1997 — Part-Time

Amit Bavishi is excited to announce that his son Aakash has decided to attend Northwestern this fall, commenting: "He had many options and I think he has made the right choice! Now, it is all the more reason for us to be together at some of the Wildcat games." Amit is continuing work at Motorola as a senior resource manager.

Robert Pasin continues to serve as chief wagon officer for Radio Flyer Inc., the family business founded by his grandfather in 1917. He works with his brother Paul and a "wonderful group of passionate people whose mission is to bring smiles and create warm memories that last a lifetime." Under Robert's leadership, the company's sales have more than tripled and the company has received a lot of recognition, including mentions in “Best Places to Work in Illinois,” Inc. 5000’s list of fastest growing companies, and The Wall Street Journal's “Top Small Workplaces.”

	John Budd ’97 and his sons Jackie and Marcus enjoy a beautiful day in their Dallas back yard

John P. Strelecky has released his fourth book, How to be Rich and Happy. John says, "Genre-wise, the book is like a modern-day version of the Napoleon Hill classic, Think and Grow Rich." In this new title, John explains the consistent behaviors, beliefs, and attributes of people who have mastered the art of doing whatever they want, whenever they want. John and his co-author have committed to donating 1 million copies of the book to people in need, through partnerships with existing philanthropic organizations. They donated over $10,000 dollars’ worth of books in the first month of the project. If you think the benefactors of your organization would be a good fit, please contact John at jstrelecky@bigfiveforlife.com. More details can be found at howtoberichandhappy.com.

John completed a month-long speaking tour in Europe that included events in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. He and the Big Five for Life concept he created will be featured this fall in Annabelle magazine, the largest women's magazine in Switzerland. He says, "There were many highlights to the trip, and my daughter Sophia (3) getting to see snow for the first time and do inner tubing on it with dad and mom was certainly one of the top ones."

Rebecca (Huang) Peacock reports: "After 13 years living abroad (if you can count Canada as ‘abroad’), I am moving back to the U.S. with TD Bank. Some of you might know that the Canadian banks avoided many of the issues that plagued the global banking industry. A strong balance sheet enabled us to purchase Commerce Bank and a few other U.S.-based banks. I will be transferred to the Cherry Hill, N.J., office, tasked with the responsibility to create a North American finance team. My husband and I will relocate to the greater Philadelphia area, most likely on the east side of the Delaware River. I'm looking forward to coming back 'home' and catching up with some of you."

Alfredo Alberto Capote was recognized as one of the Young Global Leaders 2010 by the World Economic Forum. The honor recognizes and acknowledges nearly 200 outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. Alfredo is a managing director at Goldman Sachs.

My wife Rebecca (Blake) Budd ’02 and I took our boys Jackie (4) and Marcus (2 1/2) to Walt Disney World for the first time. We started our trip by watching the final launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, where one of my old college friends was aboard. We then hit all four theme parks in four days...but the most lasting memory from the trip will almost certainly be Marcus’ obsession with looking at the "giant golf ball" (aka Spaceship Earth) out of our hotel window. Very frequently.”