Three Rivers College has helped open the door to the future for many of its alumni.
To recognize the achievements and accomplishments of its former students and graduates, TRC is accepting nominations for the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award.
"Our Distinguished Alumni Award has become a highly anticipated honor to recognize outstanding former Three Rivers students," Three Rivers Director of Development Michelle Reynolds said. "It's always fun to see the nominations for the award, as there are so many alumni who give back in various ways to their community and Three Rivers."
The nomination deadline for the award is Nov. 14 and the winner will be announced by early spring.
Nominations can be submitted by going online to www.trcc.edu/distinguished and filling out the form. Paperwork may also be mailed upon request.
A committee drawn from college employees and the Three Rivers Endowment Trust will choose the winning nomination.
After the winner is announced, a reception will be held to honor the recipient. Several of the honoree's friends, family and colleagues, in addition to the community as a whole come together to help the Distinguished Alumni celebrate the award.
Nominees should be a graduate or former student of Three Rivers College and will be judged on the merits of their personal and professional achievements.
Nominations from previous years may be resubmitted for consideration for the 2019 award.
"When making these nominations, we want the community members to look for people who got their start at Three Rivers and have made their mark," Reynolds said. "We look for individuals who have been successful in their professional lives while also giving back to their community and Three Rivers College through their volunteerism and other means."
Alumni at TRC are considered anyone who has attended the college for any amount of time, not just graduates.
"We have several students who transfer before graduating but still have their roots at Three Rivers, so we don't want to exclude them, regardless of their number of credit hours," Reynolds said.
For the fifth year, TRC is honoring its alumni with this award. Past Distinguished Alumni Awards were presented to Larry DeWitt, Erick Kirkman, Stan Berry and Karon Campbell.
Previous recipients have also served as the commencement speaker, but it's not a requirement of the award.
"We do find that it's very meaningful for students to hear the message of someone else who attended Three Rivers and has gone on to do outstanding things in their career," Reynolds said.
For more information on the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Alumni and Friends program at TRC, or on how to donate to the college, visit www.trcc.edu/development or contact Reynolds at michellereynolds@trcc.edu or at 573-840-9077.
"It's always fun to see who in the community is a Three Rivers alumni, we are often surprised at some of the names we see," Reynolds said. "We enjoy getting to know just how many of the finest in our region got their start at Three Rivers -- it's a great way for us to show the success stories that can begin right here at home."