Rebecca Loubriel Avitia, Trinity Class of 2003, has become the 12th recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumna Award. The award””first given in 2002″”honors Trinity alumni who have graduated in the past 15 years for their achievements in both their profession and the community.
“There was really a need to be able to award younger alumni,” said MaryKay Cooper, senior director of alumni relations. “It’s really important for us to show Trinity students what neat things they can be doing with a Trinity education fairly soon after they graduate.”
Cooper collects nominations for the award from alumni and current employees throughout the year before presenting the nominations to the selection committee, made up of members of Trinity’s National Alumni Board.
“Our selection committee really liked Rebecca,” Cooper said. “She was even our alumni chapter president while she was in New York. Wherever she’s been in her life, she’s managed to stay quite connected to the university.”
While at Trinity, Avitia majored in sociology with a philosophy minor. Avitia knew going into college that she eventually wanted to become a lawyer, allowing her the freedom to choose a major based on her interests. Avitia was also president of the Association of Student Representatives and a member of Alpha Chi Lambda sorority.
“Becca was the ASR president. I met with her regularly and was of course at the meetings that she led with the organization,” said David Tuttle, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “She was a really strong leader. She was persistent, determined and her actions and decisions were steeped in values. She was also hilarious.”
Since graduating from Trinity, Avitia went on to earn a degree with honors from Columbia Law School; has practiced law with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in New Mexico and New York City; and has been president of the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association and chair of the New Mexico Health Law Section.
“At Trinity, everyone is empowered to become a leader, whether they have a formal leadership role or not, and with that empowerment comes real responsibility,” Avitia said. “I strongly believe that having had the chance to lead at Trinity is one of the reasons I was able to rise so quickly into my current leadership role.”
On Thursday, Nov. 20, Avitia was honored at a luncheon in the Great Hall of the Chapman Center. During the luncheon, Avitia spoke about her experiences and involvement at Trinity and how they helped lead to her post-graduation achievements.
“I especially enjoyed knowing that I was part of a family at Trinity. That’s a feeling you don’t get at big schools, but it felt so real at Trinity. I look back on my college years with incredible fondness,” Avitia said.
Avitia is now a shareholder in her law firm in Albuquerque, N.M., where she lives with her husband, Jorge Avitia, and their two children.
“Life is too precious to spend procrastinating tasks you dread. Choose a path””major, extracurriculars, a career””that you can’t wait to conquer,” Avitia said. “Do what you enjoy””always.”
