Laura Lunsford was recognized at the NC State Alumni Association’s Evening of Stars.

On November 5, the Alumni Association celebrated its first Evening of Stars—a new event designed to spotlight NC State alumni who’ve given back to their professions and their communities.

Among the 16 alumni honored was Park Scholarships Director Laura Gail Lunsford (1988). Lunsford was recognized as the Outstanding Young Alumna for her efforts in building the Park Scholarships into one of the premier merit scholarship programs in the nation.

Lunsford oversees a $5 million annual budget and manages programmatic and academic enrichment activities for 250 scholars. In addition, she’s helped develop an application process that attracts more than 1,000 high school seniors from coast to coast each year and involves hundreds of alumni volunteers in evaluating their eligibility.

Above: Laura Lunsford accepts the Outstanding Young Alumna Award. Behind her are Burley Mitchell, president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and Taylor Moore, president of Student Ambassadors and Students Today Alumni Tomorrow.