Alumni of the Year Award
Alumni of the Year Award
What is the Alumni of the Year Award?
The Alumni of the Year Award is presented to a graduate of Charles Wright Academy and recognizes the individual’s accomplishments and/or service to their community. Nominations for the Alumni of the Year Award can be submitted here.
Alumni of the Year 2024
Aukeem Ballard ’07
Aukeem is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he focuses on Critical Studies of Race, Class, and Gender. His research explores phenomena that are often hard to trace, such as affect, emotional and psychological labor, and sense-making in K-12 public school contexts. As a Graduate Student Researcher, he closely collaborates with faculty on equity-driven projects and is actively involved in campus groups where he has led and supported initiatives to create more just and inclusive climates for his department and the campus at large. Before pursuing his doctoral studies, Aukeem spent over eight years in public schools. At Summit Public Schools, he served as a classroom teacher, Dean of Students, Assistant Director, Assistant Principal, and then Co-Principal. His work included co-leading school operations, supporting faculty and student culture, and designing professional development initiatives. He began his career in education as a middle school teacher at Lane Middle School in Portland, Oregon, where he co-created a middle school slam poetry/spoken word program across the district with other teachers and students.
Aukeem’s impact has been felt both during his time at CWA as well as throughout the many communities he has been part of since graduating from Charles Wright Academy. He is a Tarrier through and through, and fun fact, he was the one who coined the iconic phrase “Once a Tarrier, Always a Tarrier!” We had the honor of welcoming Aukeem back to campus for Founders’ Day.
Alumni of the Year 2024
Henry Cheney ’16
Henry is a CWA “lifer”, attending our school from Beginning School to Grade 12. After graduating from CWA, Henry went on to play and coach baseball for the University of Portland, where he graduated with his BA and MBA in Nonprofit Management. Since graduating from the University of Portland, Henry has taken his talents back to the CWA community.
Alumni of the Year 2023
Nate Mondou ’13
Nate has been making headlines over the past 12 months—first after appearing for the Oakland Athletics in his Major League Baseball debut last fall, and then again in February after signing with the Chicago White Sox organization to support their minor league needs at second base.
Alumni of the Year 2022
Trevor Will ’93
Trevor is the owner of Titus-Will Automotive Group and works hard to care for his community, including his alma mater, CWA.
Alumni of the Year 2021
Laura Malcolm ’00
Laura is the co-founder and CEO of Give InKind, which she founded in 2016 as a means to provide people around the world with concrete ways to help their loved ones through challenging times.
Alumni of the Year 2020
J’Nai Bridges ’05
J’Nai navigates the competitive world of opera with confidence, turning her passion into a successful international stage career.
Alumni of the Year 2019
Scott Case ’94
Scott co-founded a software startup called EnergySavvy to help people use energy more efficiently in their homes and reduce the impact of climate change.
Alumni of the Year 2018
Trevor Moawad ’91
Trevor was an internationally known mental conditioning coach and veteran of the professional sports business.
Alumni of the Year 2017
Charles “Chuck” Morey ’65
Chuck (center in photo) is a director, playwright, and former artistic director with more than 45 years of experience in professional theater and extensive credits from coast to coast.
Alumni of the Year 2016
Kathy Niakan ’96
Internationally renowned researcher and scientist Kathy Niakan ’96 was named in Time Magazine’s World’s Top 100 Most Influential People.