The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Office of Communications will introduce its inaugural A&M Magazine 40 Under 40 honorees as part of the 2023 Homecoming: The Experience festivities.
The sold-out event is scheduled for Friday, October 27 in the School of Architecture and Engineering Technology North Atrium of the Walter Smith Building, 1938 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Doors open at 5 p.m. The program begins at 6 p.m.
“Homecoming is the perfect time to recognize our alumni who have raised the bar and are making a difference in their respective fields,” said Director of the Office of Communications Keith Miles. “That these 40 alumni have made their mark before reaching age 40 is impressive.”
Among the honorees are Rep. Gallop Franklin II, who represents parts of Leon and Gadsden counties in the Florida House of Representatives; Jeffery Jenkins, who hosts “Never Say Never” on National Geographic; Tim Vidale, Ph.D., a physical therapist for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens; Kamelah Muhammad, who manages social responsibility and HBCU outreach for the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Other honorees include Brandi Denise Boyd, a social worker turned stand-up comedian, actor and writer who can be seen on Starz’ Power and Power Book II: Ghost; Bethany Brown, director of Genentech, Texas Healthcare; and Amir Windom, Grammy Award-winning record & entertainment executive, film and television producer and music supervisor.
Vincent Evans, executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus; Rachel Gibson,
assistant chief deputy U.S. Marshal: and awarding winning actress Naderah Munajj are also among the 40 honorees.
“Rattlers keep breaking barriers, setting new standards, and transforming their communities in education, law, politics, healthcare, design, media, you name it,” said the introduction to the group in the fall issue of A&M Magazine. “What sets this group apart is that they are making a difference at an age when many of their contemporaries are still trying to decide how to make a living.”
Following a call for nominations, the Office of Communications received more than 150 submissions involving 81 outstanding alumni under 40 years old.
“We are awed by the accomplishments of these Rattlers. The biggest problem was omitting or overlooking deserving candidates,” the staff wrote. “All the nominees are worthy candidates for the list. And many amazing Rattlers were not even nominated. In the coming years, we hope to finetune the process. We hope that more of the Rattler nation will become engage so the list becomes a gold standard, and even more people will aspire to be named and honored.”
During the event, four alumni, David Castro, Melissa Mitchell, Andrea Nunn, and Elijah Rutland, who were featured on the magazine cover will be recognized.
Themed, “Forever Rattlers: A Timeless Tradition,” FAMU Homecoming 2023 kicks off on October 21 with the screening of a drive-in movie. Thousands of alumni, supporters and fans are expected to converge on Tallahassee for the festivities.
For more information visit www.homecomingatfamu.com