Distinguished Alumni Award: Amy Loyd ’93
The Alumni Council annually presents the Distinguished Alumni Award to an alum of the school in recognition of extraordinary achievement or service that exemplifies the principles and values of Albuquerque Academy.
Dr. Amy Loyd, Class of 1993, serves as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education; in this role she leads federal programs related to career and technical education, community colleges, adult education and family literacy, and correctional education. She has an extensive background in education and the nonprofit sector and has designed and led programs across the United States that sit at the intersection of education, workforce, and economic development, with a focus on equitably strengthening outcomes for people and communities.
Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Amy was a vice president at Jobs for the Future, a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the director of education at Cook Inlet Tribal Council. She attended Santa Fe Community College and Northern New Mexico Community College, and she holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College and a doctorate in education leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her early career pathway led her through many diverse jobs – including working as an EMT at the Santa Fe Downs racetrack, as a river guide in the Four Corners region, and in international policy at the American Medical Association – and she is passionate about building education systems that provide students of all ages and walks of life with greater self-determination to pursue multiple pathways to rewarding futures of their choosing, so that education truly lives up to the promise of social and economic mobility, equity, and liberation for all.
Amy’s enduring belief in the value of education and commitment to increasing access to opportunities both furthers our community’s shared values and make a significant contribution to society, making her a deserving recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Young Alumni Service Award: Julia Youngs ’10
Created by the Alumni Council to recognize notable service to the community and society that exemplifies the spirit of the Albuquerque Academy mission, the Young Alumni Service Award is presented annually to an alum who is 35 years of age or younger at the time of nomination, and who has made significant personal achievements in serving the local, national, or international community.
Julia Youngs, Class of 2010, is the Senior Director of Social Impact Strategy and Entrepreneurship for Alithi Management Consulting, where she works with high-impact organizations like Microsoft to develop their social impact and entrepreneurship programming. She has worked for more than a decade as a community arts organizer and stage manager in Albuquerque and has served in various leadership roles for local non-profits, including the Albuquerque Urban Enhancement Trust Fund, Albuquerque’s Downtown Arts & Cultural District, and the Southwest Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Julia also serves as a board member for b.creative, a global network for cultural entrepreneurs established to spark societal changes.
Julia is a doctoral candidate in Sustainable Urban Development at Oxford University and focuses her studies on the intersection of borders, climate, and nonprofit advocacy in New Mexico. She has a master’s degree in Latin American Studies and City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico. Julia’s demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of others through fostering societal change with her leadership and creativity embodies the mission of our school and makes her a fitting recipient of the 2023 Young Alumni Service Award.
The Inaugural Albuquerque Academy Alumni Council Faculty Legacy Award: Ed Baklini
This year, the Alumni Council is excited to announce the creation of a new award – the Albuquerque Academy Alumni Council Faculty Legacy Award. This award is given to a member of the Academy’s faculty who has rendered distinguished service to Albuquerque Academy and made a lasting impact either to the development of the school’s students or, through their dedication and leadership, has strengthened the school as an institution of learning for our community. The Albuquerque Academy Alumni Association Constitution allows the Alumni Council to bestow membership to the recipient of this award.
For more than 40 years, Ed Baklini (also known as Mr. Bak to his sixth graders) has taught history, including New Mexico history, economics, geography, world history, and U.S. history, at Albuquerque Academy.
Ed attended the University of New Mexico and began his career in education as a teacher and athletic director at a local parochial school. Since joining the faculty of Albuquerque Academy, he has taught history to sixth, seventh, and tenth graders as well as coached baseball, softball, and basketball at all levels. It is estimated that Ed has taught or coached more than 4,000 Albuquerque Academy students. More remarkable is the obvious mutual respect among and between teacher and students in his classroom. Ed has bestowed upon generations of young scholars the simple wisdom that the secret to true learning is to make it meaningful.
As permitted by the Alumni Association Constitution, the Alumni Council is honored to invite Mr. Ed Baklini, in recognition of his distinguished service and lasting impact on our learning community, to join them as one of their own.
All three Alumni Council award recipients will be honored at the annual Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, October 27, 2023.
