University Announces Homecoming Banquet Honorees for 2020

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The National Islander Alumni Association and Islanders Athletics at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi proudly announce their award honorees for the 2020 Homecoming Honors Banquet, taking place Friday, Feb. 28, in the University Center, Anchor Ballroom.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of Honor Inductions will be presented to alumni that evening as part of the Homecoming 2020 festivities which will run from Feb. 24-29.

“Our University is always alive with Islander spirit during Homecoming,” said Russell Wagner, Executive Director of the National Alumni Association. “Aside from the exciting events where our current students and alumni come together, it is always great to celebrate our alumni who are out there making a difference.”

Homecoming is a way for alumni, current students and future Islanders to come together and celebrate the success of our Island University.

“Every day, we have the privilege of hearing about the inspiring things our Islanders do, both as students and once they leave these shores,” continued Wagner. “This year again, we are joined by some amazing individuals that make our Island University a pretty special place.”

In addition to the Homecoming 2020 festivities, Islanders Athletics will also honor an individual who helped lay the foundation of success for future Islander student athletes.

“Brianna Brink is one of the most accomplished volleyball players in the history of our program. She holds several program records and was a leader on and off the court. I am thrilled to welcome her as the first former volleyball student-athlete to be inducted into our Hall of Honor,” said Athletics Director Jon Palumbo. 

The 2020 Homecoming Honors Banquet is open to the public and tickets can be purchased at islanderalumni.org/store. Ticket prices begin at $35, with tables of eight priced at $350.

The 2020 recipients include:

Distinguished Alumni Awards

• Distinguished Alumnus: Larry Mills ’77 – Executive Vice President for San Antonio-based HOLT Companies. Mills is responsible for leading the strategic planning, marketing, leadership development and organizational development for HOLT. He has served as a guest lecturer for TAMU-CC’s College of Business Russell Kirkland Distinguished Lecture Series. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the San Antonio Spurs.
• Outstanding Alumnus: Christine Salch ’84 – Founding partner of CPA firm Swank, Salch & Henderson, P.C. Salch is a proud Islander who makes an effort to hire TAMU-CC graduates, and lends her talents to community foundations and boards.
• Young Alumnus Award: Mayra Viviana Zamora ’10, ’14 – Zamora is a freelance artist and instructor for the Art Museum of South Texas, Antonio E. Garcia Arts & Education Center, K Space Contemporary and Art Center of Corpus Christi. Her artwork, which highlights her love for her Mexican heritage, is displayed in venues throughout Corpus Christi.

Athletic Hall of Honor Inductions

• Brianna Brink ’15, ’17 – Played volleyball from 2011-2015. Brink was the first TAMU-CC player to earn All-American accolades and set the career record for the most kills in volleyball school history at 1,392 kills. She also participated in the inaugural beach volleyball season at TAMU-CC. She is now a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology for the Corpus Christi Independent School District.

For a full list of all alumni-related Homecoming events, visit www.islanderalumni.org/Homecoming; or call 361.825.5787.