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APRIL 25: Largest Alumni Event Ever for University

Alumni Awards Dinner Breaks Attendance Record

By number of attendance, the 2006 Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner will be the largest alumni event in the 35-year history of National University.  

Reservations for the April 25 event at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines surpassed 200 this week, exceeding original projections. The event may attract even more attendees by early next week.

"We had initially planned for 125 attendees," said Maggie Watkins, Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Relations.  "We realized fairly early that we were going to surpass that mark, and considering who our honorees are, it doesn't surprise me that we ended up filling our banquet room to capacity."

2006 Distinguished Alumni Award honorees include the following:

Rob Dean (MA, 1988) CEO, Vista Hill Foundation

Marti Emerald (BS, 2005) Investigative Reporter, KGTV Channel 10 News

Adolfo Gonzales (BPA, 1986) National City Chief of Police

Sammantha McDonald (BBA, 1980 / MBA, 1983) Community Volunteer

Jeff Olivero (MS, 1995) Principal, Mira Mesa High School

Jerry Sanders (BPA, 1988)  Mayor, City of San Diego

The attendance list for April 25 includes a veritable who's who of administrative and academic leaders from National University, along with a strong presence of prominent local leaders in government, business, media, education and health care.  It is anticipated that the record gathering will draw increased recognition for the quality of National University alumni and strengthen institutional pride among graduates in San Diego County and throughout the state.

"Eventually, we hope to create events such as this in the 15 major metropolitan areas that National University serves," said Ms. Watkins. "There are now more than 100,000 National University alumni, and the more opportunities we have to showcase their achievement, the greater the value for all alums."

The six 2006 Distinguished Alumni honorees will be featured in the upcoming edition of Vision magazine, National University's annual alumni publication, which will be mailed to alumni in June.  Photos from the awards dinner will also be published in Vision and posted on the web for all alumni to see.

Tickets are still available at $75 per person or $750 per table of ten. Those interested in attending are urged to make reservations by Monday evening, April 24. For more information, or to RSVP, contact Lacey Render at (858) 642-8095.

You can also register online by clicking here.