Meet the Dallas College 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees

What do an executive banker, a Navy veteran, an educator, a civic leader and a nonprofit champion have in common? You might think it’s career alignment or a dedication to a larger cause, and for some, that is the case, but the ultimate invisible string lining their way intersects at their starting point: Dallas College. This fall, they’re coming back together to be recognized for how far the red, silver and blue path has taken them in their careers on this ride we call life.

On Nov. 4, Dallas College Foundation will recognize Effie Dennison, Juan Preciado, Dr. Kimberly Thornton, Byron Sanders and Rosa Linda Ramirez at the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards at Coppell Arts Center. Their careers span different fields, but each honoree has turned their lived experience into giving back and has advanced work rooted in providing opportunities, strengthening communities and opening doors for the people coming behind them.

For Effie Dennison, that impact has meant using a career in banking, real estate and economic development to bring investment into communities that have historically been overlooked. During her time at Dallas College, a real estate class and a mentor changed her life. She had moved to Dallas while her husband attended SMU, and because they couldn’t both afford to attend SMU, she worked full time and enrolled at North Lake Campus. A lightbulb moment happened in that North Lake classroom. She realized that this was the path she wanted to follow, and her career kicked off in commercial real estate. She’s shaped Black communities in South Dallas and has worked alongside executives who are shaping the city. Her story moves beyond the dollars invested and projects completed. Mentorship has remained a throughline in her career, with Dennison continuing to work alongside organizations that focus on empowering women and girls of color, such as the Texas Woman’s Foundation. Her guidance of others, just as her professors at Dallas College poured into her, is a reminder to always pay it forward and help guide the way.

Public service is at the heart of Juan Preciado’s story. It was instilled in him from a young age, when his mom made sure the library and local parks were always at the top of the list of things to do. His family ties to public service only deepened his love for the community. His sisters all work in public education, and his brother is a Marine. After a year at Dallas College, Juan realized he needed discipline in his life and left the college. He walked into a United States Navy recruiting office and enlisted two weeks later. Years later, after becoming Sailor of the Year and leading a crew of 15 sailors, he returned to Dallas College — only to learn his earlier 1.0 GPA had landed him on academic probation, a shocking realization that he needed to turn things around. And that he did. The second time around, Preciado earned a 4.0, made the President’s List and found a mentor he still calls for career advice today. Dallas College also became a place where he found community as he navigated the difficult transition from military to civilian life. After Dallas College, he found himself at SMU, with a degree in political science and public policy. Through his work with Dallas city government, he continues to show up for his city, his fellow veterans and his neighborhood. He serves on the Veteran Affairs Commission, as president of his neighborhood association and as vice president of his local park board. His path is a reminder that success doesn’t always happen in a straight line. Sometimes things shift, and often, they circle back to where your path began.

For Dr. Kimberly Thornton, education and entrepreneurship became both a career and a lifelong calling. An Oak Cliff native, Thornton would babysit young children after school and on weekends starting at age 12. She played “school” with her dolls and imagined the possibilities of life. Early on, she knew, and dreams of becoming a teacher echoed in her mind.

Thornton, the first in her family to attend college, began her journey at El Centro and has spent more than four decades taking that passion from the classroom into curriculum development, research, entrepreneurship and international education. For years she ran Orange Moon Academic Preschool in Oak Cliff. She rode the bus downtown because she didn’t have a car, waking up at 4:30 a.m. to catch buses to Texas Woman’s University. That determination eventually took her from the classroom to the creative team behind Barney, where she served as an educational researcher, then to opening Orange Moon, teaching overseas and, more than 40 years later, returning to Dallas College to help prepare the next generation of educators. Her muse through it all? Erykah Badu.

Then there’s Byron Sanders, whose connection to Dallas College started at a moment when he needed somewhere to take his next step. He needed someone to believe in him. You see, for Sanders, Dallas College represents something deeply personal: a second chance. After being expelled from SMU, other colleges weren’t willing to hear Sanders’ story, but Richland Campus gave him an opportunity to enroll and put one foot in front of the other. While on campus, he received the call that another university was willing to give him a chance; he eventually transferred to the University of Tulsa and became student body president. Today, despite belonging to several alumni communities, Sanders said there’s one college ring he chooses to wear — his Dallas College ring. That experience continues to shape his work expanding opportunity for young people and his belief that success is never achieved alone. Sanders has gone on to lead youth serving organizations, build businesses such as Arete Health and serve as a Dallas ISD trustee, but the thread connecting it all has remained the same. Day by day, he’s making sure young people have access to opportunity regardless of where they come from.

Rosa Linda Ramirez rounds out this year’s class with a career centered on bringing people together. Through her nonprofit leadership, she has created programs and spaces that support veterans, seniors and underserved communities while making connection itself part of the mission. What began with just a few veterans grew into a community so large that the gathering eventually moved to Dallas College West Campus. Ramirez remembers watching veterans bring food, swap stories and begin supporting one another without needing a complicated program to make it happen. For Ramirez, the work is personal, too, given her family’s habit of giving Christmas baskets to veterans for roughly 35 years before that tradition grew into The Last Patrol, a nonprofit Ramirez cofounded that went from serving dozens of people to distributing around 1,000 baskets during the pandemic.

Their stories show the ripple effect that can begin with access to education and grow into decades of leadership, service and impact.

Dallas College Foundation and the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards will bring the Dallas College community together Nov. 4 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Coppell Arts Center to celebrate this year’s honorees and the impact they continue to make across North Texas and beyond. Come ready for the red carpet and an evening celebrating some of Dallas College’s standout alumni. Get your tickets here. 

See you there!