To join us and sign the letter: please fill out the Google form:
https://forms.gle/MegttxM9mY98qpK3A
Open Letter to the Kent State University Provost’s Office regarding the Child
Development Center
Subject: Faculty and Staff need the University to support the Child Development Center and
ensure its continued operation
To: Interim Provost Melody Tankersley, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Sue Averill, and
Interim Associate Provost Manfred Van Dulmen
CC: Amoaba Gooden, Interim Vice President for Division of Diversity
Monica Miller Marsh, Director of Research and Pedagogy, Child Development Center
Jenny Marcinkiewicz, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning
Todd Diacon, President
Mark Polatajko, Vice President, Business and Finance
Dear Provost Tankersley, Associate Provost Averille, and Associate Provost Van Dulmen,
We write to urge the University to ensure the continued operation of the Kent State University
Child Development Center (CDC), by guaranteeing it financial support if tuition revenue is
insufficient and by allowing it to remain open when the campus moves to fully remote
instruction. The CDC provides amazing early education to over 150 children from 18 months to
6 years.
The CDC is in a critical situation due to COVID-19, because the state has dramatically lowered
the number of children that can be in the classroom, and because the University will require it to
close if university classes go online. These new restrictions greatly limit the ability of the CDC to
support itself financially. While we appreciate the University support of the CDC through
providing the building, maintenance, and salary for some administrators, more financial support
is needed. The University’s requirement that the CDC be largely financially self-sufficient
ignores the essential service that it provides to University faculty and staff, who depend on it for
high quality child care that enables them to do their jobs. The CDC also provides valuable
training opportunities for our highly-regarded Early Childhood Education students, as well as
providing care for students’ children.
The University should guarantee that the CDC continues to provide these important benefits for
the 2020-2021 academic year, by ensuring funding to meet the CDC’s operating costs if
revenue falls short. ​This is a critically urgent situation because the CDC is asking parents to
commit full tuition for the semester, with a deposit by July 17th. Without assurances that the

1

 CDC will open, and remain open as long as it is safe to do, parents may be unable to make that
financial commitment.
We also urge the University to allow the CDC to continue to offer in-person childcare whenever
the University moves to fully remote instruction, if it is safe to do.​ Faculty and staff will continue
to need childcare for the duration of the semester in order to effectively do our jobs. Small
children cannot take advantage of extended online learning opportunities and require constant
supervision, making it extremely difficult for employee parents to perform up to our normal
standards.
Without full-time childcare, faculty and staff cannot deliver high quality teaching and student
support, much less continue to produce scholarship and contribute to service responsibilities.
Our experience in Spring 2020 has made this abundantly clear. During this public health crisis,
university faculty and staff are more dependent on the continued operation of the CDC than
ever, as other childcare options have become increasingly limited. Similarly, education students
lose an excellent training opportunity offered by student teaching at the CDC.
If the CDC closes mid-semester, or fails to open, faculty and staff may be forced to utilize FMLA
to care for their children. This is far from ideal, as we expect that this public health crisis may
last more than one semester and that some of us may end up needing to use FMLA for our own
health. Potentially having multiple faculty and staff invoke FMLA represents a tremendous
disruption to the University and to the students that we serve.
In the long-term, the CDC should be seen as a valuable asset to the University community
beyond just serving as a training center for education students. Currently, the CDC does not
provide care for infants and younger toddlers, and there are gaps in care that do not recognize
that faculty and staff need regular childcare, not just when classes are in session. Investment in
the future of the CDC will ensure that it remains a benefit that helps attract and retain faculty
and staff, and bring Kent State University in line with the childcare offerings at our peer and
aspirational institutions. Furthermore, the CDC has become a powerful center for research, with
multiple research projects from multiple colleges taking place there. It is also a leader in
providing International Baccalaureate education to our youngest learners as well as high quality
education more broadly.
Flashes Take Care of Flashes. As Flashes, we are asking the University to take care of CDC
families during the disruptive experience of COVID-19, so that we do not have to choose
between taking care of our children and taking care of our students.
Sincerely,
[Scroll down for signatories]
To join us and sign the letter: please fill out the Google form:
https://forms.gle/MegttxM9mY98qpK3A
2

 Parents of current CDC children
1. Dr. Anne Jefferson, Associate Professor, Department of Geology
2. Dr. Jennifer Mapes, Associate Professor, Department of Geography
3. Dr Rebecca Catto, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
4. Dr. Elizabeth Kenyon, Assistant Professor, School of Teaching Learning and Curriculum
Studies
5. Dr. Chris Rowan, Assistant Professor, Department of Geology
6. Dr. Andrew Scholl, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography
7. Dr. William P. Bintz, Professor, Literacy Education, TLC
8. Mrs. Jenny Dillon, current CDC teacher and parent, KSU alum
9. Dr. David Costello, Associate Professor of Biology
10. Dr Metin Eren, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
11. Amanda Faehnel, Associate Professor, University Libraries
12. Dr. Enrico Gandolfi, Assistant Professor of Educational Technology
13. Gina Hiser, Annual Giving, Institutional Advancement
14. Dr. Rhonda Hylton, Assistant Professor, Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies
15. Nicholas Johnson, KSU Staff
16. Dr. Lauren Kinsman-Costello, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
17. Michael Oravec, Doctoral Candidate, College of Public Health
18. Natalie Pillsbury, WKSU
19. Dr. Christa J. Porter, Assistant Professor, Higher Education Administration
20. Dr. Rouzbeh Razavi, Assistant Professor of Management & Information Systems
21. April Sharp, graduate assistant and mother of cdc student
22. Dr. Kamesha Spates, Associate Professor of Sociology
23. Kathryn Strand, Associate Professor of Architecture
24. Dr. Clarissa Thompson, Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences
25. LeighAnn Tomaswick, KSU employee at Center for Teaching & Learning
26. Jason Turnidge, Adjunct Professor Architecture
27. Laura M. Wiedenfeld, PhD Student
28. Jordan Bilich, MA, former graduate student in the Department of Mathematical Sciences
29. Vicki Church, parent, KSU Alum
30. Kara Kramer, parent of current and former CDC students, grand/daughter of alumni
31. Janice Kreitz, parent, KSU Alum
32. Brittany Lavanty, MA, former Clinical Research Assistant in the department of
Psychological Sciences
33. Cami & Jarrod Barber
34. Amber Bradley
35. Daniel Bradley
36. Giulia Cerasi
37. Jason Church
38. Michael Conway
39. Angela Eastman
40. Megan Evans
3

 41. Andrew Evans
42. Andy Hiser
43. Michelle Johnson
44. Christopher Mathis, MA, CRC
45. Dr. Adonia Porto
46. Michael Porto
47. Mr. Dave Shannon
48. Colin Shannon
49. Patrick Shannon
50. Clara Totten
Parents of former CDC children
51. Tara Smith, Professor of Epidemiology
52. Gregory Tinkler, Ph.D., Associate Professor NTT
53. Dr. Christie Bahlai, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
54. Dr. J. Zach Schiller
55. Dr. Jennifer Walton-Fisette, Director of Teacher Education and Professor of Physical
Education & Sport Pedagogy
56. Eriko Tanaka, Japanese Lecturer
57. Mindy Mattingly Uhrig, Associate Lecturer, Dept. of English
58. Professor Gianna Commito
59. Tracy A. Laux, Vice-Chair, Faculty Senate; President, FTNTT Unit AAUP-KSU; Senior
Lecturer, Mathematics
60. Dr. Monica Lott, KSU- Geauga Writing Tutor and KSU alum '13
61. Karin Coifman, Associate Professor, Psychological Sciences
62. Tricia Niesz, KSU faculty member
63. Dr. J. Derek Kingsley, Exercise Science/Physiology
64. Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz, Professor of Geology
65. Dr. Hayley Arnold, Associate Professor, Speech Pathology and Audiology
66. Dr. Alison J. Smith, Dean, Honors College
67. Kathleen Siebert Medicus, Associate Professor, University Libraries
68. Heather Caldwell, Professor of Biological Sciences, KSU
69. Dr. Linda Hoeptner-Poling, Associate Professor of Art Education
70. Shannon Christen-Syed, Lecturer, English & Pan-African Studies
71. Cassandra Pegg-Kirby, Director, Women's Center
72. Dr. Sonya E. Irving, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education
73. Hye-Shim Yi, Assistant Professor of Art History
74. Dr. Clare Stacey, Department of Sociology
75. Dr. Andrea Case, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
76. Dr. William Merriman, ​Professor, Dept. of Psychological Sciences; Director, Child 
Language & Cognition Lab 
77. Dr. Katie Knapp, Associate Professor of Education and KSU Alum
78. Isabel Farnsworth, Associate Professor of Art
4

 79. Heather Ryan, Senior Advisor I, College of Aeronautics & Engineering
80. Dr. Rhonda Richardson, Professor Emeritus, Human Development and Family Studies
81. Megan Odell-Scott, Graduate Student
82. Mustary Mariyam, former CDC Associate Teacher, KSU doctoral student
83. Hannah Weber, KSU ECE Student, former field student at the CDC, student employee at
the CDC
84. Rishita khan,KSU student
85. Eileen West, CDC Ambassador, former CDC parent
86. Alise Rafoth former KSU Student/ former employee
87. Mrs. JoAnna Schofield, KSU alum
88. Greta Powell, KSU alum
89. Amanda Ennis, KSU alum
90. Kathleen Wiler KSU alum and parent of 2 CDC students
91. Marne Jo Patterson Brunner, KSU alumni, mom of 4 CDC kids
92. Nicole Husted, KSU Alum, former CDC employee
93. Katherine Merlene, KSU Alum
94. Ronna Johnson KSU alum and CDC parent
95. Jennifer Barber, KSU Alum
96. Jennifer Justice, Teacher in Stow-Munroe Falls, KSU Alum, Parent of 3 CDC Alums
97. Lisa Bettinger, CFNP, MSN, RN, KSU alum
98. Mindi Papania, KSU alum
99. Jessica Gardner
100. Mr. Brian T. Gardner
101. Tom and Kathryn Mahon
102. Shannon Wade
103. Nicholas Wade
104. Josh and Jolyn Kelling
105. Dr. Suleyman Akcil
106. Nicole Watson, CPA, MBA
107. Dr. Kristy Welshhans
108. Justin M Leigh
109. Dr. Donna L. Witter, parent of two former CDC students
110. Jill Hazelton RN MSN, Parent of 2 former students
111. Lynn Gregor Hassler
112. Dr. Shannon Zentall
113. Dr. Jen Yensel
114. Joe Yensel, owner of The Cole Center
115. Kathy M. Scott
116. John Wiler
117. Dr. Kathleen O’Dell
118. Carter Pfile
119. Pamela M. Komer
120. Taylor Bettinger
5

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122.
123.
124.
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
134.
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
140.

Gavin Gray
Tracy Y. Pawlikowski
Cynthia Howard
Katie Woolsey
O Hamzeh
Dr. Jacob Goldberg  
Jason and Amy Scherer, parents of two CDC students
Jay Davis
Bernhard Dirska
Alisa Tarnovich
Clay Pickering
O Hamzeh
Hilda Pettit
Dr. Kenneth Cushner
Hyla Cushner
Dr. Inga Winkler
Bjorn Lussem
Scott Olson
Lis Regula
Kelly Hambly (mother of Lila Ferry, former student)

Other supporters of the CDC
141. Marianne Martens, Ph.D., Associate Professor, iSchool
142. Dr. Jennifer Taber, Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences
143. Christopher Dum, Associate Professor
144. Dr. Mary Himmelstein, Assistant Professor
145. Matthew Crawford, Associate Professor of HIstory
146. Kelly Thomasson, Administrative Secretary, Geology
147. Dr. Sara Koopman, Assistant Professor of Peace Studies
148. Dr. Johanna Solomon, Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies
149. Dr. Bridget Mulvey, KSU Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education and
Science Education
150. Melanie Renee Roll, Lecturer, Art History
151. Raven Shannon, faculty member at the Kent State Child Development Center
152. Athena Salaba, PhD, Professor, iSchool
153. Taryn McMahon, Associate Professor of Studio Art
154. Dr. Heather Soyka, Assistant Professor, iSchool
155. Virginia Dressler, Digital Projects Librarian
156. Susan Roxburgh, Professor, Sociology
157. Dr. Sarah Smiley, Associate Professor of Geography
158. Dr. Susan Fisk, Assistant Professor of Sociology
159. Prof. Tammy Clewell, Professor of English, KSU
160. Kim Hauge, Director, Employee Wellness at Kent State
6

 161. Julie Vandegrift, Institutional Advancement
162. Dr. Karl Kosko, Associate Professor @ Kent State
163. Dr. Shannon Navy, Assistant Professor of Science Education, KSU faculty
164. Dr. Barbara George, Kent State - Salem Campus
165. Dr. Janice Kroeger, Associate Professor, School of Teaching, Learning, and
Curriculum Studies
166. Sherri Stephens, KSU Staff Member
167. Dr Tina Bhargava, Kent State University Public Health
168. Emily Jones, Teacher Assistant, KSU Undergraduate Student
169. Hannah Weber, KSU ECE Student, former field student at the CDC, student
employee at the CDC
170. Jordan Entler, KSU ECE Student
171. Ashley Chase, KSU Student
172. Ms. Makayla Jackson, KSU student
173. Alyssa B., Current KSU Student
174. Alexis Bishop, Student of Kent State University
175. Makenna Abell, student
176. Emily Spitale, KSU Student
177. Amy Messmore, KSU student
178. Michelle Rivers, KSU graduate student
179. Emmett Drugan, MA, KSU graduate student
180. Katelyn Baker, KSU student
181. Makenna Abell, student
182. Emily Ortloff- KSU student
183. Melissa Booher, KSU student
184. Sage Luedke, KSU student
185. Stephen Graham, student
186. Dr. Sabine Gerhardt, Professor Emeritus
187. Carolyn Galizio, retired CDC teacher
188. Mrs. Jenny Lampe, Former CDC Teacher
189. Rachel Beeman, former CDC teacher & friend of the CDC
190. Jodi Monaco, KSU alum, former CDC toddler Teacher
191. Amanda Brace, Ed.S, LSC, LPCC-S, former student teacher in Room 1, 3rd
generation KSU Early Childhood Education Alum,
192. Alyssa Duncan, Teacher, former employee and field student
193. Jennifer Schoenherr, Kindergarten teacher, former CDC employee, KSU alum
194. Angela Minichello- Intervention Specialist, KSU alum, former CDC teaching assistant
195. Abigail Recker M.Ed. KSU alumni & CDC field student
196. Regan Dieter- former field student at CDC
197. Valerie Weimer, KSU Alum and Former CDC employee
198. Mallory Henry, former CDC teaching assistant & KSU Alum
199. Holly Schwartz- Intervention Specialist, KSU Alum, Former Associate Teacher and
teaching assistant at KSU CDC
7

 200. Kelly Baldwin, teacher; KSU ECED grad & past CDC teacher
201. Shannon Walsh, ECED Graduate and former CDC employee
202. Carolyn Matovina, KSU Alum, former CDC employee
203. Allison Lebo, KSU alum, former CDC employee and pre-service teacher
204. Shannon Lyle, KSU alum/ CDC student teacher
205. Tabatha Taylor, KSU alum and former CDC Teacher
206. Patricia L Eickhoff M Ed. KSU Alum and previous student teacher in the P.I.T.
program at the CDC
207. Mary Beth Ibos, KSU Alum, CDC TA 2015-2017
208. Chelsea Jeffers, KSU alum, former CDC teacher assistant, former CDC field student
209. Mrs. Molly Butler Bonamico, former CDC student teacher, KSU Alum
210. Haley Galaska, KSU alum, former field student
211. Dr. Erin West, Assistant Professor of Counseling, University of Texas at Tyler, KSU
and CDC Alum
212. Carmen Barbuto, MPA (KSU Alum & CDC Alum)
213. Jessica Marzi, KSU ECE graduate 2007
214. Becky DeRosa, KSU Alum, ECED graduate
215. Liz Stratford, KSU ECED alum
216. Brittney Buzaki, KSU ECED alum
217. Samantha Snyder, KSU Alum of the Early Childhood Education program
218. Emily Herman, KSU ECE alum
219. Skye Rike, KSU ECED Alum
220. Mrs. Taylor Smith KSU ECED alumnus
221. Gabrielle Ball, KSU Early Childhood Education Alum
222. Emily Ingersoll, KSU ECED alum
223. Miss Madison Okray, KSU Early Childhood Education Alum
224. Cailin Tsangaris, KSU Alum 2015, Early Childhood Education Major
225. Katlyn Yen, KSU ECED alum
226. Lauren Happ, KSU Early Childhood Alum
227. Jessica Rotondo, MEd, KSU Alumni
228. Amber Hardwick, M.Ed, KSU alum
229. Allison McGhee M.Ed, KSU alumna
230. Miss Brittany Currie, 3rd Grade Tallmadge Teacher, KSU Alum
231. Mrs. Melanie Burkhart, classroom teacher, KSU alum
232. Lydia Shivers, KSU alum, 3/4 informal teacher Barrington Elementary
233. Kate Misconish, KSU Alumna and current Kindergarten Teacher
234. Gail Minichello, KSU alum and parent of former staff member/KSU alum
235. Mark Miller, KSU Alum and former student employee
236. Rachael Neurock, KSU Alumni
237. Andrea Briggs, KSU alum
238. Brandy Richmond-Smith, KSU Alum
239. Dr. Mark Rhodes, Assistant Professor of Geography - Michigan Tech, KSU alum
240. Mrs. Allison E Kanzler, KSU alum
8

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242.
243.
244.
245.
246.
247.
248.
249.
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252.
253.
254.
255.
256.
257.
258.
259.
260.
261.
262.
263.
264.
265.
266.
267.
268.
269.
270.
271.
272.
273.
274.
275.
276.
277.
278.
279.
280.
281.
282.
283.

Lisa Popa, KSU alum
Sarah Pilarski, KSU Alum
Leslie Huffman, KSU alum
Bethany Stovicek, KSU Alum
Katie Phillips, KSU alum
Nate Provance, KSU alum
Hannah Piazza, KSU alum
Robin Shannon, KSU Tuscarawas Campus alum
Gabrielle Powers, KSU alum
Adam and Rebecca Harder, KSU alums
Ms. Carly Warnock, KSU alum
Braylee Gerber, KSU alum
Ashley Raffa, KSU alum
Peggy Brooks, MSN, KSU alum
Kelsey Canonge, BSN, RN, KSU alum
Chloé Ellis, KSU Alum/previous employee
Jennifer L. White, MSN, RN; KSU alum
Emily Sobinovsky KSU alum
Barbara Barkley, KSU Alum
Chelsea Fredrick RN BSN, KSU alum
Rebecca Gilroy Uzl, KSU Alum 2013
Allie Malloy, KSU Alum
Alia Janmey, KSU Alum
Stephanie Stevens, KSU alum
Natalie Hutson, KSU alum
Allyson Ptak M.Ed, KSU alum
Melissa Zajc, KSU alum
Jacob Dunwiddie, KSU Alum
Rebecca Verbus, KSU Alum
Anna Parks KSU alum
Megan Wemyss- KSU Alum
Megan Nitzsche, KSU Alum
Jessica Haren, KSU Alum
Stacy Biltz, KSU alum
Marisa DiPenti - KSU Alum
Sarah Sebrell, KSU alum
Celia Hubert, KSU alum
Kara Gruver, KSU Alum
Jensen Murra, KSU alum
Morgan Schell, KSU alum
Heather Gonzalez, KSU Alum
Bailey Bury- KSU alum
Robin Clark, KSU alum
9

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285.
286.
287.
288.
289.
290.
291.
292.
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296.
297.
298.
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303.
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306.
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310.
311.
312.
313.
314.
315.
316.
317.
318.
319.
320.
321.
322.
323.
324.
325.
326.

Justine Zaborowski KSU alum
Angela Cieslarski KSU alum
Natalie Conrad, KSU Alum
Chloe Niesz Kutsch, Former CDC Student
Claire Laux, former CDC student
Brianna Smith, CDC alum 1985
Elisabeth Lynne, CDC alum
Hunter Butkovic, former CDC student
Thomas and Deborah Baird
Diane Mattingly
Ms. Tracy Gillispie
Joan Hoffman MSN
Amanda Toney
Jennie Pexa, BSN, RN
Brooke Gray
Molly Porto aunt of Adonia Porto PhD
Alicia Burkle
Jennifer DeLeva
Susan Thomas
Amanda Cox
Amber Burgess
Allison Sly
Carlyn Marazzi
Lisa Pride
Kayla Jessie
Mark McKenna
Gianna Piocquidio
Alexis Morrison
Michaela Watkins
Tyler Summers
Jackie Smith
Stone
Justin Smith
Sherry grimm
Kaylee Edwards
Kristin Davis
Bell
Lindsey Siegel
Denise Patay
Michele Garrett
Angela McNeeley
Shana Klein Reisig
Carter Pfile
10

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328.
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357.
358.
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360.
361.
362.
363.
364.
365.
366.
367.
368.
369.

Hannah Weber
Denver Cody
Amy Weber
Shayla Williams
Dom Johns
Alex Antoine
Anna Wehrmeister
Luke Sutton
Robert DeKnight
Sam magness
Rheta Weber
Claire Bowman
Corbin Coffman
Alaina Swope
Joey Jarvis
Kimberly Kelly
Thomas Gauerke
Virginia Bowman
James Magness
Alyssa Landis
Rita DeRosa
Naomi Pruitt
Michelle Shannon
Allie Billingsley
Allee Faist, BSN, RN
Roger Kelly
DeShaun Anderson
Brittney Brenly
Candace E. Kelly
Gavin Gray
Aaron D Nance Jr
Jake Waller, UA alum
Rhonda Porcher
Rachel Ramsey
Hunter Porcher
Noah Perrin
Joe Paolucci
Rose Glanville
DeShaun Anderson
Naomi Pruitt
Payton Breehl
Mckenna Jordan
Virginia Bowman
11

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Syarria Stafford
T Ramsey, RN
Haley Dieter
Alli Rimer
Lori mercer RN
Amie Fankhauser
Lisa Jennings
Sarah McClinsey (Hurd)
Jamison Shannon
Katherine L Cox
Stephen L Cox
Monique Bass
Dr. Bethany Simunich
Lana R Thompson
Mckenna Jordan
David Shannon
Daniel White
Mrs. Christina Cooper
Hannah Clark
Mckenna Jordan
Paige Cleavenger
Joey Jarvis
Jackie von Spiegel
Haley Dieter
Gavin Gray
Robin Taylor
Brian Chojnowski
Kayla Jessie
Jennifer Mani
Autum Madden
Margaret A Barzellato
Brande Simms
Kelly Hicks
Daniel White
Elizabeth Bruner
Laurie Kidwell
Anna mase
Jerri Lynn Livolsi
Dr Jimmy tran
Rachel W.
Tammy Nesselrotte, parent of KSU alum: Holly Schwartz. friend to Dr. Adonia
Mrs. Rachael Glick
Sarah Casias, friend of former KSU alumni
12

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Corbin Coffman
Mrs. Monica Ellis
Sonya Shafer
PAVNEET KAUR
Nicole Beaver
Jessica Tuten
Austin Lent
Rheta Weber
Irene Dispenza
Pamela J. Sollie
Hannah Clark
Paula Rose
Alissa Colella
Jysseca Hardwick
Robert DeKnight
Nicole Lee
Melissa Berlin
David A. Crouse
Gavin Gray

13