Class of 2003 Summer 2023 Class Note

Kathryn O’Quinn Kennedy ’05G, ’12G has started a new adventure for herself! Kathryn recently purchased a food trailer to fix up and eventually serve waffles this summer. During a 2019 trip to Europe, she was inspired and started selling home-baked items at the Ellsworth Farmers Market under the name Bookish Bakery. The food truck will be Waffle ME — serving savory and sweet waffles as well as waffle pizza — look for it in Ellsworth this summer! 

Kathryn also participated in National History Day as one of 30 “exemplary teachers” from across the United States. This week-long program, put on by the Rhode Island Historical Society, gathered historians from across the country to speak and provided historical tours of Providence and Newport. She plans to incorporate the many similarities between Maine and Rhode Island into her U.S. history classes at George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill, where she teaches. 

Jeff Kobrock G announced his retirement as town manager in Winthrop. Jeff gave a six-month resignation notice and officially retired on July 5. He has had a longstanding, successful career in public service. Congratulations on your retirement, Jeff!

Victoria Abbott has been hired as the executive director at Bread of Life nonprofit in Augusta. As an Augusta native, Abbott is also president of the Augusta Downtown Alliance, president of the Augusta Rotary Club, and an adviser at the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute. Bread of Life is a social service organization providing a soup kitchen for the homeless, two homeless shelters, and 83 housing units for low-income residents across the City of Augusta. Victoria’s mentor, and Bread of Life founder, Carolyn S. Neighoff ’89, ’96G, passed the torch to her during a press event last summer.

This is our class’s 20th Reunion, and classes traditionally get together at Homecoming. October in 13-15 in Orono will be festive. There are fraternity get-togethers, departmental events, a gathering of women ice hockey alums, and more. See UMaineHomecoming.com for more information about the weekend activities.

Have a wonderful Maine summer, Black Bears!