West High Alumni Awards

The West High School seal includes the words “Non Nobis Solum,” Latin for “not for ourselves alone.” Derived from the Roman philosopher Cicero’s On Duties, the phrase stresses the belief that individuals should contribute to society for the greater good of humanity, not just for their own interests.

A key part of the West High Alumni Association’s mission is honoring alumni and individuals in our community who embody this phrase and another West High motto, “Home of Scholars and Champions.” Through our annual Alumni Awards, we honor individuals who embody this commitment to these ideals in their life and work, and demonstrate the role West High plays in preparing its students to make a difference in the community and the world.

You are invited to help identify those alumni and friends of West High who should be recognized for making outstanding contributions to their professional fields, for their dedication to volunteer endeavors, and for their ongoing support of West High School.

Whether it’s an alumna/us who is already making a difference early in their career, someone who bleeds red and black, or an individual who has a sustained record of community service, we’d like to know about them!

The nomination period for the 2021 Alumni Awards is now open. The deadline to submit a nomination is Tuesday, March 15, 2021.

Submit a Nomination >

Application

Award Descriptions

West High Alumni Awards recognize individuals whose accomplishments, service and commitment embody the spirit of West High School. The awards honor and celebrate those who have made a positive impact through their lives on West High, their communities or their professional fields.

OPEN AWARDS

Each year, the WHAA welcomes nominations from West High alumni, friends, family and community members for the following awards.

Alumni of the Year:

The Alumni of the Year Award is given to alumni who have made outstanding contributions in one or more of the following ways:

Exceptional accomplishment in their professional field.
Exceptional service in local, state, national or international affairs.
Exceptional service in support of the advancement and continued excellence of West High School or the greater West High community.

The award is presented to recipients during Homecoming Week.

View previous winners >

Panther in the Community:

The Panther in the Community Award is given to alumni who have made outstanding contributions in one or more of the following ways:

Exceptional service in the public, nonprofit or education sectors
Sustained pattern of volunteer service in the community, or service to the arts
Demonstrated passion for strengthening communities through learning, scholarship, service and/or advocacy.

The award is presented to recipients during Homecoming Week.

View previous winners >

Honorary Alumni Award:

The Honorary Alumni Award is presented to individuals who did not attend or graduate West High School, but who has provided exceptional service to West High School or the West High community.

The award is presented to recipients during Homecoming Week.

View previous winners >

Young Alumni Award (new):

The Young Alumni Award is presented to alumni who are 30 years of age or younger and already show a commitment to make an impact in their community or professional field in one or more of the following ways:

Identified as an emerging leader through their professional and/or community achievements
Demonstrated a commitment to giving back to West High School or the greater West High community.

The award is presented to recipients during Homecoming Week.

This award was introduced in 2019. There are no previous winners.

Athletics Hall of Fame:

The Athletics Hall of Fame Award is presented to alumni who meet one or more of the following criteria:

Outstanding accomplishment as an athlete while a student at West High School
Outstanding accomplishment in collegiate, professional or other athletics since high school graduation
Outstanding accomplishment as a coach or other athletics staff member of West High (must not be current)
Exemplary service in the athletics industry as an athlete, coach or another leader in the industry

This award is presented to recipients during Homecoming Week.

View previous winners >

BOARD OF DIRECTOR AWARDS

These awards are awarded at the discretion of the WHAA Board of Directors to individuals who have made exceptional accomplishments or brought distinction to West High School.

Lifetime Achievement Award:

This award is the highest honor bestowed by the West High Alumni Association and is given to alumni who have reached the pinnacle of their career and has brought distinction to themselves and West High School through exceptional accomplishments through each the following areas:

Business or professional life
Community affairs at local, state, national or international level
Sustained support of the advancement and continued excellence of West High School

This award is not given in recognition of a single remarkable achievement, but rather is reserved for those alumni who have attained and maintained extremely high stations in their careers or in their service to society.

The award need not be awarded on an annual basis.

The award is presented to recipients during Homecoming Week.

This award may be presented posthumously.

President’s Award:

This award is given to individuals who have demonstrated lifetime commitment to West High School and has served the school or brought distinction to the school in one or more of the following ways:

Exceptional service to the school, alumni association, or other community groups affiliated with the school community
Exceptional accomplishment that has brought distinction to West High School

The award need not be awarded on an annual basis. Individuals do not need to be alumni of West High School.

The President’s Award is presented to recipients during Homecoming Week.

This award may be presented posthumously.

View previous winners >

Eligibility

General Criteria (unless otherwise noted)

Must have obtained a degree from West High School or attended for enough time to establish a meaningful connection West High School. (Exception: Honorary Alumni)
Current West High Alumni Association board members are not eligible for consideration.
Awards are not presented in absentia*
With the exception of WHAA Board of Director Awards, awards are not given posthumously.
A nominee who is unable to accept the award in a given year will be invited to accept the following year, at the discretion of the alumni association. If he/she is unable to accept the award in the second year, he/she will remain in consideration for subsequent years but will not be automatically selected.
All nominations will remain active/in consideration for three years.
Awards may be withdrawn by the selection committee for any cause which reflects poorly upon the school or alumni association.
Nominees cannot have previously received an award in the category for which the nomination is submitted. However, previous award winners may be nominated for a different category. It is recommended to allow more than five years to pass before nominating a candidate again for another category.
Nominees may be individuals or families.

*Except under extenuating circumstances

Nomination Guidelines

Selection Process

The Alumni Association solicits nominations for the awards from all members of the West High community on an annual basis.
Nominations can be made by anyone, including alumni wishing to nominate themselves
A committee of Alumni Board members reviews the submitted materials and selects those candidates who are deemed most deserving of recognition and whose achievements most closely fit the category for which they have been nominated.
The committee often invites consulting members to assist in its deliberations. All deliberations are kept confidential.
The selection committee reserves the right to grant an award for a candidate in the category best deemed to fit the individual.
The Board of Directors will select one (1) winner per award category each year.

Confidentiality

All deliberations by the nomination review board are kept confidential.

How to Write a Nomination

Read the awards criteria and eligibility requirements before making your recommendations.
Please note that some awards have a separate set of eligibility criteria.
A candidate may be nominated for more than one award category, and the selection committee reserves the right to grant an award for which the candidate has not been nominated.

When submitting a nomination, follow these guidelines:

Check the list of award winners to make sure your candidate has not already won an award in the category you are submitting a nomination for.
Review the questions to be answered for each award category and suggestions about supporting letters below.
Contact other alumni or individuals who would like to support your nominee; they can further strengthen your nomination by making their own. Ask them to submit a written letter of support to [email protected], or they can fill in the nomination form.
Keep all nominations confidential.

Required Materials

A complete nomination includes the following documents:

Completed nomination form
Letter of nomination from the nominator

Supplementary and Additional Materials

Though not required, the selection committee encourages you to submit additional supporting materials to help illustrate the scope of your candidate’s achievements.

A strong nomination includes multiple letters (two or more are recommended) and documents of support, including press and biographical information on the nominee. Examples include résumés, CVs, book reviews, news articles, etc.

The quality of the information given is more important than the relative prominence of the writer. Possible contacts include professional colleagues, former students, friends, or fellow volunteers. Letters that comment knowledgeably on the impact of the individual’s specific achievements are the most important and helpful. Please share the criteria for the award and the suggested list of questions found in the nomination form with those who are writing letters in support of your candidate.

Note: Supplementary materials may be emailed or mailed separately from nomination, but must be received or postmarked by the call for nominations deadline. Additionally, letters of support should clearly identify which nominee the letter is supporting.

How to Submit a Nomination

Submitting Your Nomination

Your nomination may be submitted in one of the following ways:

Complete the online nomination form with letter of nomination
Download and complete the Nomination Form (PDF) using Adobe Acrobat/Reader, then email form and letter of nomination to the Alumni Association at [email protected]
Download and complete the Nomination Form (PDF) using Adobe Acrobat/Reader, then mail the completed form, along with letter of nomination, to: