Four noteworthy Linfield University alumni will be celebrated during 2024 Homecoming Weekend, held Oct. 11-12. Lance Lopes ’85, Desi Shubin ’96, Kerry Carmody ’73 and Miriam Vargas Corona ’14 will be honored as the year’s alumni award winners during the Linfield’s Finest celebration, a Homecoming-weekend tradition.
The Linfield’s Finest banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 in Nicholson Library. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from those who know the winners best while enjoying food, wine and the company of the Linfield community. There is no cost, but registration is recommended. See the full 2024 Homecoming schedule on Linfield.edu.
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2024 Alumni Award winners:
Outstanding Young Alumnus: Miriam Vargas Corona ’14
Alumni Service Award: Kerry Carmody ’73
Distinguished Nursing Alumnus of the Year: Desi Shubin ’96
Distinguished Alumnus of the Year: Lance Lopes ’85
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Miriam Vargas Corona ’14: Outstanding Young Alumnus
Linfield University is an increasingly popular choice for first-generation students to pursue their degrees. Miriam Vargas Corona is an extraordinary example of this trend. Born in Michoacán, Mexico, she immigrated to the United States at the age of nine months, and grew up in Dayton, Oregon.
Her experience as an undocumented immigrant in a mixed-status family fueled her advocacy for the Latino immigrant community. Today, she serves as executive director of Unidos Bridging Community, the primary nonprofit in Yamhill County serving the immigrant population through advocacy, education and social service support.
Read Miriam’s story on Voices of Linfield, then hear her own words at her Distinguished Young Alumni presentation, 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 in T.J. Day Hall room 219. There is no cost, but registration is recommended.
Kerry Carmody ’73: Alumni Service Award
Kerry Carmody ’73 has been passionate about Linfield for more than 50 years. His commitment to Linfield and its mission made him the ideal recipient of this year’s Alumni Service Award. He served on a number of committees for Linfield College before he was asked to join the Linfield College Board of Trustees, a position he held for 15 years before retiring in 2023. In gratitude for his service, he was granted the title Emeritus Trustee.
Carmody was also the chair of Spark Wonder, the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in Linfield’s history. His efforts made the W.M. Keck Science Complex possible, not only through fundraising but also the design and development processes. Read Kerry’s full story on Voices of Linfield
Desi (Neely) Shubin ’96: Distinguished Nursing Alumnus
Desi Shubin’s leadership began soon after she graduated the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing in 1996: She began as director of patient care services for Legacy Health, attained her Master of Science in Nursing from Loyola University New Orleans, then became chief nursing officer at McMinnville’s Willamette Valley Medical Center. She is now chief operating officer for McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield. Despite the demands of leadership, she remains deeply involved in the American Organization of Nurse Leaders. She also has given a number of academic presentations on the pursuit of excellence within the nursing community.
As one of her nominators for the alumni award said, “She makes a difference wherever she goes in, whatever she does.” Read Desi’s story on Voices of Linfield.
Lance Lopes ’85: 2024 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year
Leveraging his skills as a lawyer, Lopes has forged a career of firsts in the sports business that has spanned more than 30 years across multiple teams and leagues. Starting as the first general counsel for the Green Bay Packers at just 30 years old, he rose to senior positions with the Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders, Washington Huskies and, currently, the Seattle Kraken. He was part of the original management team that started the Sounders, and he also was the first employee of the start-up that would become Stubhub.
Read Lance’s story on Voices of Linfield, then hear his own words at his Distinguished Alumnus presentation, 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 in T.J. Day Hall 222. Lopes will speak on his journey from a two-stoplight town in rural Nevada to the boardrooms of the NFL, MLS and NHL. There is no cost, but registration is recommended.
