Saginaw Valley State University honored six of its leading graduates and one student about to graduate during an Alumni Celebration in Curtiss Halls banquet rooms.

The SVSU Alumni Association selected five alumni one from each college to receive the Distinguished Alumni awards. The association also has selected recipients of the Young Alumni Award and Future Alumni Award, given to outstanding individuals who recently graduated or who soon will earn their degrees.

Individuals honored include:

Scott Carmona, the distinguished alumnus for the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, who earned his bachelors degree in 1981. He is the owner and chief executive officer of Sunrise National Distributors, a national distributor of automotive aftermarket products. He serves on SVSUs board of control and foundation board.

Catherine Gatewood, the distinguished alumna for the College of Education, who earned her bachelors degree in secondary education/history in 1995. She has spent her career in education, serving today as vice president of academic affairs for Bay College in Escanaba. Prior to joining Bay College, she served as vice president of academic and student affairs for Anoka Technical College in Anoka, Minn. She began her career teaching American history at Meridian High School.

Pamela Forbus, the distinguished alumna for the College of Business and Management, who earned her bachelor of business administration in 1987. Since 2007, Forbus has led a team of more than 30 strategy, analytics and market insight professionals who have an influence on the growth agenda at Frito-Lay. After earning her SVSU degree, she began a 12-year account service and planning career in the advertising agency industry with Y&R, Chiat/Day, WB Doner and Campbell-Ewald.

Dawn Klida, the distinguished alumna for the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences, who earned her bachelors degree in psychology in 1990. In 1997, she was a founding partner in the law firm Skinner, Wilderboer & Klida. In 2010, she was appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to the 74th District Court, where she is the presiding sobriety court judge. She also is a member of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.

Janice Penney, the distinguished alumna for the Crystal M. Lange College of Health and Human Services, who earned a bachelors degree in nursing in 1986 and a masters degree in nursing in 1995. Penney was recently named chief nursing officer of MidMichigan Health and vice president and chief nursing officer of MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland. Throughout her career, she has held many leadership roles, including serving as the strategic business unit leader for cardiovascular services and nursing director at MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland.

Jamie Jager, the Young Alumni Award recipient, who earned her bachelors degree in English in 2011. Following graduation, she worked at a local nonprofit organization for two years before joining Saginaws New Hope Valley Assisted Living as the deputy director in late 2013. She was a member of SVSUs Roberts Fellowship, a leadership development program, in 2010.

Jadrianna Sobczak is SVSUs Future Alumni Award winner. Expected to graduate in May with a bachelors in exercise science, Sobczak has immersed herself in the college experience. Last spring, she traveled to Guangzhou, China, where she worked in a hospital on the campus of Jinan University, learning the differences between the health care systems of the United States and China. A native of Bad Axe, Sobczak also serves as a peer adviser, assisting fellow students with their academic pursuits.

Read more here:
Saginaw Valley State University bestows alumni awards