Young Alum Award

The Young Alum Award is an honor the college bestows on its alumni who have achieved a high level of success within 15 years of graduating from Coe.

2025 recipient | Whitney Hu '13

Whitney Hu is a Brooklyn-based organizer, strategist, and community leader dedicated to issues around anti-gentrification and displacement, immigration justice, and mutual aid. She graduated from Coe College with a degree in English and Creative Writing, and would like to give a huge shoutout to her advisor, Gina Hausknecht, who kept her on track.

During her time on campus, she served as an Assistant Resident Director for Murray and Voorhees Halls and at one point as Student Body Treasurer, both of which gave her early experience in leadership and accountability. Whitney first came to New York City through Coe's New York Term, where she finished her final semester of college while interning with Tori Johnson of Good Morning America. She never left New York after that, and to this day she stays connected by catching up with New York Term professors and welcoming new Kohawk cohorts when they arrive in the city.

As the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, Whitney grounds her work in the dignity and humanity of every person she serves. She believes in the transformative power of mutual aid and community solidarity, and draws inspiration from Grace Lee Boggs’s vision of grassroots activism and the power of ordinary people to create systemic change.

She is known for her work as the founder of South Brooklyn Mutual Aid, which distributed over 40,000 boxes of fresh food across Sunset Park and surrounding neighborhoods and raised more than $450,000. Out of that success, the work developed into South Brooklyn Sanctuary (SBS), where she serves as Board Chair and Co-Founder. SBS is a pro se immigration legal clinic created to empower immigrants to represent themselves in court and navigate complex paperwork without costly legal fees. Since its founding, SBS has supported more than 5,000 immigrants with services ranging from asylum applications and adjustment of status to work authorizations and citizenship filings.

Prior to her mutual aid work, Whitney organized with Sunset Park ICE Watch, providing on-the-ground resistance to ICE’s presence in New York City, and Protect Sunset Park, a coalition that successfully mobilized against Industry City’s private rezoning proposal. She has also worked for Council Member Brad Lander (now the City’s Comptroller) and on a New York City mayoral campaign.

Previously, Whitney served as Director of Public Programs at the National Book Foundation, where she launched nationally recognized initiatives such as NBF Presents, Literature for Justice, and Author in Focus: James Baldwin. Before joining the Foundation, she was the Director of Marketing at the iconic Strand Bookstore, where she led campaigns that elevated independent bookselling, connected authors with New York’s literary community, and expanded the store’s cultural footprint.

She currently serves as the Director of Civic Engagement and Research at Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH) and Political Director for CUFFH Action, the organization’s electoral affiliate. Her work and leadership have been featured in The New York Times, Teen Vogue, Gothamist, NY1, and NPR. She has also been recognized on City & State’s Brooklyn Power 100 and Asian Power 100 lists.

Please note: While nominations are accepted year-round, only those submitted by January 31 will be considered for awarding at that year's Homecoming celebration.

Past recipients

Award eligibility

Professional achievement exemplifies the superior educational quality and ideals of Coe College. Nominees also illustrate their dedication to Coe and their community through their continued engagement and service.
Nominees must have graduated from Coe College within the past 15 years.
Award may be presented posthumously but living award recipients must be present to accept the award.
Current members of Coe's Board of Trustees, Board of Visitors/President's Advisory Council, or Alumni Council cannot receive this award while serving their term.

Judging criteria

The Coe Alumni Council evaluates nominees based on the following weighted criteria:

60%–Distinction in their professional field
Recognition including, but not limited to, scholarship, awards, and leadership recognition by one's peers in, trade associations, business, education, sports, and medicine.

20%–Loyalty to Coe
Dedication to the college measured in volunteer service including, but not limited to, admission assistance, student engagement, alumni events, Board of Trustees, Board of Visitors/President's Advisory Council, Alumni Council or Coe Fund.

20%–Community Engagement
Service to the nominee’s community, including, but not limited to, board, committee, task force, and volunteer service.