Stratford Alumni Award Nominations
The Stratford Alumni Association awards two recognitions at commencement honoring alumni of the school. The Distinguished Alumnus Award for Outstanding Career Achievement and the Alumni Service Award both were inaugurated in 1986 and all graduates
of Stratford Academy are eligible for these awards.
If you know an alumnus(a) deserving of recognition, please consider nominating them below.
Alumni Awards
Distinguished Alumnus Award for
Outstanding Career Achievement
The Distinguished Alumnus Award goes to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution through his/her vocation or who otherwise deserves to be recognized for outstanding achievement in some field or endeavor. Alumni in the fields of law, medicine, education, business, ministry and the arts have been recognized for their career achievements and excelling in their chosen fields by making a difference in the world around them.
Alumni Service
Award
The Alumni Service Award was created to recognize service to Stratford Academy by its alumni. Volunteer service to the school has been an important part of our growth and success, and our alumni have always been a critical source of this kind of volunteer service.
Nomination Forms
divider
Alumni Awards
![A woman in a maroon shirt and black glasses smiling.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1777640356/stratfordacademy/fxeletmmkwcjb2koarzf/GinnySmithYounce.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1777640356/stratfordacademy/fxeletmmkwcjb2koarzf/GinnySmithYounce.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1777640356/stratfordacademy/fxeletmmkwcjb2koarzf/GinnySmithYounce.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1777640356/stratfordacademy/fxeletmmkwcjb2koarzf/GinnySmithYounce.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1777640356/stratfordacademy/fxeletmmkwcjb2koarzf/GinnySmithYounce.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1777640356/stratfordacademy/fxeletmmkwcjb2koarzf/GinnySmithYounce.jpg","width":2200}])
The 2026 recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award is Ginny Smith Younce ’98, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Penguin Press/Penguin Random House. The Distinguished Alumna Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their field and a meaningful impact on the world around them. As a respected leader in the publishing industry, Ginny has helped bring some of the most influential voices and ideas of our time to readers across the country.
Past Alumni Award Winners
Alumni News
What does it take to rise in leadership and stay grounded through constant change? Mark Hatcher shares how purpose, patience, and learning the business behind the numbers shaped his path to Vice President of Finance at Blue Bird Corporation—plus the “scenic route” detour that taught him lessons he still uses today.
Madison James '21 is making her mark in commercial construction management—juggling budgets, timelines, and teams from the first plan to the final walkthrough. See how she stays calm under pressure, leads with clear communication, and what advice she has for today’s Stratford students.
Ellie Peterson ’18 is making her mark in veterinary medicine through innovative orthopedic research that merges technology and compassion for animals.