Northeastern honored three alumni and one current student at the NEIU Alumni Association’s annual Golden Gala and Alumni Awards Ceremony on Oct. 15. This year’s ceremony was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and was the first in-person gala since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event featured gourmet food stations from a number of local vendors and partnered with a host of alumni vendors for decor, a photo booth and DJ services. It also incorporated current students with collaborations from the Department of Art + Design, who hosted a pop-up art show; the Department of Music, whose students performed; and the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre, who shared student videos. The gala was co-hosted by NEIU Foundation Board Member Marcus Moore Jr. and NEIU Alumni Advisory Board Member Melanny Buitron.
This year’s honorees were:
Alumni Service Award
Arthur Kasak
B.A. ’75 Elementary Education, Physical Education
Community Leadership Award
Jamie L. Enge
M.A. ’13 Inner City Studies
Outstanding GOLD Alumni Award
Dr. Kristina Garcia
B.A. ’12 English
Future Alumni Leader Award
Alvin Gutierrez
NEIU Student, Elementary Education
The gala raised more than $114,000 for student scholarships. The 2022 Golden Gala and Alumni Awards Ceremony livestream is currently available.
