Jeanne McAlister, founder of the McAlister Institute, and Rolf and Mary Benirschke will be celebrated for their powerful contributions to the San Diego community
SAN DIEGO, CA (June 25, 2025) — National University (NU) — a nonprofit Veteran- founded institution serving more than 50,000 students annually through its degree programs and 80,000 more through its workforce and professional training programs— today announced that it will honor three NU Humanitarians of the Year at the annual NU Foundation Gala on the USS Midway Museum in September.
“The NU Foundation raises funds to help students transform their lives and achieve their dreams,” said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, NU president & CEO. “The vast majority of our students are ANDers—nontraditional, working, and military learners who are students and employed, deployed, parents, caregivers, or more. These funds are vital to help open pathways to possibility for so many of these striving students.”
The highlight of the Foundation Gala will be the presentation of three NU Humanitarian of the Year awards. NU will honor Jeanne McAlister, the founder of the McAlister Institute, who has for more than 40 years shone as a beacon of hope for people recovering from addiction in the San Diego region. In addition, community leader and former Chargers football great Rolf Benirschke and his wife Mary will also receive the award for their incredible contributions to the San Diego community.
“All three of these amazing people have given their inspiring gifts of time, energy and goodwill to change lives for the better and improve the San Diego community, ” Milliron said. “We are proud to celebrate them with this year’s NU Humanitarian of the Year awards.”
For the second year running, NU will hold the Foundation Gala on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum on San Diego Bay at 910 North Harbor Drive. This year’s event will take place on Friday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m.
Funds raised during the Gala and other efforts will benefit the students of National University through programs such as scholarships, emergency assistance, and student success sciences, which includes innovative pilot programs and the integration of the academic, career, financial, emotional and family support needed to help students stay on track.
The Foundation also administers the NU ANDers Campaign, a philanthropic initiative designed to support nontraditional, working, and military affiliated learners. The Fund is co-chaired by former WD-40 CEO and respected business leader Garry Ridge, whose visionary approach will elevate the program in the community and amplify the Foundation’s fundraising efforts on behalf of ANDers – inspiring, hard-working individuals dedicated to creating change in their lives and for future generations.
As a university that creates these types of opportunities for its students nationwide, NU was recently recognized in the updated 2025 Carnegie Classifications with the Opportunity Colleges and Universities – Higher Access, Higher Earnings designation, placing it among the country’s top institutions advancing access, affordability, and career outcomes for its nontraditional, working, and military-affiliated student population.
NU’s Humanitarians of the Year embody the spirit of giving and community support that the Foundation and the ANDers Campaign were created to serve. McAlister, a pioneer in the field of recovery, used her own experiences to build an institute based on empathy and hope, and then dedicated her life to serving those who suffer. Through her vision, and with the help of McAlister Institute’s programs, tens of thousands of individuals have successfully regained their lives.
For decades, Rolf and Mary Benirschke have served as role models for the San Diego region. From Rolf’s status as a local hero during his football career, to the example the couple set in surviving and thriving through health challenges, to their deep and sustained commitment to the community, they stand as exemplary citizens.
About National University: National University, a Veteran-founded nonprofit, has been dedicated to meeting the needs of nontraditional, working, and military students by providing accessible, affordable higher education opportunities since 1971. As San Diego’s largest private nonprofit university, NU offers over 150 online and on-campus programs with flexible four-week and eight-week classes and one-to-one graduate education models designed to help students reach their goals while balancing busy lives. Since its founding, the NU community has grown to 130,000 learners served per year—50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students—and 250,000 alumni around the globe, many of whom serve in helping industries such as business, education, health care, cybersecurity, and law and criminal justice. To learn more about National University’s new possibilities in education including next-generation education, value-rich education, and whole human education, visit NU.edu