People & Profiles
Members of the Class of 2026 reflect on the clubs they joined, the communities they found and more.
An attempt to recreate a Costco cream puff led Ruiqi Chen ’20, ’20 MS down a spiral of learning how to make pastries. Little did she know that spiral would lead her to victory in The Great American Baking Show.
As a talent agent for Creative Artists Agency, Shauna Perlman ’09 represents an impressive list of award-winning clients, including movie and TV stars like Sebastian Stan, Danielle Brooks and Anthony Ramos. “Helping make people’s dreams come true is really amazing,” Perlman says.
Daniel Svärd is one of only three Wildcat golfers to win two individual Big Ten Championships, joining Sidney Richardson ’39 in 1937–38 and Luke Donald ’01 in 2000–01.
Emmy-winning Severance actor talks about Northwestern friendships, her tightrope-walking aspirations and the importance of being present.
Julie Ritchey ’07 created Forts: Build Your Own Adventure, a unique theatrical experience that gives children the opportunity to exercise agency and tell their own stories through unstructured, unscripted playtime.
Drafted by the WNBA’s Dallas Wings in 2022, Veronica Burton ’22 quickly carved out a role as a rotation player, providing steady minutes off the bench as a defense-first guard. Given a new opportunity with the Golden State Valkyries in 2025, a rejuvenated Burton earned the league’s Most Improved Player award while helping the Valkyries reach the playoffs in their inaugural season.
The Northwestern Alumni Association often assists Northwestern groups interested in planning a meetup, event or reunion. From alumni outreach to logistical and communications support, the NAA helps alumni build on the social experiences they had as students by facilitating opportunities to reconnect.
While producing a client event the Kentucky Derby Museum in 2019, Nancy Hays ’84 MS discovered a dimly lit gallery that highlighted the history of Black jockeys. She spent the next seven years uncovering the history of Isaac Burns Murphy, one of the most decorated athletes of the 19th century.
An impromptu jam session might just be a musician’s breakthrough moment. JamCorder ensures they never have to worry about recording it.
