CREATIVE THOUGHT Let them eat [cup]cake W
e all know someone who sniffs at the of - fering of dessert with a mystifying “I don’t
like sweets.” Sarah Belser-Ehrlich ’11 has a quick response for that: “False. You haven’t tried my cupcakes.” Belser-Ehrlich has been perfecting her baking
skills since she was young. When the cupcake craze hit a few years ago, she zeroed in on that specialty. Her mother and sister Janna Belser- Ehrlich ’10 got in on the act and, after perfecting their recipes, they be gan selling in 2010 at the farmers’ and crafters’ market in Platts burgh, N.Y., the sisters’ home- town. The cupcakes were an instant hit. Then Belser-Ehr - lich—a neuroscience major and chemistry and mu sic minor who’d never taken a business course—learned about Skidmore’s Frei - rich Business Plan Competition (established by Ken Freirich ’90). After submitting a business plan for Just Call Me Cup cake and giving two presentations before a panel of judges, Belser- Ehrlich snapped up second place and $2,500. Also, Steve Sullivan ’76, who owns eateries in Saratoga Springs, donated a pair of industrial- sized mixers. It was just the boost she needed. Belser-Ehrlich is doing her part to make sure
sweets aren’t “demonized in the fight against obe- sity.” A single petite cupcake could, after all, count as “portion control,” right? Temptation runs high, though, in the face of endless flavor-combo possi- bilities. “A cupcake should always inspire lustful cravings,” Belser-Ehrlich attests. Her own favorite is a cannoli variety she created: vanilla cake with chocolate chips baked in, ricotta frosting, choco- late ganache, topped with more chocolate chips, a bit of cannoli shell, and powdered sugar. Still based in Plattsburgh, JCMC continues
with farmers’ market sales and now caters wed- dings, graduation parties, and more. Belser- Ehrlich, meanwhile, has moved to New York City, where she plans to “open a storefront in a few years and expand JCMC to include coffee, wine, craft beers, and other foods and desserts.” She’s saving money to make it happen. —MTS
and they jetsetted down to the coastal towns of Bodrum and Fethiye. Nearby they went paragliding in the home of the Blue Lagoon. Leah says, “It was pure per- fection and such a wonderful vacation!” Back in the States, Leah was applying to grad schools and working at the Pediatric Day Hospital at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. Christopher Jacobsen is a program compliance officer at Education First Foundation for Foreign Study in Boston, MA, bringing international high schoolers to the US for an exchange year. He is engaged to Katie Lane ’11. Starry Krueger lives in New Haven, CT,
’10
and is pursuing a master’s in elementary education. She plans to get cross-certified in K–12 theater education. Starry is also a coach with the Future Project, an urban mentoring organization to transform schools by helping students turn their dreams into action. She recently had a wonderful NYC adventure with former Northwoods roomies Shannon Thomp - son and Carly Goldstein. In Providence, RI, Travis Webster-Booth
loves his job in communications and engagement for RBS Citizens Financial Group. Last year he oversaw (and mostly led) in-person and webinar training for 450-plus colleagues. He also created man- agers’ “huddle” guides that were down- loaded more than 1,300 times in seven months. When not working, he reads voraciously. He recently took part in his second powerlifting competition, where he posted a 1,035 total. Zoe Soens lives in Madison, WI, but travels almost weekly as an implementa- tion consultant for health-care IT compa- ny Epic. Zoe analyzes needs and recom- mends how clients can use Epic software to improve their workflows and patient care. On weekends she chills with her roommates (she lives with five guys), friends, and coworkers. She says, “Life is good and easy at the moment!” Arielle Manstein has been studying through her first year of Temple Univer - sity Dental School. Carolyn Raider is enrolled in a dual master’s program at Indiana University, getting degrees in both environmental science and public affairs, focused on energy. She is part of the IU ballroom and Latin dance team and recently won a nationals competition in Argentine tango, hosted by Ohio Star Ball. Jess Thorn is a sixth-grade teacher at a charter school in Boston. She lives with
58 SCOPE SPRING 2013
In August Tom Likins visited Leah Werner-Evans in Turkey,
boyfriend Ross Goldberg, who is a clini- cal data associate. They often both wish they were still in college, but they love living in Boston! Emily Harvey Lacroix returned to working full-time at IBM after successful hip surgery last January. After five years together, she and Maxwell Stevens ’11 are engaged. Stephanie Wein spent the fall register-
ing and mobilizing youth voters in Philadelphia, where she does major-donor fundraising for the citizen-based nonprof- it PennEnvironment. The organization works to preserve clean air, clean water, and open space in Pennsylvania and is on the frontlines of the natural-gas drilling debate. In December, Steph ran into Rachel Konowitz ’11, who works for a partner group in Connecticut, at an orga- nizationwide training in Denver. Keith Petri and Michael Griffiths sold
their travel startup iGottaGuide after 20 months in a crowded market. The sale to European-based
GetYourGuide.com will help the Internet’s largest travel-activity booking company expand in the US. The experience creating, promoting, and sell- ing an Internet startup has provided key lessons that Keith and Michael are eager to apply to new opportunities. Elena Milius is finishing her second
year of teaching in a charter school in South Boston. She loves the city. This summer she will be preparing for her new role as dean of students at an elementary school in Dorchester. UWW grad Melanie Kirk-Stauffer’s dance company Dance Theatre Northwest was honored in a formal proclamation by the mayor of University Place, WA, for its 26 years of service to the community. Melanie is the company’s artistic director. Sara Riker works for Nordstrom depart- ment stores and has moved to Providence, RI, where she is manager of the Nord - strom’s Studio, Narrative, and St. John departments. In October Emily Schlemmer, Erika Astarita, and I drove up to Saratoga for a reunion with psychology professor Mary Ann Foley, but we missed the rest of our crew! I had a great time ringing in the New Year in Saratoga with Jess Thorn, Sara Riker, Melissa Ross, Ross Goldberg, Pat Cronin, and Seamus McGraw ’11. It was great to run into Zoe Coppola, Sarah Tansey, Pearl King, and Ashley Prickel. CLAIRE SOLOMON 104 W. 96TH STREET, APT. 27 NEW YORK, NY 10025-6495
CLAIRE.A.SOLOMON@
GMAIL.COM
AT WORK
JOE LAWTON
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