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ALUMNI LIKE NO OTHER
Jean and Eddie Lawler Arely Ramirez Diaz ’19 Dr. Lolita Bryant ’04, ’11M Chris Montero ’12, ’16M
2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards
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Five alumni received the highest honor UNCW bestows upon its graduates and supporters during Homecoming 2022. Arely Ramirez Diaz ’19, Jean and Eddie Lawler, Dr. Lolita Bryant ’04, ’11M, and Chris Montero ’12, ’16M were recognized for their extraordinary achievement, outstanding character and exemplary service to the university and community. The awards were presented on Feb. 11.
ALUMNI OF THE YEAR
Jean and Eddie Lawler, Distinguished Alumni of the Year, are longtime supporters of the university and have given generously of their time and financial support. Both have been involved with the Seahawk Club for decades; Jean served as the club president in 1995-96. Eddie, a U.S. Navy veteran and an associate with Intracoastal Realty, is a former UNCW Alumni Association board member.
The Lawlers’ contributions to the broader community are extensive. They were instrumental in establishing “Enchanted Airlie,” now a holiday tradition at Airlie Gardens. Jean, the advertising director at Wilmington International Airport, has been a North Carolina Azalea Festival volunteer for more than 50 years. Eddie is an NC Azalea Festival emeritus member. Jean serves as the secretary of the board of Wilmington Downtown Inc. and is a member of the CFCC Wilson Center Advisory Board.
YOUNG ALUMNA OF THE YEAR
Arely Ramirez Diaz ’19, Distinguished Young Alumna of the Year, was a mentor through the UNCW’s Centro Hispano Embajadores program, motivating youth to pursue a higher level of education and supported their transition from high school to college. Today, her work focuses on voting, inclusivity and providing resources to the Latinx community. In her role as a paralegal at Helen Tarokic Law PLLC, she assists in the areas of immigration and naturalization and serves as a victim-witness advocate. Diaz graduated from UNCW with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
Dr. Lolita Bryant ’04, ’11M, Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award recipient, is a faculty member in the College of Health and Human Services’ School of Nursing and a patient safety coordinator at Novant-NHRMC. She recently established the Dr. Lolita B. Bryant, Abram Bishop and Family Endowed Scholarship for Diversity in Nursing to honor her great-great-grandfather, Abram Bishop. His former homestead was once located where UNCW’s Trask Coliseum now stands.
Her volunteer service includes past member of the UNCW Alumni Board of Directors, past president of the UNCW African American Graduate Association and past chair of the alumni scholarship and awards committee. Dr. Bryant received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from UNCW. In 2020, she completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Gardner-Webb University.
DIVERSITY AWARD
During his tenure as Centro Hispano’s MI CASA program coordinator, Chris Montero ’12, ’16M, recipient of the Distinguished Diversity Award, worked to increase the number of Hispanic students attending college. Montero, founder and co-owner of Perfect Touch Rental LLC, is a member of the 2022 class of Leadership Wilmington and serves on numerous boards, including the board of directors of the Latin American Business Council. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a master’s degree in higher education from UNCW.