jill Fournier has raised over $10,000 for the Lehigh Fund since October as an alumni caller with the Lehigh Liners, making her this semester’s top caller. Jill said speaking to so many alumni each week has significantly strengthened her public speaking skills. The donated funds that she and her co-workers raise go toward funding scholarships, athletics and academic departments. Lake Palmeri and Casey Dolan, two of oSTEM club’s e-board members, attended the 13th annual oSTEM conference in Anaheim, Calif., in November. Standing for Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the oSTEM conference brought together and celebrated LGBTQ+ scientists, professionals and students from across the country. Casey was chosen to present research she completed about sustainable energy and bioengineering during a summer internship with Stevens Institute of Technology at the conference’s poster session. Kareem Hargrove was an associate editor for the first edition of the student-led Health Policy and Politics journal that was published on the Institute of Health Policy and Politics website within the College of Health in November. The journal consists of essays addressing the impact policies and politics have had on health outcomes across the world in the last 30 years. Kareem also accepted a position on the Tumbao dance team this semester, in addition to continuing his work as the Black Student Union president and the Student Senate Bethlehem outreach committee chair. As always, feel free to reach out to me with any updates or experiences at sek225@lehigh.edu! ’26 Amanda Rowan, abr226@lehigh.edu It’s always wonderful to be on Lehigh’s campus, especially as a sophomore. While we might be visiting Rathbone less, we are no longer the babies on campus, so kudos to us for making it here! We’re almost halfway done, so let’s cherish our time here. Let’s check in with the Class of 2026 and hear about what some of our classmates have been up to. Jake Feuerstein is an IDEAS honors student, studying bioengineering and health, medicine and society. Over the summer, Jake traveled with his research team, SickIED, to Sierra Leone to research health care education pathways and their relationship to sickle cell disease. The group was also there to build capacity for the proper usage of the diagnostic device, which was developed in the HST labs. On Nov. 12, 2023, Jake and the group traveled to the Georgia World Congress Center, in Atlanta, where they attended the American Public Health Association annual meeting and expo. He gave a presentation on research from their trip to Sierra Leone. The title was “point-of-care diagnostic device for sickle cell disease for use in low- to middle-income countries,” and he presented technological innovations in international and global health. Moving forward, Jake said the team is working on optimizing antibody pairs for a diagnostic test so that they can hopefully do beta-testing next summer. He also hopes to write a paper that synthesizes the interview data he collected so that they can write about the health care education system there and how to play to its strengths. Next summer, he and the teams also hope to have educational supplements that can integrate into the existing education system. Jake said he made a lot of awesome connections and exposure to a bunch of different public health projects. He said it was eye opening, and he is grateful for the opportunity. Matt Lindley spent three hours every day for six weeks preparing to be the lead of a new musical, playing both electric and acoustic guitars, along with the banjo. Matt was in the department of theatre’s recent production of “Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future.” He said this was the first show he’s ever worked on that was a story of activism, and he learned a lot about the history of gay and trans rights. While studying computer engineering and law in the IDEAS program, he says, through the play, he was able to collaborate with a lot of students in the production. Matt says the students he worked with are “unforgettable to me; many came from different backgrounds with stories and personalities that brought unique perspective and life to our show. I will continue to encourage my friends and classmates to participate in theater.” That’s it for this column. As always, please reach out to me if you have any news or announcements you’d like to share or have a story you want featured. I can’t wait to hear about all your adventures! ’27 GUEST COLUMNIST: David Gallo As a flag bearer, you are a representative of the whole class. When the class from 50 years before adopts your class at the Rally, it cements your place in Lehigh’s history. Here is my story of becoming a flag bearer. I extensively researched Lehigh before applying, so I knew about the opportunity to carry the flag. What first made me love the university wasn’t something most Lehigh students can say: stairs! Here’s some Lehigh trivia: Jesse Reno, Class of 1883, built the first escalator. I screamed after seeing that acceptance letter and proceeded to only talk about Lehigh afterward. I am extremely grateful to reside in Dravo since I am back to my
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