From the Key Peninsula to Ph.D. Woman celebrates educational milestone with lifelong friends

Years ago I met Blythe McLoughlin (now Adamson). She was a student at Vaughn Elementary visiting us with her mom, Lisa.

That day, coincidentally, we planned a meeting of Key Peninsula’s Citizens Against Crime members with Pierce County Sheriff’s Department members for which my wife, Janice, prepared a large cake with a center filled with blueberry sauce.

Before the meeting, the sauce disappeared; just a smidgeon appeared on Blythe’s chin.

That young lady made up mightily for that wee blueberry-sauce transgression. After she’d graduated from KP Middle School and Gig Harbor High School, she attended the University of Washington in Seattle, got her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and microbiology, her masters in Epidemiology Public Health, and in May of this year, was awarded her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Research and Outcomes.

Her mom said, “It was unusual to get all three degrees at the same university, but she didn’t want to leave her family.”

Blythe is a mom with two lovely daughters.

Blythe’s buddies from her Peninsula Schools’ days, Emily Berken, Amy Bisciglia, and Kylee Nimrick attended her dissertation defense.

”I met Blythe when we were 5 and played on the Stars soccer team,” said Kylee. “I really got to know her when we were at KPMS and were in choir together for three years, and a group of eight of us bonded and have stayed close. We continue to have annual get-togethers 20 years later! We’ve had a Christmas party each year since 6th grade and vacation together in Florida, Palm Springs, and Hawaii.”

Amy met Blythe in sixth grade at KPMS.

“I had only lived on the Key since fifth grade and was blessed to meet the rest of my core group of lifelong friends at KPMS. Little did I know this group of girls and our friendship would be such a treasured, unique, and influential bond. I’m so proud of Blythe completing her Ph.D. We tease her when she talks in her scientific jargon, but that just keeps her humble and remembering her roots.”

“I met Blythe in kindergarten, nearly 30 years ago,” said Emily. “After high school graduation, I moved to the East Coast, and in the past 15 years have moved all over the country. The one constant has been my friendship with Blythe and the girls in our circle. We have all gone in different directions in life, but when we are together, it’s like nothing has ever changed.”

“Blythe is one of a group of nine friends who are a ‘rock’ through the hardships of school, relationships, pregnancies and all the struggles of life,” declared Tessa Tallariti. “We all feel blessed to have each other and be a part of the celebrations including Blythe’s accomplishment of her Ph.D. We have a bond that can’t be broken, and we’ve proven that amazing things happen on the Key.”

Mary Frances Buri-Diner’s memories with Blythe start back in kindergarten at Vaughn Elementary.

“We were blessed to be surrounded by many close friends, family, and teachers who encouraged us to be the best we could be. Although we had different interests and schedules, we have remained the best of friends and supported each other through all our ups and downs,” Buri-Diner said. “Here we are nearly 30 years later … still the best of friends now celebrating the amazing accomplishments that we have achieved and raising our children together.”

Lisa McLoughlin is Blythe’s mom.

“About 40 people watched her defense. They nibbled on appetizers in a common area, then gathered in a conference room with a view and listened to her hour-long defense with slides on some very complicated analytics,” McLoughlin said. “The committee then approved her dissertation, signed a paper and made her a Ph.D.!

“She just leased an apartment one block from Central Park in the Upper West Side of Manhattan and started her job as senior quantitative scientist in July at Flatiron Health. Daughters Penny, 8 and Daphne, 6, are looking forward to new adventures walking to the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Art Museum.”

For her part, Blythe credited her upbringing, family and friends for her success.

“Dedicated teachers gave me the foundation academically to succeed later at the UW in bachelors, masters and doctoral-level studies,” she said. “Having a group of loving supportive lifetime friends was essential to staying grounded in my Key Peninsula roots.”

Of Blythe’s friends from those days, Kylee (Lemon) Nimrick is a designer at Seldens in Tacoma; Emily (Spunaugle) Berken owns a sports training facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin; Amy (Lewis) Bisciglia is a registered nurse at St. Anthony’s Hospital; Mary Frances (Buri) Diener is a teacher; Tessa (Sagle) Tallariti taught P.E. at KPMS; Adrienne Padavich is a financial planner; Kelly Rider is a retail manager. They also have 17 children among them.

Some of whom have just got to also become alumni of the Peninsula School District.