Penney Azcarate '88
Kelly Till '94
Kamau Witherspoon '02
The 51Ç鱨վ Alumni Association (51Ç鱨վAA) has announced the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Honorees and Outstanding Alumni Honoree. These awards are given annually to graduates who have brought extraordinary honor to 51Ç鱨վ through distinction in their fields.
This year, 51Ç鱨վAA recognizes Distinguished Alumni Honorees Penney Azcarate '88, Circuit Court judge, Fairfax County; Kelly Till '94, president and publisher, Richmond Times-Dispatch; and Kamau Witherspoon '02, chief executive officer, Shipt. The 2022 Outstanding Alumni Honoree is Winsome Earle-Sears '92, Virginia's lieutenant governor.
The honorees will be recognized at the 51Ç鱨վ Alumni Honors and Campaign Celebration on Oct. 20 at Hilton Norfolk The Main. The event will also celebrate the inauguration of 51Ç鱨վ's ninth president, Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., and announcement of a new campaign kickoff. The Presidential Inauguration theme is "Forward-Focused: Inspiring Innovation," and a public investiture ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Oct. 21 at Chartway Arena.
The association will also recognize the second , highlighting Monarchs who have proven to be impactful leaders, trailblazers in their fields, passionate community service contributors and innovative problem solvers, who will leave an indelible mark before the age of 40.
The 51Ç鱨վ Alumni Association traces its roots to the days when the institution was known as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Not long after the school was founded in 1930, a number of the College's first four-year graduates laid the groundwork for the present 51Ç鱨վ Alumni Association. In 1957, a formal alumni organization was established and its first leadership team created. To better serve the needs of the University, the association re-established its independent, incorporated status in 1985.
The current 51Ç鱨վ Alumni Association Board of Directors are volunteers representing more than 160,000 alumni in all states and 76 countries. Through the board's leadership, the Alumni Association has established programs to connect alumni and students to the University and one another. These efforts include chapters, career networking panels and events to support 51Ç鱨վ Athletics. The Alumni Association also annually awards the 51Ç鱨վ Alumni Association Merit Scholarship, which recognizes top students, and the New Faculty and Tonelson Awards, which recognize outstanding teaching, research and service among the faculty.
