Galloway, N.J. – Stockton University alumni were recognized for their leadership, volunteerism and profound impact at the annual Alumni Achievement Awards June 18. 

“Thank you for showing the world what it means to be an Osprey, not just in name, but in purpose. We’re proud to recognize you, celebrate you and weave your story into Stockton University’s story,” said Scott Francis ‘98, the event emcee. 

Throughout the evening, honorees were invited to the stage to receive their award from last year’s recipients and share remarks, beginning with Andrea Sandoval ’25 presenting this year’s Future Leaders Awards to 2026 graduates Alexander Eckmeder and Ahnjeles Maldonado.  

A common thread thamong the recipients was a deep appreciation for their years at Stockton and the community they built as students and continued to foster after graduation.  

Ryan McCarthy ‘16 accepted the Campus Partner Award on behalf of Stockton’s Facilities and Operations department.  

“This recognition belongs to the entire team of Facilities and Operations, who support our campus every day. Their dedication makes us a strong and reliable community partner and ensures we deliver exceptional service across all areas,” McCarthy said.  

Allison Gainer ’16 and Bonnie Eckstein-Medvetz ’02 shared how the people they met and befriended, and the lessons they learned at Stockton, still resonate in their day-to-day lives.  

“I would like to thank Ruben Britt and Beverly Vaughn. Even though I never had her as a professor, (Vaughn) would always greet me in the hallways with kindness and tell me that I’m ‘capable of so much more.’ I took that, and I ran with it, bringing what Stockton offered me to my role at Rowan University, and I hope to continue to do so,” Gainer, recipient of the GOLD Alumni Award, said.  

“They weren’t just classes or campus experiences I had – they were the building blocks of the leader that I would later become,” Professional Service Award recipient Eckstein-Medvetz said of her experience in the Criminal Justice program. “I want to thank my professors who challenged me, my mentors who guided me and the community that shaped me long before I truly knew how much I would rely upon it.”  

Following their time at Stockton, Pam Cross ’81 and John Cash, Jr. ’91 have become respected role models in their communities. 

Despite retiring from Stockton’s Writing Center, Cross, who received the Harvey Kesselman Alumni Impact Award, still makes an impact on the campus and local community. In addition to the students she helped and mentored over the years, Cross is a part of the Stockton Foundation’s Scholarship Selection Committee and has recently become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).

Cash, this year’s recipient of the Alumni Volunteer Award, shared how transferring to Stockton, getting involved on campus and meeting his fraternity brothers shaped his personal growth and inspired him to create avenues for the students he teaches.  

“Ricky (Epps-Kearney ‘88) and Edward (Marshall ‘92) taught me that being seen as a role model is not about being perfect, which is fortunate because I had already eliminated that possibility,” Cash said. “It's about being responsible, visible, accountable and wanting to serve something larger than yourself.” 

When presenting the Presidential Service Award to Julio Morgan Gillis, Stockton President Joe Bertolino shared the 2004 alum’s story of resilience and success.  

Following the untimely passing of his mother during his teen years, Morgan Gillis was adopted by Marty Gillis, a McDonald’s owner and operator who gave him his first job. At Stockton, he pursued his degree in Computer Information Systems and took advantage of the opportunities available to him.  

Today, he is a second-generation owner and operator, chief operating officer of the Gillis Organization and a dedicated supporter of Stockton through a scholarship benefitting first-generation students.  

“That is not just generosity: that is a full-circle moment. A student who was shaped by opportunity is now creating opportunity for others. That is how legacy works,” said Bertolino. “You remind us that success is not just what we achieve. It is who we bring with us, who we invest in, and whose lives are better because we showed up.”  

“Service is not just a title, position, or what you do when people are watching,” Morgan Gillis said during his speech. “Service is what you do when you understand that your life is connected to other people's lives. Service is using whatever influence, experience, resources or voice you have to make things better for someone else. Stockton taught me that. My family and my mentors helped teach me that. And my journey has reinforced it over and over again.”