Jason Thompson ’08
After becoming one of the most decorated players in Rider men’s basketball history, Jason Thompson ’08 went on to enjoy a 14-year professional career, including eight years in the NBA, primarily with the Sacramento Kings. He was the first Rider player ever selected in the first round, being drafted 12th in the 2008 NBA Draft. His career included stints with the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors before continuing internationally, where he won championship titles in both the Chinese Basketball Association and the Euro League.
Following his professional career, Thompson has focused on coaching and philanthropy. He is an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards’ G League team, the Capital City Go-Go, after previously serving in the same role for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat’s G League affiliate, and as a player development coach for Rider men’s basketball for two seasons. In 2010, he founded The Jason Thompson Foundation in memory of his cousin, Tiffany Carroll, who passed away from heart disease. The organization is dedicated to creating healthy lifestyles for children and young adults through programming and special events. Thompson also donated and oversaw the construction of his hometown’s first NBA-regulation basketball court, giving youth in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, a space to play, connect and grow.
“Rider University gave me the foundation to chase my dreams and the belief that anything is possible with hard work and faith. To be recognized by the place that shaped me — both as an athlete and as a person — means more than words can express.”
– JASON THOMPSON
Fatima Heyward ’15
Fatima Heyward ’15 has held a number of public service roles and made history for many of them. Most recently, she was elected president of Young Democrats of America (YDA) — only the second Black woman to hold the title — and reelected president of New Jersey Young Democrats, having served for more than five years as its first Black female president. Appointed by Governor Phil Murphy, Heyward serves as the youngest commissioner on the New Jersey Amistad Commission, whose mission is to promote a more comprehensive implementation of educational awareness programs regarding the African slave trade, slavery in America and the many contributions Africans have made to American society.
Additionally, she is the president emeritus and co-founder of the South Jersey Young Democrats Black Caucus, Emerging Leaders Caucus chair for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, first vice chair for the YDA Association of Chartered Unit Presidents, executive board member for the Gloucester County NAACP and advisory committee member for the Bipartisan Coalition of Women's Appointments within the Center for American Women and Politics. She is also currently pursuing her Executive MBA at Howard University.
Jeffrey M. Hermann ’03
Jeffrey M. Hermann is the Chairman and CEO of Hermann Services, Inc., a fourth-generation family business founded in 1927 that has grown into a leading logistics and transportation company under his visionary leadership. A graduate of Rider University and Rutgers Business School's Executive MBA Program, Hermann has demonstrated exceptional business acumen throughout his 20-plus-year career, rising from an entry-level management position in the company's Texas office to the helm of the organization. His strategic leadership has successfully navigated the company through challenging economic uncertainties, supply chain disruptions, and global market shifts, while consistently driving growth and innovation.
Beyond his corporate achievements, Hermann is a passionate advocate for community development and charitable giving, exemplifying the principle that successful business leadership extends far beyond profit margins. Through Hermann Cares, the company's charitable arm that he founded in 2009, he has directed over $200,000 annually to support organizations including Toys for Tots, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Wreaths Across America.
Dr. Evelyn Campbell ’16
Dr. Evelyn Campbell ’16 is a scientist, scholar, educator and artist. Her foundation for service was built as a biology student at Rider, where she was an active member of the Black Student Union, the Leadership Development Program and the Science Learning Community. As she continued her education, earning her Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of Chicago, she taught STEM at a local nonprofit, volunteered at science fairs and led public lectures for families on microbiology and public health on the South Side of Chicago. After earning her doctorate, she carried this mission forward by creating transformative, STEM learning experiences for hundreds of K-12, undergraduate, graduate and non-traditional students across Chicago and the nation. Her work was not just about increasing access; it was about reimagining who gets to belong in science.
Campbell is the founder of Impactus Research & Consulting, a data analytics and evaluation consulting firm that helps social impact organizations strengthen their ability to use data meaningfully. She also lends her leadership to the Forman Acton Foundation, a nonprofit rooted in her hometown of Salem, New Jersey, where she helps inspire and empower the next generation of young leaders.
“I believe education is a tool for collective healing. The way that I teach is the way that I love and the way that I amplify light in others. If we want a society of more empathic leaders and critical thinkers, we need to remember this. Winning this award affirms that the work that I do is valued and helps me to keep going.”
– EVELYN CAMPBELL
Scott Ruskan ’21
Scott Ruskan ’21 made international news last year when he rescued nearly 200 people from deadly flood waters that ravaged central Texas. It was his first official mission as a U.S. Coast Guard swimmer and petty officer. Ruskan was the only triage coordinator at the scene of Camp Mystic, an all-girls camp located along the Guadalupe River, which rose 20 feet in two hours. For his efforts, Ruskan has been praised as an “American hero” by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and received a number of awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal from the military, a Mighty 25 award, which honors those in the military community who have gone above and beyond, and a House resolution for his service.
He began his professional career with the U.S. Coast Guard in 2021, after graduating from Rider with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in accounting and competing as a distance runner for the University’s Division I men’s track and field team. In 2020, Ruskan’s enlistment ceremony for the Coast Guard was held on Rider’s campus.
Dr. Michelle Kwok ’22
Dr. Michelle Kwok is a conductor, singer and music educator from Hong Kong, currently based in Virginia. She was named the second runner-up of the 2024 American Prize in Conducting: The Dale Warland Award. Kwok has led performances in Italy, the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Previous appointments include director of the Indiana University Chorale and treble ensemble Pro Cantare, and assistant conductor of the Westminster Schola Cantorum & Chapel Choir. Kwok is an active adjudicator and clinician. She is the co-founder and artistic director of the award-winning community choir, Fluente Chorus.
Kwok currently serves as the artistic director of the Williamsburg Choral Guild and as a visiting assistant teaching professor at The College of William & Mary. Kwok received her Doctor of Music in Choral Conducting from Indiana University, her Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College (with distinction) and degrees from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and holds both the LRSM and DipABRSM (distinction) Diploma in Voice.
“It is a great honor and joy to receive this award. Westminster has played an irreplaceable role in shaping me as the musician I am today, and I am deeply grateful to my teachers for their guidance and support. I hope to pay forward what I have gained from this remarkable institution, and I sincerely wish the school continued success in all its future endeavors.”
– MICHELLE KWOK
Tanisha Anderson, non-graduating alumna 1994
WCC Merit Award
Tanisha Anderson is a three-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano and National Marian Anderson Scholar Artist who has sung throughout the East Coast and in Europe with companies such as The Crossing, Opera Philadelphia, The Princeton Festival, The Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds (Charleston, South Carolina and Spoleto, Italy), Berks Opera, Tapestry, VoxAmaDeus Ensemble, Philadelphia Symphonic Choir and New York Choral Society.
As a member of the renowned group The Crossing, under the direction of Dr. Donald Nally ’87, she performed on the recording of Gavin Bryars' The Fifth Century, which won the 2018 Grammy for Best Choral Performance, and on Lansing McCloskey’s Zealot Canticles, which won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance. She was a part of Rhiannon Giddens’ new opera, Omar, which premiered at the 2022 Spoleto USA Festival and appeared in Maestro, the biographical drama about Leonard Bernstein, starring Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan. Anderson sings with Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, VoxAmaDeus Ensemble, Marian Anderson Historical Society, Marble Church and at Trinity St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Dr. Christopher Jackson ’11
WCC Alumni Service Award
Dr. Christopher Jackson ’11 is the artistic director and conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem. He is only the seventh person to hold the position in the 128-year history of the organization, which is the oldest Bach choir in the country. Throughout his career as a conductor, educator, professional singer and scholar, he has led numerous ensembles across the United States and works frequently as a guest conductor for orchestras, choirs and festivals. His ensembles have toured China, Canada and the continental United States and have been selected to perform at multiple Pennsylvania ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) conferences.
As a core member of the Boston-based chamber choir, Skylark, he has appeared on three Grammy-nominated albums (Best Choral Performance), and also serves as the ensemble's director of education. He has performed with the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Roomful of Teeth, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Artefact Ensemble, Les Canards Chantants and Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity Lutheran, in New York City.
As a passionate Westminster Choir College alumnus, Jackson has been instrumental in recruiting new students by creating connections with high schools in the Lehigh Valley. He has also given back to current students through opportunities to perform with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and served as a conductor this spring for Westminster Choir rehearsals.