Catawba College News Service

SALISBURY — Five Catawba College graduates will receive the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Awards. Each year, Catawba’s Alumni Association recognizes alumni for their achievements, community service and other contributions to society, and presents them with awards during homecoming weekend. The recipients will receive their 2023 awards on Saturday, Oct. 28.

• Taylor Fender, class of ’14, Young Alumni Service, given to an alumnus for exceptional service to the college and community.

• Santiago “Israel” Suarez, class of ’17, Young Alumni, Career Development, given to an alumnus for quickly developing success in their career field.

• Tiffany Cox Hutchinson, class of ’07, Distinguished Alumni Career Achievement, given to an alumnus for providing leadership or attaining recognition on a national or regional level within their profession.

• Susan “Betsy” Eyster, class of ’92, Distinguished Alumni Service, given to an alumnus for providing extraordinary service to their community and demonstrating leadership to the college.

• Shirley E. Graeber, class of ’72, Catawba Black Alumni Pioneer, given to an alumnus for serving their community, distinguishing themselves in their profession, and having served the Catawba College community.

Fender is originally from Burnsville, a small mountain town. He came to Catawba to play football in 2010. Fender ended up as a four-year starter after redshirting. He majored in business administration with an accounting concentration. After Catawba, he completed his master’s in accounting at UNCC and passed the CPA exam shortly after. Fender married Caroline (Bostian) in 2019, a former swimmer at Catawba. They remained in Salisbury until Aug. 2022 when they relocated to Grenta, Virginia. In February 2023, he launched Fender CPA PLLC which specializes in tax prep and fractional CFO services for small businesses.

Suarez, a Winston-Salem native, graduated from Catawba College with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. He interned as a premed at Duke Hospital and was a research assistant at the University of Alabama. Suarez also earned his PhD in medicinal chemistry from Wake Forest University. Following graduation, he was hired at a top law firm for intellectual property law where his career in patent law began. Additionally, he has been appointed as an adjunct professor of chemistry at Wake Forest where he teaches organic chemistry lab. Shortly after, Suarez decided to pursue a law degree to help him further advance his patent law career. Suarez also serves on the board of directors for two nonprofits and on the YoungLife College team at Wake Forest, ministering to college students on campus.

Cox is a first-generation Trinidadian actress, director, writer and producer. She has been seen on regional stages such as the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and more. Select TV credits include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Dead To Me,” “Good Trouble,” and “American Horror Story” to name a few. She currently can be seen recurring on the Kerry Washington/Larry Wilmore/ Raamla Mohammed Hulu show, “Reasonable Doubt” which was renewed for season two, and as one of the leads in Hallmark’s “Napa Ever After.” The first Mahogany film to ever be shown on the Hallmark Channel. Cox also volunteers with CSH Speak Up! Which influenced her to direct and produce. Select directing and producing credits include “Star Vehicle” (director); “Commune” (producer); “Roadside Assistance” (director and producer); and the podcast play “LaDonna’s Epiphany” (director) featuring Anna Maria Horsford. Roadside Assistance is featured in a workshop that Cox and her facilitators lead to foster empathy and allyship in communities. Catawba College was one of the places where R.A.W. was developed, it has now been presented in several universities, churches, and community spaces. Cox also started a grassroots group after joining SAG-AFTRA leadership called Moving the Dial to advocate for Black performers’ need for equity in hair and makeup on set.

Eyster, a third-generation owner of Valley Products Company in York New Salem, Pennsylvania, earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a marketing concentration. While at Catawba, Eyster was president of the Little Chiefs for four years, a volunteer organization that supported all athletic teams via tours, concessions, events and fundraising. She began her career at M&F Girbaud as a retail marketer and special events coordinator. Currently, she volunteers with several organizations and events such as co-chairing benefit concerts and charity golf tournaments, supporting job experiences for high school students, volunteering for her nephew’s athletic booster club, and helping organize runner support at the York Marathon.

Graeber, a Salisbury native, earned her bachelor of arts degree at Catawba College and was the first African-American female to attend. She then earned her master’s in human development and learning from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During her time there, she was certified in reality therapy under Dr. William Glasser. Graeber began employment at the I C.A.R.E Center in Statesville. She later began work at the Youth Correction Center in Concord. To begin her employment there, she had to attend the Salemnburge Academy and complete the requirements to become a correctional officer. Her services began as a cottage counselor over female adjudicated delinquents and was later promoted to a social worker over male delinquents. Graeber has remained a social worker for D.J.J.D.P for over 30 years. For nearly a year and a half, she was also counseling five group homes. 

Catawba’s Alumni Association board of directors considers several factors in choosing each year’s award recipients. Honorees best represent Catawba’s core values of scholarship, character, culture and service.

A complete list of previous winners may be found on Catawba’s website at https://catawba.edu/alumniawards/.