51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ

Laurie (McRitchie) Eden, '00 BA Communication Studies, is the co-creator of the book series, Tater Tot and Shadow, created with her mother, a retired Clark County School District teacher. Inspired by her love for rescue dogs and travel, the book series follows the travel adventures of her two jet-setting rescue chihuahuas as they explore exciting and historic locales across the United States. Her fourth book, Tater Tot and Shadow Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, is a top seller on Amazon’s Top Wishlist Travel Books for Nevada. As a native, she blends some of her favorite memories of growing up in the Entertainment Capital of the World and the Las Vegas that people know today. When Eden isn’t writing, she’s traveling with her husband, planning events, selling real estate, and checking out the latest restaurants in Austin, Texas, where she resides.

Eric Sway, ‘99 BA Communication Studies, has 23 years of outside sales experience â€” 13 years selling steel and 10 years selling building products for commercial and industrial buildings in northeast Ohio. Sway has been a varsity soccer coach for five years. He'd head coach for both girls and boys soccer at Crestwood High School in Mantua, Ohio. He's also head coach for U17 and U19 girls at Canton-Akron Force FC, where they just won the U17 Ohio State Championship. He also had the opportunity to coach in the nation championship in July 2024 in Denver. He's been married to Stacee (Appiano) Sway for 23 years. They met in the Boyd Hall dorms in 1997. They have a 22-year-old son Andrew, who is a senior at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ where he's been the goal keeper on the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ men’s soccer team for the last four years. Andrew will graduate from 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ this December. Sway still misses and loves Las Vegas, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, and visits two to four times yearly and is just as proud to be a 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Rebel as he was in 1997 when he first attended.    

Heather Richardson, '04 BA Interdisciplinary Studies and '11 MSW, retired from 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ as the program coordinator of the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Fostering Scholars Program, where she launched the first campus-based program in the state of Nevada for students who had experienced foster care. Richardson spent 19 years dedicated to public service at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ and Clark County working with young people who had experienced foster care. She is now enjoying time with her husband, five children, and new grandchild. Her daughter, Aspen Cable, graduated from 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ in '23 with a BA in criminal justice. Her daughter, Alayna Richardson, is a junior at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ in the College of Education.  

Jason Schwartz, '80 BA Social Work, received an MS in social psychology from University of California-Santa Cruz in 1995. He's been director of community support services at Mojave Mental Health for 31 years. Schwartz has been married 34 years and has three children. He enjoys jam music.

Tim Rainey, '04 BA Communication Studies, was tapped by iHeartMedia to be the new program director of heritage Top 40 KKRZ (Z100) and Rhythmic KXJM (Jam'n 107.5)/Portland. Rainey previously was the senior director of content marketing for the Southern California News Group. His most recent programming gig was Audacy Top 40 KUDL (106.5 The End)/Sacramento from 2015 until early 2021. His previous major programming stops include former CBS Radio Top 40 WDZH (98.7 AMP Radio)/Detroit and former Radio One Top 40 WNOU/Indianapolis.

Briana Philippi, '18 BA Journalism and Media Studies, was promoted to PR and social media manager at GYC Vegas, a local boutique public relations agency in January 2023. In January 2024, she earned a Pinnacle Award in events and observances for the campaign she developed for the Las Vegas Natural History Museum's annual Las Vegas Science & Technology Festival. In addition, she earned an award for the behind-the-scenes research work she did for GYC Vegas' press release for The Little Vegas Chapel's Star Wars Day ceremony packages. For that, she received the Pinnacle Award for news release/press kit and was named Best of Show for tactics. The Pinnacle Awards recognize the best public relations programs, tools, and professionals in Southern Nevada, Northwest Arizona, and Southern Utah.