THELAKER | 33 Tom W. Turner ’94 (Liberal Arts and Sciences) held a book signing at Monroe Community Hospital in September to mark the print release of his book, “Beyond the Bridge: 10 Lessons I’ve Learned From a Lifetime of Disability.” Tom was featured in the spring 2025 Laker magazine a er his book became available electronically on Amazon. the ’00s Andrew Roblee ’05 (Music) earned a bachelor’s degree from Wells College in 2011 and a master’s in historic preservation planning from Cornell University in 2017. He later founded Roblee Historic Preservation, a rm dedicated to helping communities preserve and protect meaningful historic and cultural resources. Andrew recently traveled to Ukraine to co-teach a 10-week course on historic preservation at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Kyiv. the ’10s Aaron Grant ’10 (Humanities) is the award-winning author of “Taking Baghdad,” the only history of the 2003 Iraq War written by a marine who served in the con ict. His debut title earned the Feathered Quill Book Award and was a nalist for the Best Book Awards in military history. He considers FLCC the nest college he has ever attended. Mary Principio ’11 (Liberal Arts and Sciences) is pursuing a bachelor’s in business administration and marketing at the University at Bu alo. Alumnus produces 2026 comedy ‘Reunion’ Noah Pitifer ’14 is carving out a career in Hollywood as a producer. His latest project, “Reunion,” is a comedy scheduled for release in 2026. It follows an Asian American funeral home worker who stumbles into the wrong high school reunion, where he is mistaken for a billionaire. Bringing “Reunion” to the screen came with challenges. On the rst day of lming, wild res broke out in Los Angeles. By nightfall, the crew had to shut down the set as ames lit the mountain behind them. Noah credits the foundation and community he built at FLCC for helping him see problems like the re as simply part of the process. A er completing his degree in liberal arts, Noah attended University of Nevada, Las Vegas, then took on a variety of roles in lm production. “I learned from FLCC, from UNLV, and from the process for this movie … it’s all incremental,” Noah said. “Every step was necessary. Every trap and breakdown was necessary.” Noah sees “Reunion” as more than a professional achievement. It represents a full-circle moment rooted in lessons and opportunities he rst discovered at FLCC. “It is such an adventure,” he said. “I feel like I am living part of my dream … I am very thankful.” Q AND A: BEYOND THE FILM SET If you could be one person for a day, who would you choose and why? “I would be Christopher Nolan for a day. I want to see what it is like working on the upcoming film ‘The Odyssey’ (2026) as a director with Matt Damon, Zendaya and Tom Holland.” If you could film anywhere, where would you choose? “I want to film a feature in the Finger Lakes. Whether it’s a period piece or something else, bringing something here would be nice. There are so many hidden gems.” What advice would you give to FLCC students or anyone who shares your same dream of working in the film industry? “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and stay persistent. There are some challenges in being an artist, but as long as there are people and a great team you can build around you, you’re going to be successful.” How do you relax and recharge after a stressful day? “That’s something that I am still trying to manage, but I’ve found that you have to put yourself on a schedule. I like going on walks or finding time to sit outside with no devices. Cooking also helps me since I am focused on something new.” To read more about the film and Noah’s story, visit the blog at flcc.edu/news. Noah Pitifer ’14, right, is producer of a comedy with John W. Kim, also the writer and director of the film.
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