2016 Alumni Award Winners
Congratulations to the 2016 University College Alumni Achievement Award winners! Award recipients will be recognized at the annual holiday celebration on December 8. Read their stories below…
Jamie Franks – 2016 Alumni Award for Recent Graduate Achievement
Jamie (Leadership and Organizations, 2016) is the youngest Men’s Division 1 Soccer Coach in the United States and leads the first team to go unbeaten in consecutive regular seasons and league tournaments since Clemson did it in 1977-78, according to the University of Denver. Jamie has been working with the NCAA Governing Body to change the rules for Men’s Soccer to support the athletes and their academics by increasing the length of the season. Jamie says his motivation for earning his degree was to better himself and the people around him in his role as a coach.
Hope Wilson – 2016 Alumni Award for Mid-Career Achievement
Hope Wilson (Applied Communication, 2008) has worked on projects in the USA and abroad that benefit business and the community. Examples include creating and executing an orphanage infrastructure project in Uganda; taking over a flailing Mensa Gifted Youth Program, which received Mensa’s national award for excellence a year later; engaging stakeholders to develop a leadership program for 2,000 members of the Junior League of Phoenix. Hope says her classes in PR and communications—especially cross-cultural communications—provided her with a tremendous foundation in methods for engaging people from a wide variety of backgrounds. She also appreciates the research skills acquired and considers them a valuable asset when entering a new region/culture.
Laura Jacob – 2016 Alumni Award for Lifetime Achievement
Laura (Master’s in Applied Communication, 1999) is an oral health advocate, educator, and facilitator and has a passion for health, relationship-building, and community. She was recruited in 2014 to launch the Colorado Medicaid Dental Program and has been a strong educator and advocate for improving the oral health of all, especially Coloradans! She continues to volunteer serving children and the low-income populations. Laura says her education from DU solidified and expanded her communication skills and confidence in collaborating and supporting oral health colleagues.