Since July, we’ve got new updates from Deryl Eastman, Pat La Vecchia, Jordan Foster, Massimo Armanini, Linda Jenkinson, Kacey Carpenter and Chris Malone. Check ’em out!
Wharton 35 Year Reunion – May 15-16, 2026
The dates have been set for our 35 year Wharton Reunion in Philadelphia, so be sure to save May 15-16, 2026 on your calendar. Full details are available here.
The PGA Championship will also be held in the Philadelphia area that weekend and hotel rooms are booking up fast. Reserve your room in the Reunion Hotel room block here.
A Reunion Planning Committee is being formed. If you would like to help with reunion planning, please register here. We look forward to seeing everyone in Philadelphia in May 2026!
Recent Submissions
January 13, 2026 Carpenter, Kenneth (Kacey)
As 2026 begins, I carry gratitude and a clear-eyed perspective shaped by a year of challenges. I’m deeply concerned about rising authoritarianism and threats to our democracy, but I remain an optimist, grounded in purpose, confident in my ability to act, and focused on a plan centered on family, community, and meaningful work. This past year reminded me how extraordinary life in Oregon is. Within an hour, we can walk the beaches and hear the Pacific, wander deep forests, explore the high desert, or play in fresh snow with our adopted chiweenie, Wilbur. I’m excited to launch my next National Park mystery-thriller, Murder in Vacationland, continue community organizing and volunteering, and pursue writing that matters. I also share weekly reflections where travel, nature, and purpose intersect in my Life is a Journey newsletter: lifeisajourney.substack.com. If your travels bring you to Oregon, I would love to connect.
January 04, 2026 Hong, Michael Byungchul
Hi Cohort C! It’s been way too long since I’ve shared an update with the group. After semi-officially "retiring" from the corporate world, I’ve spent the last 12 years based in Korea, focusing on angel investing and mentoring the next generation of startups. My latest project has been especially exciting: I’m working with an AI-centric VFX specialist here in Seoul. We’ve been collaborating with some of Korea’s top cinema and drama producers, and we’re about to ink a strategic partnership with a major K-pop entertainment company (founded by one of the legendary groups!). I’ve been heading up their overseas expansion, which actually gave me the chance to reconnect with Rob Cain this past September after all these years—it was great to catch up. I still find myself in New York and San Francisco/SV on a regular basis. If you’re living in those areas, please let me know! I’d love to grab a coffee or a drink and hear what everyone else has been up to during my next trip. Best, Michael
October 20, 2025 Carpenter, Kenneth (Kacey)
Fall has arrived in Portland, Oregon, peaceful, colorful, and full of the community that makes the Rose City feel like nowhere else. Despite what some headlines suggest, Portland is not a war zone. It is a city of dreamers, makers, marchers, and peacekeepers. I was honored to be named one of UCLA Alumni Affairs’ 2025 Bruin Excellence in Civic Engagement honorees, recognizing alumni who improve the quality of life in their communities and inspire change through civic action. On the writing front, I am finishing my next National Park Mystery-Thriller, Murder in Vacationland, set in Maine’s Acadia National Park. If you would like to be an early reader, please reach out. Meanwhile, I continue sharing weekly stories in my Life is a Journey newsletter, where travel, nature, and purpose meet: lifeisajourney.substack.com