RE Log Spring 2018

54 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2018 Class Notes Charles Rua continues to grow his South Florida real estate brokerage, Rua Realty. In this 12th year of business, Rua Realty has been certified by the State of Florida as a minority-owned business and counts numerous RE alumni as clientele (thank you for your support!). In addition to serving his clients, Charlie is committed to his community. He continues to serve on the City of Coral Gables Parks and Recreation Board as well as the technol- ogy board (SEED) at Sunset Elementary. Most recently, he is excited to be a part of the Class of 1998 Ransom Everglades Reunion Committee. Charlie resides in Coral Gables with his wife, Cristina, and children, Amaia, 8, and Nicolas, 5. The photo shows Charlie Rua sharing real estate insights on Univision. 1999 Davina Aryeh , the Chief Marketing Officer of The Latin Academy of Recording Arts, was honored with the Rising Star award by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) during the 2017 Women of Excellence Award ceremony in November 2017. Aryeh was recognized for her outstanding business accomplishments and leadership since joining The Latin Recording Academy in 2011. She has negotiated agreements with top global brands ranging from MasterCard to L’Oréal. Before joining the Latin Recording Academy, Aryeh worked on Latin American strategy at the National Basketball Association. Aryeh has been a guest speaker at SXSW, Miami Marketers and the Colombian Chamber of Commerce in Bogotá. See also Davina Aryeh’s reflection below. Patrick Hourani writes, “It’s my third year back in Miami, and in that time my wife Erin and I have had two kids, Owen and Kirin. I am now the department chair of internal medicine and an interventional cardiolo- gist at Mercy Hospital. It has been great to REconnect with many of the other alumni!” Rebeca Raney , her husband Ithai and their daughter Ray visited with faculty member Astrid Dalins on the RE campus last fall. Rebeca is an artist and lives with her family in Brooklyn, N.Y. Davina Aryeh ’99 wrote to us last fall about her experience in Mexico City dur- ing and after the earthquake. We decided to share her moving and inspiring mes- sage almost in its entirety. “Apologies in advance for the long post. Many of you have reached out to ask how things have been in Mexico since the earthquake, so I wanted to share our experience with you. Where do I begin? So much to tell you and so many emotions…. It’s a strange feel- ing in the city. A bit like NYC after 9/11. There’s a sadness and a stillness, but at the same time an enormous spirit of compas- sion and togetherness. I feel like my heart is here and this is my home now. These are my neighbors and my kids’ friends and their parents. This is our community. I really just still cannot get the thought out of my head that a school full of kids col- lapsed … That I was so blessed and lucky to be able to be with my kids just seconds after the quake and hold them both in my arms safe and sound. That even my inconveniences were banal compared to what others were living … People continue to dig through the rubble and some people are still supposedly alive. The number of volunteers is amazing and humbling. Everyone is doing their part. Mexicans and foreigners alike. People from all over the world flew here to help the rescue efforts. It’s amazing to me how people dedicate their lives to help others. Makes me feel so humbled by their generosity. They leave their kids and families to come risk their lives for complete strangers. It’s so incredible and hard to fathom. There are truly special people in this world... men and women of service (firefighters, rescue workers, nurses, doctors, etc.). We owe them all so much gratitude. Last night someone sent me a video of a guy (a famous Mexican comedian) who was at a shelter talking about the displaced kids continued, page 55