Hope to Honor 10 Young Alumni with “10 Under 10 Awards” on Oct. 19
Hope College will honor 10 young alumni with its inaugural “10 Under 10 Awards” on Friday, Oct. 19, during the college’s “Homecoming and Family Weekend: One Big Weekend” celebration.
The honorees will all participate in a panel presentation on Friday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m. in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall, during which they will reflect on their educational and professional journeys and share insights for current and future students. They will also be featured during a reception on Friday, Oct. 19, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the CitySēn Lounge of the CityFlatsHotel.
The public is invited to both events. Admission is free.
The alumni being honored (pictured above, left to right) are Sarah Watkins ’08 Fabian of Chicago; Xander Krieg ’12 of Franklin; Jonas Lawson ’13 of Bethesda, Maryland; Maggie Mohr ’09 of Los Angeles, California; Quinn Nystrom ’08 of Baxter, Minnesota; Izzy Rhodes ’11 of Holland; Travis Rieth ’10 of San Diego; Carl Scholten ’11 of Traverse City; Chaz Shelton ’09 of Tucson, Arizona; and Katherine Stritzke ’08 Simons of Milwaukee.
“These 10 recipients have backgrounds and interests as varied as the programs offered at their alma mater,” said Scott Travis, executive director of alumni engagement at Hope. “They are taking their liberal arts education to new heights and impacting the world in big ways.”
The “10 Under 10 Awards” honor emerging leaders who are making significant contributions by living out their callings; engaged in the local and global community through professional and/or volunteer involvement; and use their education to think about important issues with wisdom and clarity, communicate effectively to bridge boundaries that divide human communities and act as agents of hope living faithfully into their vocations. Designed for alumni who are within 10 years of graduation, they are presented by the Hope College Alumni Association.
Fabian is an assistant professor of theatre at Northeastern Illinois University. She majored in theatre at Hope, and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in scenic design from Northwestern University.
Krieg is the founder and chief technical officer of Emosta, an artificial-intelligence software company. He majored in Japanese studies and psychology at Hope, and holds a Master of Arts degree in clinical psychology from the University of Hawaii, where he is a Doctor of Philosophy candidate in clinical psychology.
Lawson is a political advertising account executive at NCC Media. He majored in communication at Hope, and conducted additional study at the Media Sales Institute of Florida A&M University.
Mohr is a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology Department at the University of California, Los Angeles. She majored in biology and psychology at Hope, and holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in neuroscience from Michigan State University.
Nystrom is the president and founder of Qspeak, and is a speaker, author and diabetes-awareness advocate. She majored in communication at Hope, and holds a Master of Science degree in communication management from Syracuse University.
Rhodes is a crisis chaplain at Holland Hospital. She majored in sociology at Hope, and holds a Master of Social Work degree with a concentration in health and wellness from the University of Denver, and a Master of Divinity degree with an emphasis in pastoral care and counseling from Western Theological Seminary.
Rieth is a photographer, writer and consultant, and founder of Wild-Writes, traveling full-time with an emphasis on telling stories through his work. He majored in psychology at Hope.
Scholten is a principal with the Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools. He completed a social studies composite major at Hope, and holds a Master of Arts degree in school principalship site-based leadership from Central Michigan University.
Shelton is the founder and chief executive officer of Merchant’s Garden AgroTech. He majored in economics and management at Hope, and holds a certificate in economic growth and development from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Business Administration degree in finance and entrepreneurship from the Kelley School of Business of Indiana University.
Simons is director of marketing at CAT Footwear. She majored in management at Hope, and holds a Master of Business Administration degree in strategy, marketing, general management, entrepreneurship, managerial and organizational behavior from the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago.
The “10 Under 10 Awards,” which are to be presented annually, succeed the Hope College Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Award program that ran from 2007 through 2017, with recipients chosen by a committee of Alumni Board members, faculty and staff from among nominations made by members of the extended Hope community. More information about the 10 Under 10 Awards program and a nomination form are available.
Graves Hall is located at 263 College Ave., between 10th and 12th streets. The CityFlatsHotel is located at 61 E. Seventh St., at the corner of Seventh Street and College Avenue.
More information about the events during the Oct. 19-21 “Homecoming and Family Weekend: One Big Weekend” is available at hope.edu/onebigweekend