The Homecoming & Reunion Weekend awards event, featuring a live jazz band, full buffet breakfast and mimosa bar, honored Michelle Stephens, Cheyenne Pinkston G ’25, Monty Bumper ’97, Nicole C. Wright ’03, Janay Tyson ’19 and Derrick Luster ’20.

“There is no better way to celebrate the strength of our community than by recognizing the people who continue to show up, lead with purpose, and make an impact far beyond themselves,” shared associate vice president of EBAN’s Enrichment and Engagement committee Ruby Bracy ’99. “The EBAN Awards give us an opportunity to pause and celebrate alumni, faculty, staff, and students who embody the values that make our community so powerful.”

The purpose of the �鶹��Ƶ Black Alumni Network is to build, maintain and sustain collaborative relationships with Black alumni through social events, networking and philanthropic purposes impacting current and future �鶹��Ƶ students.

Award Recipients

Michelle Stephens 

K. Wilhelmina Boyd Outstanding Service to Students Award

Michelle Stephens retired from �鶹��Ƶ in December 2025 after 30 years of dedicated service as a member of the university’s Environmental Services team. Throughout her career, Stephens approached her work with a simple but deeply held belief: every student, faculty and staff member, family and visitor deserves to experience �鶹��Ƶ at its very best. Over three decades, she watched generations of students arrive on campus, grow into young adults, and walk across the stage at Commencement. She formed lasting relationships with students, colleagues, faculty, and staff, many of whom came to know and love her as an important part of the �鶹��Ƶ community.

Stephens’ own educational journey has been different from those of many of the students she served. Although reading and writing have presented significant challenges throughout her life, she has always possessed gifts that cannot be measured on a transcript: an extraordinary work ethic, attention to detail, perseverance, compassion, and genuine love for people. Among Stephens’ greatest rewards were the simple moments when students stopped to notice her work, speak with her, or say, “Thank you.” To her, those expressions of appreciation meant more than any paycheck or credential ever could.

Cheyenne G. Pinkston G’25 

K. Wilhelmina Boyd Outstanding Service to Students Award

Cheyenne Pinkston is the assistant director of presidential stewardship at �鶹��Ƶ and a dedicated advisor and advocate for �鶹��Ƶ’s Renaissance Scholars. Since the program’s inception, Pinkston has been committed to ensuring Renaissance Scholars have a culturally rich, historically meaningful and transformative �鶹��Ƶ experience. Through intentional mentorship and relationship-building, she has become a central source of support, encouragement, and community for program participants.

In her stewardship role, Pinkston supports engagement with presidential and principal-gift donors through personalized communications, recognition, and experiences that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy and strengthen donors’ connections to �鶹��Ƶ. Across both roles, she is passionate about creating experiences that help people feel seen, supported, empowered, and connected to something larger than themselves.

Monty L. Bumper ’97, P’24 

Eugene Perry ’69 Distinguished Alumni Award

Monty Bumper has dedicated his career to educating, mentoring and creating opportunities for young people. A former member of the �鶹��Ƶ men’s basketball program, Bumper now serves as a special education teacher and director of football operations at Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia. In addition to his work in the classroom, he plays an integral role in supporting student-athletes through the college recruitment process, helping them stay academically prepared and meet the grade and testing requirements necessary to pursue opportunities at the next level. Bumper is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, where his commitment to mentorship, leadership, and community service continues.

�鶹��Ƶ remains an important part of his family’s story. Monty and his wife, Maria Quinones Bumper ’95, are the proud parents of three sons, and their youngest, Julian ’24, followed in their footsteps by attending �鶹��Ƶ. That generational connection reflects what Bumper values most about his alma mater: relationships, opportunity, community, and a lasting sense of belonging.

Nicole C. Wright ’03

Gail Fonville Parker ’70 Distinguished Alumna Award

Nicole C. Wright earned a Bachelor of Science from �鶹��Ƶ in 2003, and both her Master of Public Health in 2005 and Doctorate of Philosophy in Epidemiology in 2010 from the University of Arizona. She is currently an associate professor of Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine and director of education for the School’s Center for Health Outcomes, Implementation, and Community-Engaged Science, where her research focuses on musculoskeletal aging epidemiology, including osteoporosis outcomes research, and racial disparities in osteoporosis and its management.

Wright is also a nationally recognized leader in osteoporosis epidemiology and has reached fellow status in the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. She has been an investigator on numerous federal and industry-supported research projects and has held many leadership roles, including a Board of Trustees member of the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation. Wright has mentored many students and junior faculty and is dedicated to increasing the presence of women and Black researchers in bone health. In 2024, she was awarded the UAB Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship.

Janay Tyson ’19 

Outstanding Young Alumna Award

Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, Janay Tyson was an active student leader on �鶹��Ƶ’s campus, holding positions in the CREDE, residence life, the President’s Student Leadership Advisory Council, School of Communications, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, among others. After graduating, Tyson immediately moved to New York City and launched her career through Verizon’s competitive AdFellows program. Later, after honing her craft at top agencies, she pivoted to her true passion: experiential marketing.

Today, Tyson is an account supervisor at Team Epiphany, one of the top-rated multicultural marketing agencies in the US, where she oversees large-scale brand activations, influencer campaigns and content shoots across the consumer-packaged goods, nonprofit, fintech and entertainment sectors. In 2024, Tyson founded Curated Conversations, a collective that forges intentional partnerships with local businesses across Brooklyn and beyond to produce events and social experiences for 20- to 40-somethings looking to find their tribe and connect with their neighborhood. With more than 20 brand sponsorships and moe than 10 events already under her belt, Tyson is just getting started and is excited for what the future holds.

Derrick Luster ’20 

Outstanding Young Alumnus Award

Derrick Luster graduated from �鶹��Ƶ in 2020 with a degree in political science and minors in sociology and African & African American studies. During his time at �鶹��Ƶ, Luster served as president of the Black Student Union and as a Student Representative on the �鶹��Ƶ Strategic Planning Committee. He was also an �鶹��Ƶ College Fellow and a member of the Nu Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.

Luster attended the UCLA School of Law and graduated in 2023 with concentrations in critical race studies and public interest law & policy. Throughout law school, Luster committed his free time and summers to civil rights organizations supporting litigation on behalf of victims of police misconduct, protesters from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, and students experiencing racial and disability-based discrimination. He currently serves as the director of racial justice advocacy for the national prisoners’ rights nonprofit, Rights Behind Bars, where he litigates cases in federal courts across the country on behalf of prisoners whose constitutional and civil rights have been violated. Prior to joining Rights Behind Bars, Luster worked for a law firm representing survivors of childhood sexual abuse and employees who experienced retaliation and discrimination on the basis of their disabilities, gender, and race.

Also recognized during the program were members of the Sigma Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., celebrating their 35th reunion; the Omicron Iota Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., celebrating their 45th reunion; and the Nu Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., celebrating their 40th reunion. Together, these organizations raised a total of $7,506.96 in support of the Black Alumni Scholarship between March 5, (�鶹��Ƶ Day 2026) and Oct. 5, with committee leads Kennedy Ojimadu of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Lynne Daniels of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Alfred White of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., presenting the amounts each chapter raised.

Attendees enjoyed an evening of recognition, connection and heavy hors d’oeuvres, while honoring Tal Fish ’09, Rev. Dr. Chelsea Yarborough-Gill ’12 and Reese Kimball ’29.

“Tonight is about recognizing the impact of and celebrating the people who continue to create spaces where others can feel seen, valued, supported and empowered,” remarked LGBTQIA Alumni Network President Jonath Monti ’08.

The LGBTQIA Alumni Network and Community Enrichment Awards were established in 2012 to create opportunities to affirm and acknowledge the work alumni, faculty and staff have done to uplift LGBTQIA people and causes on campus and in their communities at large. The Community Enrichment Awards recognize those individuals who have made and continue to make a positive impact and for their dedication to �鶹��Ƶ and LGBTQIA communities.

Community Enrichment Award Recipients

Tal Fish ’09

Tal Fish (he/they) is a queer, neurodivergent licensed clinical mental health supervisor and licensed clinical addictions specialist who believes deeply in creating a world that is inclusive and just, working toward the safety and dignity of all people while dismantling oppression.

He is a proud 2009 graduate of �鶹��Ƶ’s prestigious music theater program and later earned his graduate degree from Wake Forest University. After working as an instructor for Wake Forest’s counseling program for a decade, Fish has spent the last five years supporting �鶹��Ƶ students as a mental health therapist within Counseling Services. This September, Fish moved into a new role as clinical coordinator and staff with faculty rank for �鶹��Ƶ’s new Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate program, supporting counselors in training and teaching counseling courses. He has also appeared globally as an out-and-proud cast member on a reality TV show for the last decade.

Rev. Chelsea Yarborough-Gill ’12

Rev. Dr. Chelsea Brooke Yarborough-Gill (she/her) is the associate director of leadership development at the Association of Theological Schools. Dedicated at her core to empowering individuals to find, embrace, and use their voices to foster well-being, equity and the possibilities of flourishing, she earned her bachelor’s degree from �鶹��Ƶ, her Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University School of Divinity and her Ph.D. in Religion from Vanderbilt University.

Yarborough-Gill’s new book, “Proclamation Beyond the Pulpit: The Expansive Homiletical Practice of Black Women,” which considers the preaching insights from Fannie Lou Hamer, Nannie Helen Burroughs and Sojourner Truth, is just one example of how her work seeks to challenge normative power structures and traditional paradigms of proclamation.

Even as an ordained Baptist minister, leadership coach, Enneagram teacher, and poet, Yarborough-Gill values her roles as a wife, daughter, friend, sister, and auntie, above all.

Reese Kimball ’29

A member of �鶹��Ƶ’s Class of 2029, Reese Kimball (he/him), is a member of �鶹��Ƶ’s Nursing Fellows program and plans to pursue pediatric nursing after graduation. He is an active member of the Creative Arts LLC, Club Swimming, Spectrum and the President’s Student Leadership Council.

Only a sophomore, Kimball has had many exciting �鶹��Ƶ experiences, including performing with �鶹��Ƶ’s first show choir, the �鶹��Ƶ Muses, during his freshman year, and coordinating the Adventures in Leadership program this summer with a mission to encourage diversity and inclusion. Kimball hopes to continue to demonstrate the ideals of the Community Enrichment Award as he continues his time at �鶹��Ƶ.

Currently overseeing the organization’s activities and executing its strategic mission, Brophy has spent her entire career in Washington, DC, working on issues related to housing, transportation, and the economy. As the director of transportation and infrastructure at the Federal City Council, Brophy led the redevelopment of Union Station, and as an asset manager for Community Preservation and Development Corporation (now Enterprise Community Partners), she oversaw a portfolio of more than 2,000 multifamily residential units financed with a range of complex structures, including LIHTC, Section 8, Section 236, Community Development Block Grants and more.

With an ongoing commitment and passion for the Washington, DC community, Brophy has extended her work through many boards and councils, including membership with Destination DC, Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, Women’s Transportation Seminar, Young Professionals in Transportation and the Urban Land Institute. In addition, Brophy has chaired the DC Bid Council since 2024, and the DC Sustainable Transportation Board since 2022.

Brophy graduated from �鶹��Ƶ with a degree in business administration, later earning a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Georgetown University. In 2016, Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies recognized Brophy as a member of the Hoya Professional 30 – demonstrating her leadership, potential, and excellence.

President Book was recognized for her commitment to expanding �鶹��Ƶ’s presence through new programming and steering the merger with Queens University. Over the last six years, �鶹��Ƶ has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for teaching, emphasizing the university’s commitment to engaged and experiential learning. Book hopes that the merger will create an even greater talent pipeline for the Charlotte community, strengthening local businesses and organizations.

“I’m a student of the science behind innovation, and research demonstrates how cities are engines of innovation,” Book told the Charlotte Business Journal. “As people come together, they build synergies that unleash creativity. Higher education is essential to this equation…”

Senior Director of PGIM Sean Burke ’14 was recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal for his commitment to finding new ways to finance affordable and workforce housing in the Charlotte area. Over the last 25 years, PGIM has provided over $29 billion in affordable and mission-driven financing, preserving over 307,000 multifamily units. Burke hopes that affordable and workforce housing will come to be viewed as essential economic infrastructure that drives economic mobility, workforce stability, and long-term growth.

“I challenge conventional thinking because the most pressing issues rarely have simple solutions,” Burke told the Journal.

Burke graduated with a degree in finance and was a Business Fellow, a scholar in the Odyssey Program and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. In 2024, the Office of Alumni Engagement recognized Burke with a Top 10 Under 10 award.

Working with the SBTDC, in various capacities since 2011 – a program administered by N.C. State University on behalf of The University of North Carolina System and in partnership with the Small Business Administration – Hicks has played a key role in both program management and support of the program’s 16 regional offices across North Carolina.

Hicks simultaneously serves in a variety of community-based roles, including as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Business and Technology Extension Programs in the Office of External Affairs, Partnerships, and Economic Development at NC State University, the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of America’s Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC), the Chair of the UNC System’s Economic Transformation Council and as a board member of the NCWorks Commission.

In 2019, he was recognized with the Executive Director’s Award by the NC SBTDC and was selected as the North Carolina State Star by America’s Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) in 2015.

Hicks graduated with a degree in Business Administration and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon while at �鶹��Ƶ. He has remained an active member of the �鶹��Ƶ Alumni Board since 2024.

�鶹��Ƶ will host “United in Purpose” on Thursday, Nov. 5, bringing together alumni, parents and friends of �鶹��Ƶ and Queens University of Charlotte for an evening of connection and community.

The event will be held at Urban Garden in Charlotte and begin at 6:30 p.m. with a hosted reception featuring hors d’oeuvres. Guests will gather at 7:30 p.m. for a special program featuring remarks from �鶹��Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book. A dessert reception will follow the program and conclude the evening. Business attire is requested.

United in Purpose
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026
6:30 p.m. — Hosted reception with hors d’oeuvres
7:30 p.m. — Program
Dessert reception to follow until 9 p.m.

Urban Garden
150 N. College St.
Charlotte, NC 28202

Register at or contact advancement@elon.edu.

Plain White T’s headlined last year with over 2,000 alumni, students and friends in attendance! As a fan-favorite Homecoming event, Rock the Block will once again transform into a full music festival experience featuring a variety of food trucks, a bar, activities and an end-of-night fireworks show.

O’Neal will perform from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Rock the Block and the Homecoming Concert are open to all members of the �鶹��Ƶ community for free, so register for today!

The full schedule of events and activities can be found on the 2026 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend webpage.

The weekend kicks off with Rock the Block on Friday night featuring a Homecoming Concert you won’t want to miss! Food trucks and a bar will surround Young Commons, adding to the music festival experience, and the night will end with a fireworks show.

On Saturday, wake up to breakfast pastries and a commemorative coffee mug at Welcome Home College Coffee before joining friends at the All Alumni Tailgate! Taking place at the Schar Center, this year’s All Alumni Tailgate will include beer, new food stations, a DJ, and plenty of reserved tent space for reuniting with your Affinity, Class, Cohort and Greek reunions.

After the tailgate, find your seats to watch �鶹��Ƶ football take on Wofford at 2 p.m.

With so much more in store, including celebrations for our affinity networks, and class and Greek reunions (some listed below), we can’t wait to celebrate Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2026 next month.

• �鶹��Ƶ Black Alumni Network (EBAN)
• �鶹��Ƶ LGBTQIA Network
• �鶹��Ƶ Latin/Hispanic Alumni Network (ELHAN)
• Alpha Chi Omega’s 25th Anniversary
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s 35th Anniversary
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s 45th Anniversary
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.’s 40th Anniversary
• ������貹���ٱ���ٲ�’s��15�ٳ������ԲԾ��������������
• Phi Mu’s 55th Anniversary
• Zeta Tau Alpha’s 55th Anniversary

Learn more about the weekend’s full schedule of events�����Ի���.

Alumni, parents and friends of �鶹��Ƶ are invited to come together for an Evening for �鶹��Ƶ in Chicago. Connect with fellow members of the �鶹��Ƶ community and hear a few highlights from campus.

The event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Chicago Cultural Center. Join us at 6:30 p.m. for a reception featuring a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres before gathering for a special program at 7:30 p.m. with remarks from President Connie Ledoux Book.

Evening for �鶹��Ƶ in Chicago with President Connie L. Book 
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026
6:30 p.m. Hosted reception with hors d’oeuvres
7:30 p.m. Program with remarks by President Book

Chicago Cultural Center
77 East Randolph Street
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Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres

Register at  or contact advancement@elon.edu.

Alumni, parents and friends of �鶹��Ƶ are invited to come together for an Evening for �鶹��Ƶ in Washington, DC. Connect with fellow members of the �鶹��Ƶ community and hear a few highlights from campus.

The event will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the National Portrait Gallery. Join us at 7 p.m. for a reception featuring a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres before gathering for a special program at 8 p.m. with remarks from President Connie Ledoux Book. Following the remarks, current alumni donors are invited to the Cheers to �鶹��Ƶ celebration, featuring additional food and drinks, lively music and the opportunity to connect with fellow members of the �鶹��Ƶ community.  to the designation of your choice to join the fun.

Evening for �鶹��Ƶ in Washington, DC with President Connie L. Book 
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
7 p.m. Hosted reception with hors d’oeuvres
8 p.m. Program with remarks by President Book
8:30 -10 p.m. Cheers to �鶹��Ƶ celebration for alumni donors

National Portrait Gallery
8th and G Streets NW
Washington, DC 20001

Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres

Register at  or contact advancement@elon.edu.