The Maverick magazine is a great way to stay in touch with current events at your alma mater, old classmates and the bright future of Colorado Mesa University.
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CLASS NOTES ALUMNI THROUGH THE YEARS 1950S Don Stucker, ‘50 Don celebrated his 90th birthday on December 1. He was born in the coal mining town of Somerset, Colorado, and went to high school in Delta. He boxed and played football, and remembers losing a playoff football game to Grand Junction 6-0. He met his wife, Dottie, at Mesa and they married in 1954. They moved to Cedar City in 1975 and made it their home for 43 years. The majority of his career was spent with the Bureau of Land Management, where he was a civil engineer for 31 years. They celebrated his birthday with an open house and had 70 close friends including their two children, six grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren in attendance. 1970S Karen Hulquest, ‘70 Karen is enjoying retirement and spends time traveling and spoiling her six grandchildren. In 1971, Karen married Terry Hulquest. They have two children, Kevin and Kelly The family has taken trips to Las Vegas and Disneyland as well as a big family vacation to Duck, North Carolina. Remembering her time at Mesa Junior College, Karen said it prepared her well for her studies at CU Boulder. 1980S Theresa Burns-Fair, ‘89 It was during her time at Mesa that Theresa began working at Mosaic serving people with intellectual disabilities. This year, she is celebrating 32 years with Mosaic. During her time there, she has held several positions and since 1991 she has been the executive director. She and her husband, Trace Fair (a fellow CMU alum), have three children, twin boys and a daughter. Last year, Theresa was able to visit Africa with her daughter and see Mosaic’s impact in that area. Theresa is currently working on her certification in applied behavior analysis/board certified assistant behavior analysis. She remembers fondly the psychology professor that introduced her to Mosaic and her lifelong mission. 2000S Kyle Crone, ‘00 & ‘17 Kyle is currently a loan officer at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. He made a career change in 2018 after going back to CMU to complete a degree in finance. Kyle and his wife, Christina, were married in 1998 while they both were attending Mesa. Their two kids currently attend Grand Junction High School. Kyle and Christina spend much of their free time watching their kids play sports. Kyle said CMU gave him the knowledge that he needed to be successful. He learned excellent sales and management skills that helped him excel in his previous career as well as transition to a new one. Mike Mendelsen, ‘00 Mike paid his way through college by working at Lincoln Park Golf Course and Bookcliff Country Club, and at that time he didn't realize it was the start to a robust career in the golf industry.After graduating, he served as the Head Golf Pro at Bookcliff Country Club for a number of years and then worked for the city courses in Grand Junction. Just this year, he accepted the head golf professional position at Elkhorn Ridge Golf Club in Spearfish, South Dakota. It is a large resort in the tourist-heavy area of Black Hills. He’s shocked by how many people recognize and comment on his CMU gear in that area. He and his wife, Julie (also a CMU alum), have two young children, Reggie and Johana. They enjoy outdoor adventures and lots of family time. Lesley Penover, ‘02 Since completing her education as a first-generation student, Lesley spent 13 years working in social services and the last six years as a medical device sales representative. She helps chronic pain patients manage their pain and she works in the challenging and cutting-edge field of neuromodulation for Boston Scientific. She was recently promoted to a territory manager. She and her husband, Jason, have an 8-year-old Yorkie, Daenerys. They enjoy traveling and all of the outdoor recreation in western Colorado. Ryan Gruwell, ‘04 After a decade’s worth of experience in the radio business with MBC Grand Broadcasting, Ryan has fully launched into the entrepreneurial world. He owns an events entertainment business called DJ Ryan Griz Entertainment that offers music services, a photo booth and an array of lighting and design options. He is still involved on campus by serving as the advisor to KMSA 91.3 where he enjoys sharing his radio and business experience with current students. When he’s not working, he enjoys coaching his daughter’s basketball teams and mountain biking the lunch loops system.