Each year, the Alumni Association awards $425,000 in scholarships. It hosted the annual Spring Awards Banquet on Wednesday night, honoring students with scholarships and distinguished alumni with awards.
“This is the culmination of a lot of work to raise scholarship money,” said Tim Conde, president of the Young Alumni Board, which raised $40,000 in its annual 5K this year during Homecoming Week.
Each year, the association gets stacks of glowing scholarship applications from students.
“We have a ball reading the applications,” Conde said. “And tonight is the night where we get to celebrate all those people.”
He was also excited about this year’s Par Excellence Award, which is awarded to a former student who graduated within the last 15 years and went on to do great things professionally and in the community. This year’s award went to Steve Smith, one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He helped the Carolina Panthers to the Superbowl in 2003.
Impressive as Smith’s résumé is, Conde said it is his philanthropic efforts that make him stand out. He said it was important to the Alumni Association to find someone who does more than just his or her job. Last summer, Smith donated money to help cover medical bills for the victims of the theater shooting in Aurora, Colo. He also frequently goes on giving missions.
Smith said college was a pivotal point in this life.
“I think every place that you go … has an impact on your life,” Smith said. “[College] really showed me how much room I had to grow.”
Jill Briggs was the recipient of the association’s first Outstanding Alumna Award. Now a tax director at Price Waterhouse Cooper, she is also chairwoman of the Business Alumni Association and previously served as vice president of the Young Alumni Board. She said she is grateful for her association with the U and loves staying involved.
“I love to be involved and give back,” Briggs said.
For the last four years, Briggs has been fighting brain cancer. It’s been a path she said had to be conquered with optimism, which happens to be part of her make-up. She has been through three brain surgeries in addition to radiation treatment. She received her last treatment Wednesday before attending the banquet.
“This is my way to celebrate,” she said.
She, too, learned a lot in her time as a student at the U.
“The biggest thing was how to build relationships and networking,” Briggs said.
At the U, she learned the power of establishing and maintaining relationships, and is still good friends with former colleagues. She loves her involvement with the Alumni Association and tries to stay as involved as possible.
Teresa Pratt was honored with the Perlman Award for her work in academic advising. She has been advising students at the U since 2003 and said what she enjoys most about it is helping students to see the big picture of their life. For her, advising is about more than speedy graduation. She enjoys getting to know every student.
“Every student is different,” Pratt said.