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Department of

Theology and Religious Studies

Alumnae/i News

Abby Vanausdoll ('07)

Ms. Vanausdoll is currently Director of Admissions and Tuition Assistance for Cornelia Connelly School, which is an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school for young women located in Anaheim.  She does all the admissions work for the school, including organizing open houses, school visits, and high school nights all with the goal of bringing more girls to Connelly.  In addition to these events and processing applications, she is also in charge of tuition assistance and marketing. (September 25, 2008)

Andrew McMillin ('07)

Mr. McMillin is currently an Augustinian Volunteer working as a high school teacher in Lawrence, MA. He has just been awarded a full scholarship for the M.Div. program in the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, where he will begin study in the fall of 2008. (April 4, 2008)

Mike Angell ('05)

During 2005-2006, Mr. Angell worked as a volunteer with the Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps Mission at El Hogar Orphanage in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. From 2006 to the present, he has worked as Episcopal Campus Missioner to the University of California, San Diego. He was accepted in March 2007 as a postulant for holy orders in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego and in Fall of 2008 will begin seminary. He is in the process of applying to Yale Divinity School, The Virginia Seminary, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, General Theological Seminary, and potentially Oxford University.

Ashlee Chowen ('06)

Ms. Chowen is currently completing her graduate degree at Duke Divinity School. She will be getting married to her long-time sweet-heart, Jordan, on January 12, 2008. Below is a picture of Ms. Chowen and her fiance.

Cheryl Clark ('06)

Ms. Clark is currently teaching in the Rio Grande Valley in Southern Texas at Jimmy Carter High School, in La Joya, Texas. She works for Teach for America. She finds La Joya very interesting because "it is really like not other part of the US--it really is 'la frontera'". She greatly enjoys teaching World History and challenging her students. She is also applying for graduate school at USD within the Peace and Justice program, and at Columbia University for the School of International and Public Policy for a Masters in International Affairs focusing on Latin America.

Emily Clawson ('07):

Ms. Clawson currently works for Teach for America in Los Angeles. She's teaching 6th grade English/Literature and Social Studies at Bethune Middle School in South Central Los Angeles. She misses the theology department, and plans to pursue graduate school.

Amanda Durkin ('06)

Ms. Durkin has been assisting her husband for the past 6 months building a business. She is now researching medical schools in New Mexico as she hopes to switch career paths and enter the medical profession. She married on October 7, 2006 (she was formerly Amanda Towner).

Matt Juelsgaard ('05)

Mr. Juelsgaard is currently employed at Olomana Gardens in Hawaii working as a worm farmer and learning about sustainable agriculture, or permaculture. He has been accepted into the Philosophy department at the University of Hawaii-Manoa to study Asian and Western philosophy, to begin January 2008. He intends on studying peace and justice issues, environmental ethics and epistemology.

For the past two years he has been working and volunteering in Thailand. He lived and worked with the Lahu people, an ethnic minority group in Thailand. USD put together a group of 10 students from the Community Service Learning department and came to learn about issues facing the Lahu people. The students also built a "rice bank" for a local village. Mr. Juelsgaard and his wife began a "micro-credit program" in order to assist poor farmers and children of farmers. They hope to create a non-profit within the next five years, which would allow them to continue serving the commmunity in a more formal manner.

Life after USD has been "exciting to say the least" and Mr. Juelsgaard is grateful for the love, kindness, and guidance of many THRS professors. He would like students to know they are free to contact him if interested in traveling and volunteering in Thailand. For his contact information, please contact the THRS Department at (619) 260-4525. Below is a picture of Matt and his wife.

Benjamin Lee ('07)

Mr. Lee is currently Director of Youth Ministry at St. Michael's Church in San Diego. He is in charge of catechesis, social outreach, retreats, and service projects for high school students in the North San Diego County area. In fall 2009, he plans on attending graduate school, either studying international and human rights law or continuing studies in theology.

Matthew Meyer ('06)

Mr. Meyer is currently the Campus Team Leader of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's ministry at USD. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is a national non-profit organization that does faith-based leadership development and ministry with college students. He plans to work with InterVarsity for the next 3 1/2 years, and will begin a graduate school program in Theology part-time in the near future.

Alison Purpera ('07)

Ms. Purpera is in the Providence Alliance of Catholic Teachers, which is is a graduate program through Providence College for seconday education. She is currently teaching theology at a high school in Fall River, MA as part of her graduate work. She says, "Life is insane, but I am loving it."

Lynn Rombi ('07)

Ms. Rombi is pursuing a Master's in Theology at the University of San Francisco. She is also the new religion teacher at Notre Dame High School, a Catholic college preparatory school for girls. In addition to teaching world religions in the fall and prayer in the spring, she is in charge of campus ministry which includes organizing and overseeing all the liturgies and retreats.

Jake Schneider ('06)

Mr. Schneider is currently pursuing a Masters in Theological Studies at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Boston. His concentration is scripture.

Tanya Stewart ('95)

Dr. Stewart was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of San Diego, double majoring in Biology and Religious Studies.  Immediately after graduation, she headed to Tufts University, School of Medicine in Boston Massachusetts where she received her medical degree.  From Boston she found her way to the Pacific Northwest completing her internship and residency at Legacy Good Samaritan and Emmanuel hospital in Portland, Oregon. She realized her passion for end of life care during her residency and in 2004, she accepted a position as medical director for Adventist Health Hospice, becoming board certified in palliative medicine in 2006.

She has a passion for teaching and has lectured at national and statewide conferences on a variety of palliative care topics.  Dr. Stewart is a Clinical Assistant Professor at OHSU, where she mentors medical students and resident physicians through didactic sessions and patient home visits.  She is also an instructor in Oregon Health and Science University’s 1st year medical student course on patient’s experiencing a life limiting illness. Below is a picture of Tanya and her family.

Michael Vetti ('02)

Mr. Vetti is currently a teacher at Seton Catholic High School. He teaches US History and Philosophical Foundations of Christianity.