58 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | CLASS NOTES University Communications and Public Affairs intern, as well as working with Lehigh’s sustainability office, where she took photos as well as helped with social media. She also previously worked with admissions, making TikToks for them. When reflecting on her four years at Lehigh, Grace said her favorite memory is her work experience. She said photography has allowed her to capture things and share them with people who might not have been able to attend or see it. Grace said she is always taking pictures, and loves looking back on those moments and feeling proud of what she captures. Seeing Grace’s pictures on the University’s Instagram always makes me smile and really shows the beauty of Lehigh. Before I go, I just want to say thank you to every friend, professor, peer and community member who has impacted my Lehigh experience in any way. To The Brown and White, which has been my home, thank you for everything. I will miss the newsroom so much, but I can’t wait to continue reading all the amazing work on the website. To my sorority sisters in Gamma Phi Beta, thank you for being my best friends. I know our friendships are forever. And to my brother, Matthew Rowan ’23, thank you for introducing me to Lehigh seven years ago, and showing me just how special this place is. I’m so happy we get to share our love for Lehigh. ’27 Ava Koslowsky, ask227@lehigh. edu and Sydney Floch, sff227@lehigh.edu ¡Hola de Madrid! This semester, I’ve [Sydney] had the privilege to travel abroad through Lehigh’s Office of International Affairs. Lehigh is where we’ve discovered who we want to be, but abroad is where I’ve found it. The capital of Spain has been my home base the past few months. I’ve become fluent in Spanish, eaten so many tapas and been mistaken as a city native (hey, I’ll take it). Something I least expected, however, was that I would find even more of a Lehigh community abroad. I came to a foreign country alone. It’s very common nowadays to come with a sorority sister, fraternity brother, roommate or friend of a friend, but I set out to truly challenge myself and start fresh. Doing so in the fall of 2023 at Lehigh was one of the best things to ever happen to me. So why not try again? Ironically enough, I ran into two girls I met that fall three years ago in the hallway of McClintic-Marshall. We all know Lehigh is special for several reasons—one reason is that no matter where you are, there’s a familiar face. Rith Gonzales and Bel Gonzales became those faces for me in Madrid. We grabbed coffee and realized how far our paths traced back. We’ve walked through Retiro Park and dined in Malasaña. We’ve even taken trips to Mallorca, where we spotted wild donkeys and sheep while hiking along the coast! As my time at Lehigh continues and the connections deepen, I’m further reminded of how magical this place is, even when it’s thousands of miles away. That’s the thing about being a Mountain Hawk—no matter where you are, your flock comes to find you. ’28 Laura Preston, lap328@lehigh. edu Hi, everyone! I am so excited for junior year and can’t wait to see what this year brings. Adelaide Videon-Perino is excited for her junior year as well, but it will be her last year before she graduates early and pursues a master’s in business analytics at Lehigh next year. Currently, she is pursuing an economics degree in the College of Arts and Sciences and is a student-athlete on the track and field team. She began as a student-athlete tutor in January, helping other student-athletes with economics courses. She loves tutoring because while she gets to help others learn, she gets to review her econ work as well, so a win-win. She also began a research project under Professor Zane, investigating the work-hard-play-hard theory of students at Lehigh as part of his consumer psychology research. Another student-athlete, Ofer Hacohen from Kibbutz Ga’aton, Northern Israel, plays on the men’s tennis team. Ofer is an electrical engineering major and a tutor for the Student Access and Success Office. He helps students learn Calc 3 and says it is super fun and rewarding. He also serves on the Student-Athlete Council. The council advocates the ways administration can improve student-athlete life on campus. He is part of the Friends of Israel Club and Chabad. This summer, before he goes home to Israel, he plans to do a solo backpacking trip in Glacier Park, Mont. At home, he intends to assist his brother with his startup company, Eikona, an AI-focused marketing company, and travel to Sinai, Egypt, for a scuba diving trip. ’29 Pedro Garcia- Silva, peg329@ lehigh.edu As the Class of 2029 settles into life at Lehigh, many students are reflecting on a year defined by new beginnings, challenges and growth. For first-generation students especially, this year has been filled with milestones that extend far beyond the classroom. Sofia Diaz, a first-generation student born and raised in the Bay Area, has embraced her time as a Posse Scholar on a full-tuition scholarship. Pursuing a major in neuroscience on the pre-med track, Sofia is already looking ahead with aspirations of attending medical school and becoming the first physician in her family. “This first year in college has been filled with a lot of firsts in my life, especially new opportunities and experiences I’d never thought I’d have academically.” From navigating rigorous coursework to building community on campus, Sofia’s journey captures both the challenges and excitement of stepping into unfamiliar spaces with determination and purpose. Kevin Ayllon Gaytan, an accounting and finance major from Kennett Square, Pa., has also found his first year to be transformative. As a first-generation student and an active member of the Lehigh University Student Scholars Institute (LUSSI), Kevin has taken full advantage of opportunities to grow both academically and professionally. He hopes to start his own accounting firm, a goal that reflects both ambition and a strong entrepreneurial mindset. This summer, Kevin expanded his experiences by traveling to the San Francisco Bay Area as a research impact fellow through The Human Edge—Global Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. Looking back on his first year, Kevin described it as “insightful and fast-paced,” a sentiment that resonates with many in the Class of 2029 as they balance new responsibilities with exciting opportunities. Together, these stories reflect a broader theme among the Class of 2029: a willingness to step into the unknown and make the most of every opportunity. Whether pursuing careers in medicine, business or beyond, students are already laying the foundation for impactful futures while building a strong sense of community at Lehigh. As the year continues, the Class of 2029 looks ahead with optimism, ready to build on these first experiences and continue shaping their paths both on campus and beyond. Graduate College of Business Eric Scott Kaplan MBA’23 wrote, “I founded Foundry, a simple, field-first software platform designed for home- service professionals (contractors, landscapers, cleaners and similar service pros). Foundry helps them manage jobs, send estimates, collect approvals, invoice clients and get paid— without juggling multiple tools or complicated systems. “You can visit our website here: foundryconnects.com.”
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