Pioneers for Life: Homecoming Celebrates Achievement, Connection and Community at Point Park University Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Point Park University welcomed alumni and friends back to campus Sept. 25-27 for a memorable Homecoming weekend filled with connection, celebration and school spirit.
"It's awesome to see how much the university has grown since my days as a journalism student," said Benjamin Mount '76, who traveled from North Carolina for Homecoming. "I'm humbled to be back on campus and see the beautiful facilities."
Alumna Jocelyn Hrzic, director of dance at The Grier School, spent part of Homecoming weekend teaching a jazz class to Point Park dance students.
"Coming back to teach as an alumna is always so rewarding for me," Hrzic said. "I love being able to give back to a place that gave me so much love and made me the dancer I wanted to be. The faculty I had were such a blessing in my life."
Homecoming weekend kicked off on Friday with the Athletics Golf Outing at Quicksilver Golf Club off campus, while a variety of events took place on campus, including:
- School of Dance's Alumni Takeover, welcoming alumni who taught technique classes to dance majors.
- School of Communication's Student Media Reunion, reconnecting alumni from The Globe, WPPJ, U-View, The Calvalcade and The Pioneer.
- School of Education's Voices of Excellence in Education Speaker Series, featuring educators who shared their unique journeys to leadership, including National State Teachers of the Year Joe Welch and Maddie Loring, and part-time instructor Cindy Zurchin.
- Rowland School of Business' College Memories Panel: Why They Matter in Careers and Life, with alumni reflecting on their career journeys, the impact of their college experience and the special memories they made along the way.
- University Advancement's Headshots and Happy Hour celebrated alumni graduation milestones, with light bites and a new headshot taken by a student photographer.
Em Frawley '29, a special education major who recently transferred to Point Park, attended the Voices of Education Speaker Series in the JVH Auditorium.
"I was so excited to attend the speaker series to learn how to better my future classroom and gain different perspectives," Frawley said. "Everyone at Point Park has been so welcoming to me as a transfer student and it's a really great community here."
Homecoming festivities continued on Saturday with the Pioneer Pride Festival, Point Park's newest tradition in Village Park, featuring vendors, a DJ, the Red Bin Regatta Parade, a pep rally and more. The day concluded with the Athletics Hall of Fame Induction and Dinner at the university's Pittsburgh Playhouse.
On Sunday, the Office of University Advancement hosted an awards brunch in the Ballroom to honor the recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Awards, including:
- Melodee Bridges '02
- James Allen Manning '10
- Dr. Jah-Chant Robinson '24
- Alexa N. Tokarski-Jones '13
- Renée E. Williams '05
"Being recognized as a distinguished alumnus is an honor I'm incredibly proud of," said James Allen Manning '10, business operations and community relations manager at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. "I dedicate this acknowledgment to every professor, friend, mentor, family member and the community who has supported, inspired, challenged, believed and poured into me along the way."
Also at the brunch, Heather Starr Fiedler, Ph.D., received the Distinguished Professor Award.
"Receiving this award is truly the honor of my career," Starr Fiedler said. "I have been so fortunate to work with thousands of talented, ambitious, smart and kind students. I am so glad that I have gotten to be just a small part of their lives."
To wrap up the weekend, alumni and friends enjoyed the Pioneer men's and women's soccer doubleheader.
Stay tuned for details about Homecoming 2027.
More About: dance, alumni, School of Education, Rowland School of Business, School of Communication, athletics