Dear Alumni, 

Spring is in the air, and the countdown to commencement for our soon-to-be alumni is on. As I prepare to address the Class of 2026 next month, I’m thinking deeply about the message I want to leave them with. Today’s graduates are entering a world of rapid change—but I know firsthand how the lessons and skills they’ve learned during their time at AU will serve them in whatever paths they pursue.  

More than anything, the alumni community they are joining remains a source of inspiration and a resource for professional and personal connection. 

Top of mind this month is the announcement of AU’s 2026 Alumni Awards recipients. The awards represent the highest honors presented by the AU Alumni Association, and the following individuals selected this year embody the hallmark professional, philanthropic, and volunteer achievement that defines AU graduates: 

• Global Alumni Leader Award | Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa, SIS/BA ’96, SIS/MA ’98  

• Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award | Julie Andreeff Jensen, SPA/BA ’95, WCL/JD ’02 

• Rising Star Award | Kathy Kim, SIS/BA ’16  

• Alumni Eagle Award | Nicholas Park, WCL/JD ’02, Kogod/MBA ’03 

• Alumni Recognition Award | Teddy Tannenbaum, CAS/BA ’70 

Secure your tickets for Alumni  Awards  Dinner and Ceremony on May 14 to celebrate the winners. If you’ve never attended before, I hope you consider joining us. It is a truly spirited and inspiring evening. 

Another great example of our alumni ethos is Eagles in Action, AU’s signature tradition for alumni service. Over the next two weekends, AU’s Regional Alumni Chapters are organizing eight sites across the country—Seattle, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and South Florida—for community volunteering. From distributing vegetables, packing donations, and supporting outdoor cleanups, there is still time to register for a project near you and celebrate what it means to be an AU alum. Huge thanks to our alumni leaders for organizing! 

Lastly, I want to spotlight two special opportunities for alumni participation in this year’s ongoing 250+ at American initiative.  

AU’s Department of Art has announced a call for entries for Seeing America in Scale: A Humongous Photography Exhibition. The exhibition will celebrate diverse perspectives on American life, culture, and community through visual storytelling, and alumni are highly encouraged to submit. The deadline for entries is April 30. 

AU is also seeking alumni voices for the 250+ Oral History Project to reflect on the meaning of “a more perfect union.” Alumni are invited to draw on our unique background, academic lens, or civic hopes and speak from the heart of our own experiences. 

Celebrating the ways this community inspires me each and every day, 

Patty Caballero, SOC/BA ’91, Kogod/MBA ’00