Alumni

Mohammad A. Alkhadra

2025 Recreation Alumni Award Recipient

Mo, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering at UC San Diego, was an active student and often utilized Recreation’s fitness gyms and facilities. Mo and his roommates, Eric Zhao and Adam Klie (who played on the UC San Diego men’s basketball team), would frequent Main Gym and RIMAC. “We pushed each other to get fit and stay in shape.” Recreation had imparted on him the desire to do something to bolster the department and the greater Triton community when he had the means to do so. With the premier San Diego weather and connection to the outdoors, Mo had always dreamed of an outdoor gym — somewhere to practice calisthenics.
Read more about Mo's impact >>>

Fiona (Kelly) Tanous

2023 Recreation Alumni Award Recipient

Fiona’s name still resonates as one of the hardest-working students during her time at UC San Diego. She wore a lot of hats, and she wore them well. Fiona has positively impacted many people’s lives, from Recreation participants and staff members to other departments on campus. “Fiona was a key employee for the development of not only UC San Diego’s Aquatic program, but also our award-winning surf and swim instruction program,” says Jason Dillon, UC San Diego Director of Aquatics.
“She's left a long-lasting legacy, and we are proud to honor that.”
Read more about Fiona's impact >>>

Albert Man

2021 Recreation Alumni Award Recipient

Albert joined the Recreation department as a coach for the lacrosse team in 1996-97, during his first year of graduate school at UC San Diego. He was the head coach from 1997-2004, assistant coach from 2005-2007, and head coach again from 2008-present. Albert has supported generations of Tritons on and off the field, and his commitment to the student experience is profound. His generous contribution along with over four decades of lacrosse alum kick started the UCSD Men’s Lacrosse Excellence Endowment that will ensure the team is supported for many more generations to come and long after he leaves.
Read more about Albert's impact >>>

PAST RECIPIENTS

Jon Sundt

2019 Recreation Alumni Award Recipient

While attending UC San Diego, Jon Sundt worked for Recreation as a Rock Climbing Instructor. He was put in charge of small groups of people for weekend Joshua Tree runs, taking charge of 6-8 beginners at a time including grad students, seniors, people who were scared of heights--the whole gambit. This environment helped him learn patience, motivation, and team-building. Jon was also a member of the Surf Team, which was all about camaraderie and competition, and he and his friends took their softball team waaaay too seriously. Jon saw Recreation on this campus as a means for students to get out of the study-test-study rut that also taught him life skills beyond academics. Since leaving UC San Diego, Jon has built and sold a few companies and is very passionate about his non-profit Natural High, that he started with a clear purpose: to educate and inspire youth, guiding them towards their natural highs and positive life choices.

Cass Lobsinger

2018 Recreation Alumni Award Recipient

When asked what UCSD Recreation means to her, Cass shared, “As a 2nd year student, I was looking for a job to make some extra spending money, and when I applied for the receptionist job, never in my wildest dreams did I think what a huge effect [the department] would have on my life. I was a good student, dedicated to my studies, but even more dedicated to UCSD Recreation. It became my home away from home. My bosses at Rec Classes, Judy White & Laurel Dean, became my segregate parents, giving me jobs as well as mentoring me on life in general… Recreation gave me two major gifts.
First, the community at UCSD Recreation was my home, it was family, fun and safe. I have lifelong friends from my years working at Recreation. Second, they allowed me as a student to grow into a young professional in the field of Recreation, which ultimately lead to another 11 years as a career [member]. Recreation is a place for students, staff, and community to add more value to their college life.”
Read more about Cass's impact >>>