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The Office of Alumni Engagement will host Alumni Awards Weekend and recognize two distinct and deserving groups of alumni for their accomplishments since graduation.

Distinguished Alumni Awards

���ϲ����� will recognize three alumni and one distinguished community member for their leadership, accomplishments and service during this year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on May 2 at Snow Family Grand Atrium. Award recipients include:

Sam Troy ’67  

Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award 

This award is presented to an alumnus who has distinguished himself in a profession and in the community and brought honor to ���ϲ�����.

Sam Troy currently serves as executive-in-residence at the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where his primary focus has been conducting research on and promoting the North Carolina wine industry. He is the epitome of an engaged alumnus, faithfully supporting the university with a gift every year since he graduated as well as volunteering his time. He graduated from ���ϲ����� in 1967 with a degree in English.

Akilah Weaver Hill ’00

Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award 

Awarded to an alumna who has distinguished herself in a profession and in the community and brought honor to ���ϲ�����.

A marketing major and economics minor, Akilah Weaver Hill is the senior vice president, benefits executive at Bank of America, where she serves as a program manager of various work/life benefit programs and develops the programs’ $75 million budget for 200,000 U.S. based employees. Akilah is a highly engaged and involved alum as a member of ���ϲ�����’s Black Alumni Network and the Women of ���ϲ����� Advisory Council. Weaver Hill graduated in 2000 with a degree in marketing.

Mike Cross

Distinguished Service to ���ϲ����� Award 

Awarded to an organization, business, foundation, or individual who has demonstrated outstanding service that promotes the advancement of ���ϲ�����.

A friend of the university, Mike Cross has worked in the reinsurance industry for over 42 years and is currently the President of Acrisure Re North America. Active in the ���ϲ����� community, Mike has supported ���ϲ����� Athletics with gifts to the Phoenix Club, Rhodes Stadium, Schar Center and multiple team sports. He is currently a member of the Phoenix Club Advisory Board and President’s Round Table.

Cecelia Thompson ’05

Distinguished Alumni Service Award 

Awarded to an alumnus or alumna who has given extraordinary service to his or her community.

Cecelia Thompson earned her degree in political science, public administration and sociology. She has worked as the Executive Director of Action Greensboro, an economic development nonprofit, for the past 10+ years, where she recently co-chaired infrastructure bond campaigns that have secured two billion dollars for the Guilford County Schools Facilities Master Plan. Thompson is also the creator of Boomerang Greensboro, a relocation and job placement service, and co-founded Young, Smart, and Local, a national learning network of more than fifty cities.

Top 10 Under 10

The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Young Alumni Council have announced the 2025 Top 10 Under 10 award recipients, who will be celebrated during a May 3 ceremony in Snow Family Grand Atrium.

These 10 accomplished alumni from the past decade have achieved professional success, continuously work to better their communities and serve as loyal alumni role models. Award recipients include:

Yasmine Arrington Brooks ’15

Founder & Executive Director, ScholarCHIPS 

Yasmine Arrington Brooks graduated with a degree in strategic communications and history. As a junior in high school, Yasmine founded ScholarCHIPS, Inc., a nonprofit that provides college scholarships, mentoring, mental health support, and a support network to children of incarcerated parents, inspiring them to complete their college education.

ScholarCHIPS has awarded over $500,000 to 88 scholars since 2012, and in 2023, Yasmine was recognized as a “CNN Heroes” finalist and was featured on the “Drew Barrymore Show” as a “Drew Gooder” in 2024.

Erica Braschi ’18

Resident Doctor in Radiation Oncology, University of Florida 

Dr. Erica Braschi graduated with a degree in biochemistry and was a standout on the Tennis team as a two-year captain. Currently a Resident in Radiation Oncology at the University of Florida, Erica’s research and career interests focus on radiation treatment for cancer patients.

With six active research projects and three publications, Erica also serves as a Student Liaison, where she coordinates opportunities for students to shadow and rotate through her specialty. For four years, Erica was involved with Equal Access Clinic, a student-run clinic delivering healthcare to underserved communities.

Lauren Brzozowski ’19

Bobsled Athlete, Team USA Bobsled & Skeleton 

Lauren Brzozowski graduated with a degree in strategic communications and was a member of the Track and Field team. After graduation, Lauren pursued her master’s and ran for Loughborough University in the U.K.

Lauren pivoted to winter sports and discovered bobsledding and skeleton after returning to the U.S. during the pandemic and was announced as one of the three female pilots for Team USA at the 2023-2024 IBSF World Cup competition season. Lauren is currently working toward a spot on Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Brooke Greenberg ’17

Performer & Singer, Songwriter 

Brooke Greenberg graduated with a degree in music production & recording arts and moved to Nashville, where she worked as a content creator for Big Machine Label Group and Warner Music Nashville while growing her social media following under the stage name Brooke Alexx.

In 2022, she represented New Jersey on NBC’s “American Song Contest.” After the show, her song “All My Exes’ Moms” went viral, leading her to tour with acts like Lostboycrow, Arrows in Action and Nicotine Dolls. In October 2024, she released her debut album, “Big Mouth,” and is now headlining her first tour.

Simone Jackson ’16

Global Brand Manager, Spotify 

Simone Jackson graduated with a degree in strategic communications and was a two-time CAA champion on the Track and Field team. Recognized as a Forbes “30 Under 30 “for Marketing & Advertising in 2024, Simone currently leads global marketing initiatives and brand campaigns for Spotify, including “Spotify Wrapped.”

Previously at leading advertising agencies, Simone led the launch of Beyoncé’s first adidas x IVY PARK clothing and sneaker collection and Nike’s 2016 NBA Season Opener’s campaign featuring LeBron James.

JJ Niemann ’17

Broadway Actor, currently in “Hamilton” 

JJ Niemann graduated with a degree in music theatre in 2017, and three days later began rehearsals to make his Broadway debut in “The Book of Mormon.”

Most recently, JJ was a member of the original Broadway cast of “Back to the Future” from 2023 to 2025, where he was a member of the ensemble and served as the understudy for the two leads, Marty McFly and George McFly, performing in those roles for over 80 performances. He also performed with the cast in the 2023 “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” and on “Good Morning America.” As of February, JJ joined the Broadway production of “Hamilton” and can be seen performing eight times a week as Charles Lee.

Morgan Stonebridge ’17

Director of Product & Ad Supply Partnerships, NBCUniversal 

Morgan ‘Mo’ Stonebridge graduated with a degree in marketing and shortly after, secured a role at Buzzfeed, becoming Director of Ad Operations in less than four years and led the team at the time of Buzzfeed going public.

Now, at NBCUniversal, Morgan oversees all of the NBC YouTube properties in her role as Director of Product, Video Partnerships. Morgan has been an Alumni Chapter Volunteer for the ���ϲ����� Stamford Chapter since 2021 and currently serves as president.

Vaughn Vreeland ’15

Supervising Producer & Senior Video Journalist, New York Times Cooking 

Vaughn Vreeland graduated as a double major in media arts and entertainment and French. After teaching English and working as a freelance videographer in Thailand, Vaughn returned to the U.S. and started working for Buzzfeed’s Tasty department.

In 2018, Vaughn started working for The New York Times as a Senior Video Journalist for NYT Cooking, adding the title of Supervising Producer in 2022. Vaughn has been featured multiple times on “Good Morning America,” and made the Forbes “30 Under 30” list for Media in 2023.

Peter Walpole ’15

Digital Strategist & Adjunct Professor, City College of New York 

Peter Walpole graduated with a degree in media arts and entertainment. Throughout his previous ten-year role at Golin, Peter worked in content production and community management, with a focus on executive social media coaching.

With a background in social media strategy and thought leadership, Peter has served as an adjunct professor for the City College of New York Branding + Integrated Communications master’s program since 2022 and as a part-time faculty member at Marist College since 2024.

Miles Williams ’15

Elementary School Principal, Bricolage Academy 

Miles Williams graduated with a degree in human services studies, was a two-time captain of the Football team, and earned his master’s at the University of Chicago. After moving to New Orleans, Miles became the Director of Elementary Student Culture at Bricolage Academy in 2019.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Miles created virtual spaces for students and families to stay connected, and was awarded a $25K grant from Education First to implement evidence-based Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) practices and programs for Black boys. In 2022, Miles became Bricolage Academy’s elementary school principal.