The Outstanding Alumni Award

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The Outstanding Alumni Award is selected and presented by the Butte College Foundation in recognition of outstanding personal and professional achievements.  A nominee can be any person who has successfully completed coursework at Butte College who has distinguished themselves at a high level of achievement in their particular field of study, life’s work, or community service. Do you know an outstanding Butte College alumnus? Send us your Nomination today!

Four Outstanding Alumni were honored at the Butte College Foundations 2009 Spring Gala on March 14, 2009.

Daryl W. Bender
Sierra View School
      Daryl Bender is a 1975 Butte College alumnus who started his career in the banking industry but later found his niche teaching. For the past 20 years, Bender has taught at Sierra View Elementary School in Chico, where he has excelled in and out of the classroom.
      A graduate from Chico High School, Bender chose to attend Butte College because it was affordable and close. “Butte College was an excellent choice for me—it offered everything I needed and the classes were challenging,” he recalls.
      In 1987, Bender says he was “looking for a change” and felt he could make a positive impact on young people by teaching, so he returned to Butte College. He took prerequisite courses there before transferring to Chico State, where he earned his teaching credential.
      As a sixth grade teacher at Sierra View Elementary School, Bender set up the district’s first elementary school computer lab, started the Butte Meadows Outdoor Education School for sixth graders, and co-founded Sierra View’s student run television station. Bender has also coached the Chico High School ski and snowboard racing teams for five years, garnering five Central Division Championships.

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James Broshears
Retired Paradise Fire Chief
      For 38 years, Jim Broshears has dedicated himself to the safety and education of others. A firefighter since he was 17 years old, Broshears began his career in public safety in 1971 and later worked for the Town of Paradise Fire Department for 32 years, spending a decade as its fire chief.
      Little did Broshears know in 1974 that his move to Paradise and transfer to Butte College would launch him on another career path. With his expertise in self-contained breathing apparatus and certification as a first aid teacher, Broshears trained fellow firefighters and Butte College fire science students.
      By the time Broshears graduated from Butte College, he had not only been promoted to Fire Apparatus Engineer by the Town of Paradise Fire Department, but he was also serving as an instructor in the Butte College Firefighter I Academy. Honored as Firefighter of the Year twice, Broshears was promoted to the position of Paradise Fire Chief in 1996.
      Since his retirement, Broshears continues teaching part-time in the Butte College Firefighter Academy and serving on the board of the Fire Safety Council. He also opened an outdoor clothing and retail business, Trailhead Adventures, with his wife, daughter and son-in-law.

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Kyle M. Lohse
St. Louis Cardinals
      A former Butte College student, Kyle Lohse’s career in big league baseball has taken him from his hometown of Chico to Chicago, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and St. Louis, where he has been a starting pitcher for the Cardinals since the beginning of the 2008 season.
      Born in Chico in 1978, Lohse attended Hamilton Union High School, where he played basketball, baseball and football. During his high school baseball career, he was an All-Conference pick four years running, extending that feat while attending Butte College. In 1997, the Chicago Cubs drafted Lohse, later trading him to the Minnesota Twins, where he made his Major League Baseball debut in 2001. During his career in Minnesota, Lohse dedicated himself to working with Cars for Courage, an organization that serves disabled children through sports programs and activities. He also reached a professional milestone, playing for the Twins in the 2002 American League Championship Series.
      Lohse later spent parts of the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies before playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008. He proved his worth with a team-leading 15 wins, prompting the club to sign him to a four-year, $41 million contract. In 2008, Lohse, who is one of just three American Indian athletes to ever play Major League Baseball, was featured in an exhibit called “Baseball’s League of Nations: A Tribute to Native Americans In Baseball,” at the Iroquois Museum in New York.

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Julia L. Sabin
Knudson & Sons
      For 11 years, Julia Sabin has served as the Vice President and General Manager for Smucker Quality Beverages, Inc., a division of the J.M. Smucker Company. Julia oversees and manages the manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution of R.W. Knudsen Family and Santa Cruz Organic Brands.
      Julia has been employed by Smucker Quality Beverages, Inc. for 24 years and has worked in many areas including Research and Development, Quality Assurance and Plant Management. Growing up in Chico, Julia attended Chico High School and earned a degree in biochemistry from UCLA. When she moved back to Chico, Julia chose to attend Butte College because of its “flexible evening classes.”
      “It was a great experience and the instructors were great. It was an ideal way to take prerequisite classes needed. The quality of instruction was just as good as any four year university, such as UCLA,” remarked Julia. “Butte College is a great place to attend college and it’s an honor to be recognized for this award.” Julia took classes in business, economics and management which helped her professionally.
      Among other professional and volunteer activities, Julia serves as chair of the Chico Chamber Board of Commerce, along with the Board for the Organic Trade Association. Julia resides in Chico with her husband Darryl and two children.

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