I received the Young Alumni Award!

In February, I received a phone call from a number that I didn’t recognize. Like usual, I let it go to voicemail. I recognized the area code, so I quickly checked the voicemail and it turns out it was from my high school classmate, Ailsa. She said she had some exciting news to share with me and for me to give me a call back. 

I called Ailsa back, and she informed me that I was one of the recipients of this year’s MFS Young Alumni Award! I was absolutely floored. 

Here’s a little background info about the award: Every May, my high school, Moorestown Friends School, holds an Alumni Weekend full of tours, activities, and class reunions.  During this weekend, there’s a kickoff dinner, the Among Friends Dinner, where the MFS Alumni Association awards two recent alumni with the Young Alumni Award. 

Here’s the requirements for the Young Alumni Award:

This award may be made to a recent MFS graduate on or before the Fifteenth Reunion, who has distinguished him/herself either through meritorious achievement in the early years of his/her career or through exceptional service to the community or to the school. The recipient of this award will have demonstrated commitment to the values and spirit of Moorestown Friends School after graduation by one or more of the following:

• Pursuing unique and rigorous academic, artistic or athletic challenges.
• Leading their surrounding community or business in keeping with traditional Quaker values.
• Providing exemplary service to the School or to their community-at-large.

Eligible recipients must have been active members of the Moorestown Friends School community during his/her high school years. This award will be given only when the meritorious action of a recent graduate warrants celebration and recognition.

On the same night, MFS also awards two alumni with the Alice Stokes Paul 1901 Merit Award and the Service Award. The Merit Award is awarded to a person who exemplifies the best qualities of MFS, including honesty, integrity, fairness, a commitment to serve others, and a dedication to equality and justice. The Service Award is awarded to a person who has enhanced the quality of life in the MFS community and who is currently involved with the school through volunteer work, contributions or other ways. 

So, upon learning that I was being awarded with a Young Alumni Award, I was deeply, deeply touched. It always feels nice to be recognized, but it feels especially nice to be recognized by a place that is a huge part of my formative years. I must admit, I cried a few happy tears too. 

May 1st was the official day of the awards dinner! And it was an absolutely beautiful day. Originally, it was supposed to be rainy, but we ended having blue skies and warm weather. It was such a treat to be back on the MFS campus.

I loved seeing some of my old teachers and classmates. I especially loved being able to invite a bit of my family (I have a big family on both sides). My mom and dad, two cousins, aunt, and best friend were able to attend. We had a group picture taken, shout out to Mike Schlotterbeck! 

During the actual award ceremony, Ailsa, who is the Middle and Upper School Visual Arts Teacher and Arts Department Chair, read my bio and introduced me. I wasn’t expecting it at all! She even read my high school honors (Cum Laude Society and Spanish Honor Society) and extracurriculars during that time, which I really wasn’t expecting!

After being presented with the Young Alumni Award, I had the chance to share some remarks. I talked a little about my illustration career and how my time at MFS is part of the foundation of my picture book illustration skills. I gave some of my teachers a shout out and shared some warm MFS memories. I even got to thank my mom and my family for their love and support. 

My classmate, Tyler Knowlton ‘11, also won the Alumni Award. He’s a psycholinguist who studies how humans acquire and understand language. He has a Cognitive Science degree from Johns Hopkins and he also has a Ph.D in Linguistics. He’s currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware. 

Ruth Geyer Jurgenson ‘91 won the Alice Stokes Paul 1901 Merit Award. She is currently the Executive Director of the National Basketball Association Foundation, where she leads efforts to expand access to education and career pathways for young people in under-resourced communities. 

Carol Henry ‘71 won the Service Award. She’s currently the Treasurer of the MFS School Committee. Before her retirement, she was the Senior Vice President of Lorimar Telepictures Corporation, and she also was the CFO of Lightstorm Entertainment, where she worked closely with director James Cameron. (She’s billed in the credits of Titanic and two Avatar movies!)

Overall, it was an absolutely amazing night. Thanks again to the MFS Alumni Association. I’m so grateful for the honor and I’m so grateful for the fact that I was able to share it with my family, among friends. PUN INTENDED.

Happily,
Alleanna

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