Congratulations to our 8 COSSPP alumni, and all 22 FSU young alumni who will be recognized for their contributions to their professions, communities, and alma mater at the 10th annual Young Alumni Awards on Thursday, Sept. 29.
The 2022 Young Alumni Awards will honor 2022 Notable Noles and Reubin O’D. Askew honorees, and the ceremony will take place the day before the FSU Alumni Association kicks off its inaugural Young Alumni Reunion.
The reunion will take place during homecoming weekend and feature a welcome party, plus attendance at the Homecoming parade and block seating at the Oct. 1 FSU vs. Wake Forest Homecoming football game. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the Young Alumni Council, participate in FSU traditions, celebrate distinguished young alumni and network with fellow FSU alumni age 35 and under.
“Over the last 10 years, the association has recognized hundreds of bright and talented young alumni,” said Julie Decker, president and CEO of the FSU Alumni Association. “Our young graduates are the future of Florida State University, having achieved outstanding feats in the short time since they graduated. We are thrilled to celebrate them during the inaugural Young Alumni Homecoming Weekend. It is appropriate that during this weekend in particular students see what is possible and that our young alumni are back on campus celebrating what it means to be a Seminole forever.”
The Sept. 29 awards ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the FSU Alumni Center.
For more information on the Young Alumni Awards and to purchase tickets, visit gonol.es/YAA22.
Notable Noles
The Notable Noles program recognizes the accomplishments of FSU’s alumni aged 35 or younger who have made exceptional achievements and significant contributions to their profession, community, society, or the university through traditional channels or innovative approaches.
This year, 8 COSSPP alumni are being recognized as Notable Noles, including 2 distinguished alumni receiving the additional honor of the Reubin O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award.
The 2022 COSSPP Notable Noles recipients are:
Omar Al Busaidy (M.S. ’21)
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | CEO & founder, Global Possibilities LLC
Argentina Charles (B.A. ’16, MPH ’18)
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | Health Care-Associated Infection Prevention program manager, Florida Health
Natalie Nolan (B.S. ’18)
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | Product marketing specialist, Co-op Solutions
Tyler Price (B.S. ’11, MPA ’13)
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | Director of operations, Mercy
Aaron Treadwell (B.S. ’08)
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | Assistant professor of history, Middle Tennessee State University; itinerant elder, African Methodist Episcopal Church
Austin Wilson (B.S. ’18, M.S. ’19)
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, College of Communication and Information | NFLPA certified contract advisor, Vanguard Sports Group
The Reubin O’D. Askew Award:
Two COSSPP Notable Noles will also be presented with the Reubin O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed upon young alumni by the FSU Alumni Association. Named in honor of former Governor Reubin Askew, this award recognizes his contributions to our state, nation, and university. These young alumni continue Askew’s legacy of outstanding accomplishments built on the foundation of an education from Florida State University.
The 2022 COSSPP Askew Award/Notable Noles recipients are:
Cameron Pennant (B.S. ’15, M.P.A. ’17)
College of Business, College of Social Sciences | Legislative manager, Charlotte County, Florida; International Affairs guest lecturer, Florida State University
Cameron Pennant has worked in public service for over a decade and has held several key roles in the Florida Legislature. He currently represents the interests of the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners in the Florida Legislature and the Office of the Governor, the U.S. Congress, the White House and federal regulatory agencies. He is passionate about Florida State University’s Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement, or CARE, which supports first-generation students and provides equity and access to students with identities traditionally underrepresented in higher education. Pennant has mentored several students and provides strategic planning and career advice to undergraduates. In 2020, he created Pennant Scholars, the inaugural scholarship for the CARE S.C.O.P.E program, which aims to remove professional barriers to first-generation students. Pennant, the youngest member of the FSU Alumni Association’s National Board of Directors, also represented the university as a co-seminar leader at the European Marshall Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Upon his return, he became a frequent guest lecturer to students at FSU in international and domestic affairs. He cites his passion for sustainable public policy solutions as a guiding principle in his political and advocacy endeavors.
Drew Piers (B.S. ’14, M.S. ’18)
College of Communication and Information, College of Social Sciences | Managing director and partner, Sachs Media
As the youngest partner at Sachs Media, Drew Piers has worked to help elevate the agency to one of the premier public relations agencies in the Southeast. Piers has led multiple successful legislative and constitutional issue-based campaigns across the country, leveraging his talent for communicating across political and creative landscapes. Though gifted in communications strategy, he also is passionate about giving back to the Tallahassee community and beyond. He has held positions for various philanthropic organizations, such as Equity Tallahassee Leon, Legal Aid Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend, and the Capital Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. Piers is also an adjunct professor who teaches political communications to FSU master’s students and is committed to the growth of students through mentoring and supporting student organizations.
Check out the photos for the 2022 Young Alumni Awards at the FSU Alumni Center below!
