Washington Adventist University to Honor Five Outstanding Alumni at Banquet on April 11
Takoma Park, MD (April 2, 2015) Five outstanding Washington Adventist University (WAU) alumni — including movie actor, producer, writer and director Rik Swartzwelder — will be honored at the annual Alumni Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 11 at the Sheraton Silver Spring as part of the university’s Alumni Weekend activities.
Rik Swartzwelder will be honored as Alumnus of the Year. He is a writer-director-actor and also a producing partner at Skoche Films, LLC. His feature film, Old Fashioned, made its debut in time for the recent Valentine’s Day Weekend, promoting the concept of old fashioned romance. Swartzwelder has directed numerous award-winning short films and worked on several other projects as a writer and producer, participated in 145 film festivals worldwide and garnered over 50 major awards. Swartzwelder grew up in rural Ohio, earned his bachelor’s degree at Washington Adventist University in 1993 (then known as Columbia Union College), and then earned an M.F.A. in Motion Picture Production from The Florida State University. He now lives in Los Angeles, California.
Berny Jacques will be honored as this year’s Young Alumnus of the Year. He moved to the U.S. from Haiti at the age of 7 and was raised in Naples, Florida. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and political studies from Washington Adventist University in 2009. During college, Jacques was a legislative intern to Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, and on the WAU campus he served as president of the Student Association from 2008-2009, and a member of both the Track and Field and Mock Trial teams. Jacques received his law degree from Stetson University College of Law, and currently serves as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Pinellas County, Florida, where he is responsible for prosecuting felonies.
This year’s Zella Holbert Service Award will be presented to alumnus Tom Hughes. Hughes was raised in Newark, Delaware and graduated from the university (then known as Columbia Union College) in 1975. He received a bachelor’s degree in theology and psychology, and then went on to earn his master’s degree in religion from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. He is a district pastor and motorcycle evangelist with the Ohio Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He and his wife, Debbie, have an active music and media ministry, including the Bible Biker Online Radio Program, through which six people have been baptized.
Named as Honorary Alumnae of the Year is Joan Francis, who currently serves as the chair of the Department of History and Political Studies at Washington Adventist University. She is known for her challenging, creative, and rewarding classes, and she works tirelessly to enhance her teachings with the resources of the nation’s capital, exposing students to a wide variety of educational opportunities. In addition to her academic role on campus, Francis also serves as the sponsor of the Black Student Union, the 2016 graduating class, and various other programs on the university’s campus. She has a doctorate in history from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and a master’s degree from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Named as Honorary Alumnus of the Year is Takoma Park Mayor Bruce Williams who has served in elected office in Takoma Park since 1993. He was a Councilmember from 1993-2007, and has been Mayor since 2007. He has had an active leadership role in many local, regional and state organizations, and served on the Chesapeake Executive Council’s Local Government Advisory Committee on the Chesapeake Bay in 2009, and the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission in 2013. Mayor Williams has been active with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) for more than twenty years and was recognized by the organization as an outstanding public servant in the Washington metropolitan region, receiving the Elizabeth and David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award in 2004. He has also been active in the Maryland Municipal League and the Maryland Mayors Association, serving both organizations as president.
In addition to the awards banquet, Alumni Weekend will feature on Thursday, April 9 a 30th Reunion of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at 7 p.m.; and a Kick-off Social at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, April 10, a Cherry Blossom Tour will be conducted from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; a President’s Reception at 5 p.m., and a Reflections Concert at 7 p.m. A naming ceremony for the music rehearsal hall in honor of the university’s Music Department chair, James Bingham, Ph.D., will be held at 8:30 p.m., followed by Singspiration Vespers at 8:45 p.m. On Saturday, April 11, academic department open houses will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. prior to the awards banquet.
The 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, April 12 will start at 10 a.m., the Honors Program 10th Anniversary Reunion Brunch will also start at 10 a.m., and the annual Family Fun Festival will take place outdoors from noon to 5 p.m., offering fun activities or the whole family. The Acro-Airs Home Show will cap the weekend of festivities, starting at 7 p.m.
For more information about the awards banquet or Alumni Weekend activities, contact Alumni Relations Director Ellie Barker at ebarker@wau.edu or 301-891-4133.
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Washington Adventist University is Montgomery County’s only four-year private college. Part of the Seventh-day Adventist system of higher education, Washington Adventist University has been educating college students since 1904 on a 19-acre campus in suburban Takoma Park, close to the nation’s capital. Approximately 1,100 students of all faiths participate in the university’s eight graduate and 32 undergraduate programs. The 2014 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranked Washington Adventist University among the best regional colleges in the north.
Media Contacts:
Angie Crews, 301-891-4134, acrews@wau.edu
Donna Bigler, 240-286-1169, dbigler@wu.edu