Pierce College is proud to announce the selection of four exceptional former students to honor during this year’s Distinguished Alumni celebration. Nominees are carefully selected based on their achievements in academics, business, community or humanitarian support, or personal triumph over adversity. This year’s honorees provide inspirational examples of the impact Pierce College can have on students and the community.
Pierce College’s 2021 Distinguished Alumni are: Frances Davis, United States Probation and Parole Officer, retired; Caleb Dogeagle, Solicitor General for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe; Samuel Lyon, US Army Officer and Harvard Medical School, M.D. Candidate, Class of 2022; and Nikki Zuraff, Former Owner, Aveda Salon and Client Service Specialist at Columbia Bank.
Join us on April 8 to celebrate our 2021 Distinguished Alumni! The Pierce College Foundation will honor these Distinguished Alumni during a virtual awards ceremony and presentation on April 8 at 4 p.m.
Registration is open now. We hope you can join us!
Meet the 2021 Distinguished Alumni:
Fran Davis
Since she was a child, this Pierce College alum made it her life’s mission to reach her goal of becoming a federal agent. She pursued her dream by enrolling in Pierce College’s Criminal Justice program and continued her education at Central Washington University. Although it was not always easy to pursue a career in a male-dominated field, she ultimately became the first African American female federal probation and parole field officer.
Caleb Dogeagle
Caleb Dogeagle currently lives in Minnesota where he is the Solicitor General for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota. Caleb previously worked as a law clerk for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and as the supervising attorney for the Three Affiliated Tribes in North Dakota.
Samuel Lyon
Samuel Lyon’s career path is full of leadership roles and accomplishments, including his experience as a United States Army Officer with over 11 years of service and three tours in Afghanistan. His service overseas motivated Samuel to pursue a medical career. Samuel earned 37 credits towards his medical school prerequisites at Pierce College at JBLM to prepare him for acceptance into Harvard Medical School.
Nikki Jackola-Zuraff
Nikki Jackola-Zuraff earned her Associate in Business and Associate in Administrative Assistant Medical Billing degrees from Pierce College, as well as six additional certificates in Management. Nikki currently serves our community in countless ways by helping local non-profits with business, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for local high school music programs, athletic programs, churches, food banks, non-profit day cares, Pierce College scholarships and more.
Reprinted, with permission, from the Pierce College website.
