
Tell us about what you're doing with your life
For the last 10 years, I've been focused on making later life something to look forward to, as opposed to dreading it. I founded Clear Home Solutions in 2013 and we specialize in senior relocations. (Family dynamics are certainly fascinating!). Then COVID gave me the chance to launch my podcast "How to Move Your Mom (and still be on speaking terms afterward)." I'm also in the beta launch phase for Later Life Living, which will be the online platform where older adults and their families will go to find trusted professionals they need to guide them through their later years. A couple of other things I've done since graduation were traveling to every continent, doing human rights in Chiapas, Mexico in the aftermath of the Zapatista Rebellion and... missing the rain! Until this past year, L.A.'s weather has been insanely boring. (I grew up in Buffalo. Need I say more?)
What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found most useful?
Professor Frederick Marcham was both Socrates and Merlin. He was in his mid-80s when I started attending his reading seminars, and he died in 1992 during his 70th year of teaching. He was 94 then, and my mother had been a student of his. We read Shakespeare and Spencer aloud, along with many others. Even English law written centuries ago had a music he helped us discover. After class, he'd go outside with us and made sure we noticed the leaves dancing in the wind, how the sky's hue changed from day to day. He was magical.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
I loved my time there so much and don't have a specific favorite. But a funny one was walking across the arts quad in the middle of April after we'd had a big snowfall. (Fortunately, I still had my winter gear, and that saved me.) Whoever was playing the chimes had an interesting sense of humor, and I laughed out loud when they started playing "Winter Wonderland."
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Kathy McCullough may as well be my sister. She's an extraordinary writer and one of the 5 friends I hang out with on Zoom every Saturday, something we began at the beginning of COVID and now cannot live without. Kathy and I both love to spend time with Lee Rosenthal (class of '87). Leslie Gilberg Elman and I keep in touch, though we're rarely in the same city, unfortunately. We were both WVBR sportscasters and she, too, is a writer and insanely brilliant at trivia. Miss you Leslie!

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
I can't think of a way is hasn't influenced me, and I mean every single day. Aside from all the obvious educational benefits that I begin using as soon as I crawl out of bed in the morning, I learned perseverance, how to always be open to learning, and how you have to dedicate yourself deeply to all that you do (climbing Libe Slope in February for 8am classes comes to mind). Cornell is where I took my early steps into adulthood and began learning how to handle life on my own.
What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was most meaningful?
I started out as a sportscaster at WVBR my freshman year, and then switched to news my junior year (I think). I learned so much about deadlines, getting my facts straight and sound editing, all skills I use for my podcast and the marketing I do. I remember showing up at Schoellkopf field to cover my first football game. They'd send the press pass to "Mr." Marty Heebner and, when I got there, I discovered they only had one gross bathroom labeled "Mens." I used it anyway.
If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
Not a thing.
What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
I think there's a strength Cornell builds in us, so long as we allow it to, and I draw on that frequently. Also, when I meet someone from Cornell, it's like we're bonded for life, and not only because of how Cornell challenged us. Remember the saying, "If you don't like the weather in Ithaca, wait a minute. It'll change." For years afterward, I always carried an umbrella, just... in... case.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell?
Commit! Enjoy your classes and the depth of understanding that comes with them. Take in all that the Finger Lakes have to offer. Join extracurricular groups and organizations - and not just to pretty up your resume. You'll wind up dealing with a lot of passionate personalities. Some you'll like, some you'll butt heads with. All those experiences will be remarkable and will serve you well in the future.