The last Homecoming Concert was hosted three years ago by the Student Union Board in 2022, when Tai Verdes performed.

Rock the Block is a fan-favorite Homecoming event featuring food trucks, a bar, yard games, inflatables and an end-of-night fireworks show. Traditionally hosted on the Friday of Homecoming to kick off the weekend of festivities, we are now bringing a headlining artist to the Rock the Block stage. Plain White T’s is set to perform from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday evening.

Rock the Block and the Homecoming Concert are open to all members of the Elon community for free! Registration for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend will open on Sep. 3 for all alumni.

Elon will recognize four alumni for their leadership, accomplishments and service during this year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on April 26 at The Inn at Elon. 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 Elon.

An English major, 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.

Kristen Yntema ’95��

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 Elon.��

A double major in business administration and public administration, Kristen Yntema is the president and CEO of AuthoraCare Collective, one of the largest nonprofit hospice and palliative care organizations in central North Carolina. Triad Business Journal recognized Kristen as one of its 40 Leaders Under 40 in 2011, one of its Outstanding Women in Business in 2016 and a Most Admired CEO in 2019.

Carol Brown ’68��

Distinguished Service to Elon Award������

Awarded to an organization, business, foundation, orindividual who has demonstrated outstanding service��that promotes the advancement of Elon.��

A mathematics major, Carol Lupinacci Brown spent 30 years with the Christina School District in Delaware as a middle and high school teacher, building administrator and central office administrator. All the while, Carol has maintained a meaningful connection with Elon, serving as an Elon Alumni Board member and previously served as an Alumni 360 volunteer, peer agent and class reunion volunteer. In 2019, she made an estate gift and created an Elon Experiences scholarship in 2023.

Erica Ayala ’08��

Distinguished Alumni Service Award������

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

A political science major, Erica Ayala joined CBS Sports in 2023 as a writer and on-air analyst, primarily covering WNBA, NCAA Women’s Basketball and NHL stories. She is considered the only Black/Latina broadcaster to call an NHL game. Outside of her career, Erica has volunteered her time with the Children’s Defense Fund and Westchester Children’s Association, holding multiple roles to advance child advocacy and social action. In 2017 New York Nonprofit Media recognized her as a “40 Under 40 Rising Star” in the nonprofit world.

The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Young Alumni Council have announced the 2024 Top 10 Under 10��award recipients, who will be celebrated during an April 27 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:

Sarah Alger ’17��

Information Officer at USAID – Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance��

Sarah Alger graduated with a degree in public health and for her undergraduate research, Sarah collaborated with Dr. Cynthia Fair to publish the first-known study on the needs of internationally adopted children with HIV in the United States.

After spending a year in Uganda serving as a Strategic Information Fellow with the CDC Global Health Fellowship Program, Sarah joined USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance as a full-time Information Officer.

Katherine Blunt ’15��

Energy Reporter at the Wall Street Journa����

Katherine Blunt earned her degree in journalism, with a focus on print and online news. Katie, along with two colleagues from the Houston office of the Wall Street Journal, investigated the massive wildfire that engulfed Northern California due to faulty infrastructure from power provider Pacific Gas & Electric.

Katie’s work on the disaster was the foundation for her 2022 book,��California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric – and What It Means for America’s Power Grid.

Sean Burke ’14��

Multifamily Debt Originations at PGIM Real Estate��

Sean Burke graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance and joined PGIM in 2017, assisting with the structuring of more than $2.7B in debt financing transactions.

In his current role as a Loan Officer, he is responsible for originating and structuring multifamily affordable and conventional loans. Sean’s passion for affordable housing stems from his time at Elon when he volunteered with the Odyssey Scholars in the Mississippi Delta.

Ashley Braun Darling ’13 & Tom Darling ’13��

Co-Founders of Darling Wines��

Ashley Braun Darling earned her degree in media arts and entertainment, specializing in broadcast and news media. Tom Darling graduated with a bachelor’s in sport and event management.

In 2017, Ashley and Tom launched Darling Wines. Beginning with a Syrah, Darling Wines has since added a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay to their listings. Bottles can be enjoyed at several Michelin-starred restaurants as well as local favorites and retail wine shops in the Bay area.

Peter Fox ’14��

Vice President at The Blackstone Group��

Peter Fox earned a degree in finance and during his final year at Elon, Peter was part of a team that qualified as state finalists in the 2014 CFA Institute Research Challenge.

Since graduating, Peter has steadily advanced his career in investment banking. Beginning as an analyst with the Corporate Finance Group at Credit Suisse, he progressed into associate and senior associate roles at Coller Capital before joining the team at Blackstone in 2021.

Phylicia Pearl Mpasi ’15��

Actress, currently in��The Color Purple��

Phylicia Pearl Mpasi is a graduate of ����app�ٷ���վ�� musical theatre program and before graduating, she was cast as a vocal swing and the understudy for Shenzi in “The Lion King.”��In May 2023, she celebrated the premiere of��Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies��for Paramount+ working as a writer for the first season.

Most recently, Phylicia Pearl stars as young Celie in the remake of��The Color Purple,��produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.

Oscar Miranda Tapia ’17

PhD Candidate in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at NC State

Oscar Miranda Tapia earned a degree in psychology��and spent a year as a Community Impact Fellow with Alamance Achieves before earning his master’s degree in education from Harvard University in 2019. Oscar returned to his alma mater to help launch The First-Generation Initiative through his role as Assistant Director of First-Generation Student Support Services.

This meaningful work is highlighted in the book that Oscar recently co-authored with President Emeritus Leo M. Lambert, Assistant Provost Peter Felten, and Isis Artze-Vega in August 2023,��Connections are Everything: A College Student’s Guide to Relationship Education.

Dmitri Thompson ’18��

CEO at Rise Media, Co-founder of Rise League Inc.��

Dmitri Thompson is a former captain of ����app�ٷ���վ�� Division I Men’s Basketball team who graduated with a degree in sport and event management and ended his career as one of the best scorers in program history. Following graduation, he spent two years playing professional basketball in Cyprus. While playing abroad, Dmitri and his brother, Dwight, sold shirts to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club, creating RISE League.In November 2023, they received a $75K grant from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Most recently, the Thompson brothers started Rise Media, a full-service creative agency that offers photography, videography, editing and Photoshop services for businesses and the public.

Erin Wilkins ’18��

Manager, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Goodwin Law firm��

Erin Wilkins earned a degree in public health studies before going on to receive an MA in education and human development from The George Washington University.

In a short span of time, Erin has built a distinguished career in the legal industry and currently serves as the Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the law firm, Goodwin. As a testament to her expertise in DEI, Erin has been invited to speak at the National Association for Law Placement Annual Education Conference in Boston, MA, in 2024.

To read more about this year’s alumni award winners, visit the Alumni Awards page here and for more information about this year’s awards, please contact Hannah Hattori, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement—Special Events, at hhattori@elon.edu.

The full schedule of events and activities can be found on the 2023 Homecoming & Reunion webpage.

Friday night’s Rock the Block kicks off the weekend with something to do for everyone. Live music, food trucks, lawn games, inflatables and fireworks are among the festive activities.

Welcome Home College Coffee on Saturday, Oct. 21 on Scott Plaza welcomes alumni back home with this beloved campus tradition and a free commemorative mug for the first 100 guests.

All alumni are invited to visit the Tailgate Village on the Lake Mary Nell promenade before cheering on Elon football as they take on Monmouth in Rhodes Stadium on Saturday at 2 p.m.

New this year to the Homecoming festivities is the PostGame Zone. In the Tailgate Village, after the game on Saturday to gather with friends, family and classmates one last time. Reminisce about your college days, reconnect and close out Homecoming weekend together.

We also can’t wait to celebrate Class reunions, Greek reunions and Affinity Network reunions with all our alumni.

Learn more about the weekend’s events and .

The Office of Alumni Engagement will recognize four distinguished alumni for their leadership, accomplishments and service and the 2023 Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Award recipients during this year’s Alumni Awards Weekend on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25.

The Distinguished Alumni will be recognized at the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on Friday, March 24. They are:

Chris Bell ’92����

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 Elon.

A business management graduate, Bell currently serves as the as regional president for Truist Financial Corporation in North Carolina’s Triangle region. He has served his community well in many capacities and is previously a member of the Elon Alumni Board, including one term as president, and a regional committee member for the Elon LEADS campaign.

Kathie Niven ’89����

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 Elon.

An English major and Communications minor, Niven serves as chief executive officer of Biscuitville, Inc. In 2014, she led the rebranding of Biscuitville, which included the addition of FRESH SOUTHERN® to its name; remodeling, relocating or rebuilding 100% of its restaurants; and a re-energized commitment to sourcing locally. Always generous with her time for her alma mater, Niven has served on the Elon Alumni Board and the President’s Advisory Council.

Rich ’87 P’17 and Laurie P’17 Johnson

Distinguished Service to Elon Award ��

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

A mass communications major, Rich Johnson spent his entire career in the banking industry and retired in 2022 as senior vice president and chief consumer lending officer at MainStreet Bank.

Laurie earned her bachelor’s degree from American University and her MBA at George Washington University, joining Accenture in 1989 and recently retired as managing director. Proud parents of Elon alumna Grace Johnson ‘17, the Johnsons have been among ����app�ٷ���վ�� most active and impactful volunteers, always answering the call to serve Elon.

LaToya Faustin ’04 G’10

Distinguished Alumni Service Award����

This award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service that promotes the advancement of Elon.

A corporate communications major, Leadership Fellow and double Elon graduate (B.S. in communications in 2004 and MBA in 2010), Faustin serves as executive director of She Built This City, providing industry disruptive programming that sparks interest and builds pathways to lucrative careers in the skilled trades for youth, women and marginalized communities.

Equally committed to community service beyond the scope of her work, Faustin serves on the Neighborhood Revitalization Committee for Habitat for Humanity Charlotte.

The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Young Alumni Council have announced the 2023 Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Award recipients, who will be celebrated during a Saturday, March 25 ceremony in the 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. They are:

David Campbell ‘13

Senior Manager – Americas Tax Technology & Transformation, EY

Campbell graduated from Elon with dual degrees in accounting and finance. Following graduation, he completed his CPA and began work with EY where he had previously interned.

In September he stepped into his current role as a senior manager in the Americas Tax Technology & Transformation group with a focus on the firm’s global Sustainability Tax solutions strategy. Additionally, he leads EY’s campus recruiting efforts at Elon.

Sydel Curry-Lee ‘17

Vinter & Partner, Domaine Curry

Sydel Curry-Lee ’17 was member of the Women’s Volleyball team where she was named team MVP in 2016. Curry-Lee earned her degree in psychology and following graduation partnered with sister-in-law, Ayesha Curry, to produce their own wine label, Domaine Curry.

In addition to her work as an entrepreneur, she is also a mental health advocate and content creator.

Dr. Marissa Mastrocola ’13

Orthopedic Surgery Resident, UMass Memorial Medical Center

Dr. Marissa Mastrocola graduated from Elon with her degree in exercise science and went on to receive her MD from the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in 2019.

She has contributed to five medical journal publications and has most recently focused on the topic of obesity education and orthopedic sports medicine.

Alivia Mattioli-Hodge ’15

Senior Manager of Partnerships, Penske Entertainment

Mattioli-Hodge earned her degree in sport and event management from ����app�ٷ���վ�� in 2015. Beginning her career at Pocono Raceway, Alivia contributed to her family’s multi-generational family business as promoters of NASCAR racing in the Northeast.

Entering her eighth year with Penske Entertainment, Mattioli-Hodge has focused on cultivating partnerships and programming for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and INDYCAR.

Marisa Moody ’15

Brand & ESG Impact Strategy Director, Publicis One Touch

Moody, a Communications Fellow and strategic communications major, moved to Germany three years after graduating to join the staff of Publicis Groupe.

Earlier this year, Moody transitioned to her current role with Publicis One Touch, where she is working to reposition the sustainability and environmental, social and corporate governance communications strategy for the personal care brand Nivea.

Claudia Rodriguez ’17

Technology Recruiter, Proven Recruiting

Rodriguez earned her degree in psychology and following graduation, pursued her master’s degree in higher education from NC State University in 2019 and began building her career as a technology recruiter.

After working with Proven Recruiting for two years, she joined the team at MyCase and quickly rose through the ranks to become a People Business Partner in fall 2022.

Holly Brueggman Tamburello ‘17

Senior Analyst, NERA Economic Consulting

Tamburello earned dual degrees in international economics and finance at Elon. Following graduation, she joined the Antitrust division of NERA Economic Consulting as Senior Analyst.

In her role, Tamburello has worked with clients across a variety of industries, guiding them through mergers, consumer protection, litigation and private arbitration. Tamburello is also a five-year member of the advisory board for Elon’s economic consulting major.

Jordan Thompson ’14 L’17

Legal Counsel at TikTok

Thompson is a double alumnus of Elon; he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science while playing on the football team and went on to earn his juris doctor three years later.

Currently, he serves as legal counsel in TikTok’s Monetization and Corporate legal group and advises on a plethora of business in the fast-growing entertainment platform.

David Williams ’13

Senior Security Engineer, Amazon Web Services

Williams graduated from Elon with a degree in computer information systems while playing on the football team. After four years working at JPMorgan Chase, he joined Amazon Web Services where he has steadily risen through the ranks with a focus on cloud security.

Williams earned a masters degree in cybersecurity from New York University in 2016 and an MBA from the College of William & Mary in 2022.

Doug Williams ’13

News Anchor & Reporter, CBS New York

Williams earned his degree in journalism with a specialization in broadcast news and went on to build his own Emmy-nominated talk show at SNY in New York.

He left SNY after seven years in late 2021 and spent a year doing national and local talk radio for CBS Sports and Sirius XM. In early February of this year, he returned to TV news as a morning anchor at WCBS in New York.

For more information about this year’s awards, please contact Hannah Hattori, assistant director of alumni engagement—Special Events, at hhattori@elon.edu.

This is time for alumni of all backgrounds to come together and celebrate their Elon community. In addition, Elon graduates will have the opportunity to network with each other and hear from their regional chapter leadership about events and ways to stay engaged with Elon for the upcoming year.

Each region-based event, hosted at a local-favorite venue, will be filled with opportunities to socialize, grab a bite to eat or drink and even enter for a chance to win a raffle prize item. Alumni won’t want to miss their very own Welcome to the City! All are welcome to attend.

The following alumni chapters are hosting events, so click on a chapter below to learn more and register for an event:

This spring, attend your chapter’s event to connect with fellow alumni and for a chance to win special Elon raffle prizes! All are welcome.

Please click on a city below to learn more and register for your event:

These events will follow all guidelines in compliance with local city ordinances regarding Covid-19.

Elon Men’s basketball is set to compete in the 2021 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic from Nov. 18 through 21. Elon will tip-off against West Virginia on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 9 p.m. The bracket-format tournament features 12 games over three days. Other teams included in the tournament are Boise State, Marquette, St. Bonaventure, Temple and Ole Miss. Tickets to the tournament can be found .

Join President Connie Ledoux Book, Elon alumni, family and friends for complimentary pre-game socials at the Francis Marion Hotel on each day before heading to the T.D. Arena in Charleston, S.C. for the 13th annual tournament.

On Saturday, join us at Uptown Social to cheer on Elon football as they take on Rhode Island in Rhodes Stadium. The watch party will begin at 1:30 p.m. with kick-off at 2 p.m.

All Phoenix fans are for the pregame socials on Thursday and Friday in addition to the watch party for the Elon Football v. Rhode Island game on Saturday.

All Elon alumni are encouraged to attend their regional chapter’s event and celebrate what it means to be a part of the Elon alumni family. Family, friends and guests are welcome to join the festivities.

Elon graduates will have��the opportunity to network with each other and hear from their regional chapter leadership about events and ways to stay engaged with Elon for the upcoming year. Each region-based event will be filled with opportunities to socialize, grab a bite to eat or drink and play some fun activities. Alumni won’t want to miss their very own Welcome to the City.

Please click on a city below to learn more and register for your event:

These events will follow all guidelines in compliance with local city ordinances regarding Covid-19.