Established in 1992, the Young Alumni Award is presented annually to an outstanding graduate of the last ten years who has increased alumni engagement, involvement, and participation in Notre Dame activities and events of a social, spiritual, community service and/or continuing education nature.  In the event of a tie, an emphasis is given to a graduate whose efforts have been directed towards other young alumni.

The 2009 Young Alumni Award winner is: 

Christopher Avila '01

With this award, Christopher Avila ’01 is honored for serving as both a leader and an inspiration to his fellow Young Alumni through club participation. In the Notre Dame Club of El Paso, Texas, Chris has worked tirelessly—first as a club member, then as its vice president, and now the club president— to engage his fellow Young Alumni with the University through club events.

To say Chris has been an active member of his club for the past seven years is an understatement. In his role as vice president of the club, Chris helped lead the club’s first annual “Irish Invasion,” an ND football tailgate on the University of Texas at El Paso campus. The tailgate also functions as a service project for the Center Against Family Violence in El Paso. Additionally, Chris has helped his club launch annual collections of school supplies for low-income schools in the El Paso area. In his “spare time,” Chris designed and maintained the club’s first website and dedicated himself to making personal phone call to club members, encouraging them to participate in Notre Dame game watches.

Throughout the years, Chris has made it a mission to increase his club’s involvement with student recruitment by attending college fairs, hosting meetings with the University’s recruiter, and holding events to provide prospective students and their parents in the area with the chance to get to know other families interested in Notre Dame. Also, the El Paso Club has begun hosting a picnic for newly accepted students and their families so that accepted students can meet each other while they are home for the summer.                                                                       

As president of the ND Club of El Paso, Chris has expanded the club’s projects to include the celebration of a number of Hispanic traditions, such as celebrating the Stations of the Cross in both Spanish and English. The club also has begun the practice of celebrating “Las Posadas,” a Mexican tradition that is a nine-day celebration for reflecting upon the challenges Joseph and Mary had while looking for a place to stay during the birth of Christ. Additionally, Chris has encouraged his club to bring in guest speakers to lead discussions about the impact of immigration on the border region.

Past Young Alumni Award winners:

2008 Gage C. Dungy ’00
2007 Patrick Schneidau ’00, ’00 M.B.A.
2006 Benny Morten '99, '01 ME.d.
2005 Thomas Sullivan '96
2004 Michael Tribe '00
2003 Gareth D. Zehrbach '98, '00 M.S.
2002 Bryan W. Furze '98
2001 Michelle Strathman '96
2000 James Gruver '93 and Gregory Matteo '91
1999 Amy Leroux '92
1998 Eric J. Vorst '90
1997 Sarah Johnson '91
1996 Richard Shank '90
1995 Meg Brennan '87, '93 M.B.A.
1994 Sean Michael Reilly '90
1993 Doon (Robert Dillion) Wintz '85
1992 Maureen "Moe" Milota '84