As a snow squall blasted through New York City on January 30, 200 Fordham alumni and friends gathered at New York City’s iconic Tavern on the Green for the inaugural Alumni Recognition Reception.
The Fordham University Alumni Association—which was created in 2017 to help connect alumni from all of Fordham’s schools to the University and to each other—organized the event to celebrate all alumni volunteers and honor two, in particular: Morgan Vazquez, FCRH ’13, received the first Trailblazer Award, and Dennis Kenny, FCRH ’57, LAW ’61, was named Ram of the Year. It was the group’s second annual reception, but the first time these biennial awards have been presented.
When Vazquez accepted her award, she joked about her deep love for Fordham. “If I have a plan over the weekend, 90 percent of the time it has to do with Fordham,” she laughed. “If I tell someone a story, 95 percent of the time it has to do with Fordham.”
She thanked her fellow alumni volunteers for helping her create a Fordham community she and others could be a part of even after graduation, and she became emotional as she shared her gratitude for Stephen Freedman, Ph.D., Fordham’s late provost, who she said was a huge part of her Fordham experience and a source of inspiration to her.
Kenny thanked his wife of 62 years, fellow Ram Judy Kenny, GSE ’86, and spoke about the great joy his role as a mentor has brought him. “There’s no better way to give back to the University that has bestowed an education on you,” he said.
As the Ram of the Year, Kenny also shared some of the mascot’s history with attendees—from its birth as part of a cheer during an 1893 football game through the years a real ram lived on campus until the version we know today. “The Ram is a proud symbol of all things Fordham,” he said. “Thank you, all Rams and friends of Rams, for this award.”
