January 2025 Alumni eNewsletter
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January 14, 2025
FEATURED NEWS
Alumni Weekend Registration is Open!
We are looking forward to welcoming all alumni back to campus for our annual celebration, Alumni Weekend, taking place March 28-29. If your class year ends with a 5 or 0, we welcome you to celebrate your reunion year with Oglethorpe! Early bird registration is now open and includes a free t-shirt upon registration to any event!

MLK Day of Service Returns
Oglethorpe’s annual MLK Day of Service is back! Join with Oglethorpe alumni, students, faculty and staff to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in various service projects. There will be both on- and off-campus service opportunities.

OU Giving Day 2025 is February 12
Join in and support Oglethorpe on OU Giving Day 2025! Mark your calendar for February 12, 2025, and celebrate our fourth annual OU Giving Day. Sign up as an OU Giving Day Social Media Ambassador to share your Petrel Pride and help spread the word. Click here to learn more and sign up, and stay tuned for more ways to get involved!

Upcoming Alumni Events
MLK Day of Service, Monday, January 20
Oglethorpe’s annual MLK Day of Service is back! Join with Oglethorpe alumni, students, faculty and staff to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in a variety of service projects. There will be both on- and off-campus service opportunities.
NEW DATE! Alumni Basketball Tailgate, February 2, 12-2 p.m.
Join fellow alumni for the Alumni Basketball Tailgate! We will host an Alumni VIP section on the Blacktop, under the scoreboard, so you can mingle with friends while watching the game! Food will be provided.
Student to Alumni Networking Night, Thursday, February 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Join us in the TLCC Trustee Room to help provide support and mentorship to students as they explore their college-to-career pathways through a night of networking.
Raising the Bar: Alumni and Student Law Mixer, Wednesday, March 5, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
The Stormy Petrel Bar Association invites you to our “Raising the Bar” networking event, an opportunity to network with alumni and current Oglethorpe pre-law students. By attending, you will not only get to help the next generation of law students but also get to make personal connections and gain valuable insight in your field.
Alumni Weekend, Friday and Saturday, March 28-29
We are looking forward to welcoming all alumni back to campus for our annual celebration, Alumni Weekend, taking place March 28th-29th. Early bird registration opens January 6th and includes a free t-shirt upon registration to any event.
Class Notes
News and updates submitted by your classmates.
JoEllen Wilson ’93 has been honored by the Rotary Club of Canton with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jerry Portwood ’99 recently founded The Queer Love Project, a platform that publishes personal essays, interviews, and columns that reveal the stories behind heartbreaks, happiness, and the multiplicity of LGBTQ+ experiences—all in an effort to seek new answers to the question: “What do we know about love?” Learn more here.
Daniel Sobczak ’01 earned his Education Specialist from Augusta University in December 2024. He continues to teach economics at Southwest DeKalb High School where he has worked since 2007. He brought two classes of students to tour Oglethorpe and attend a mock Economics lecture last school year. He also has the honor of serving as the first vice president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators, the local affiliate of the Georgia Association of Educators and National Education Association.
In Memory
Oglethorpe mourns the loss of members of our alumni family and former faculty. We’ve recently learned of the passing of these alumni and faculty:
Joshua David Phillips ’09, 12/28/24
Judith Ann Reagan, 12/11/24
Daniel Kartotsky Sr. ’80, 12/2/2024
Martha Dickert Nelson ’74, 12/4/2024
Claude Overton Jr. ’71, 12/9/24
Alice Jane Hill Hughes ’67, 12/15/24
Charles A. Alford ’62, 12/18/24
Hazel Wilson Cofield ’53, 12/15/24
A full list of those who have passed away are remembered here.
We want to hear from you! Tell us about a new job, promotion, award, wedding, birth or adoption, or other noteworthy milestone. We want to keep your classmates up to date on your latest news and celebrate your accomplishments!
OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Career outcomes rate for recent OU graduates higher than national average
OU Giving Day Returns for its Fourth Year on February 12
A letter to Lee Knippenberg, from her husband
PRISM research poster event highlights depth and diversity of OU student research
Ringing in the holiday season with the 80th Boar’s Head Anniversary
Want more University News? Read more online or subscribe to The Source.
OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY EVENTS
OUMA’s Opening Exhibition – Fragile Genius: Catherine Wiley and Beauford Delaney, January 29, 6-8 p.m.
Join in the opening of the Fragile Genius Exhibition at the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art. Featuring the works of Catherine Wiley and Beauford Delaney, which hopes to bring forth a narrative that imbues each subject with dignity and respect while reinforcing their most innate artistic brilliance.

Spring sports teams are getting fired up! Click the link below to view their full schedules.
Go Petrels!
Stay Connected
Networking on LinkedIn? Be sure to join the OU Alumni group and follow the Oglethorpe University LinkedIn page.