Alumni Association Awards

Nupur Parekh Flynn graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and went on to earn a master’s degree in European Policy from l’Institut d’études européennes de l’Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium in 1997. 

Flynn’s career spans international development, marketing, and community service, including senior roles at Brown Capital Management, DLA Piper, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. With additional experience in international policy research in Brussels and a longstanding commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism in Baltimore, Flynn has consistently used her talents to bridge sectors, advance impactful initiatives, and serve her community. 

In 2019, Flynn became the founding owner and CEO of Nupur LLC and the inventor of BAGCEIT®, a portable seat for “purses” and bags. In addition to her business ventures, she remains active in community service on the Board of Trustees at LifeBridge Health where she serves as treasurer and a member of the compensation committee, and on the Board of Trustees of The Baltimore Museum of Art , where she also serves on the governance committee. Flynn and her husband, Guy, are co-chairs for the United Way of Central Maryland’s “United For Our Futures” 100th year anniversary campaign. 

The recipient of the 2020 Alumni Community Service Award, Flynn remains committed to giving back — both to her community and to McDaniel students. She served as an alumni mentor for the 2025 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge and has also visited classrooms to offer mentorship and share valuable insights with students. Alongside her volunteer work, Flynn served as a member of the McDaniel College Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2011.

Alexaundria D. Leonard graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Studies and a minor in Religious Studies in 2017. She then earned a master’s degree in Political Management from George Washington University in 2019. Since then, she has built a career in strategic communications, brand development, and community engagement.

Leonard currently serves as a project manager in the Marketing and Communications Division for the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW), where she was named the 2022-23 Employee of the Year. Since joining DPW, she has led an agency rebranding by developing a new mission and vision, creating an agency style guide, and launching the DPW Welcome Experience to ensure brand continuity. In addition to her public service, Leonard is the principal and founder of The BeMore Lab, a political consulting and strategic communications firm dedicated to expanding Black political power in Baltimore and beyond.

Reflecting on her liberal arts education, Leonard credits McDaniel with preparing her to “think critically, communicate effectively, and solve problems. It’s not just about mastering one specific skill — it’s about being adaptable, creative, and open to different perspectives.”

While at McDaniel, Leonard chartered the Upsilon Gamma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, developed The EDGE Experience, served as a student visitor to the Board of Trustees and Student Government Association president, and was a member of the Black Student Union and multiple honors societies. In 2017, she received the Ralph Chandler and Dorothy Prince Award for Academic Excellence and Service to the College Community and the Alumni Citizenship Award and has remained an active alumni volunteer at the college, including serving on the DEI Committee of the Alumni Council.

Robert W. Butler graduated in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and commissioned into the U.S. Army after serving as the battalion commander in the Green Terror Battalion on the Hill. While at the college, he was a member of the football team and track team, earning him induction into the McDaniel College Athletics Hall of Fame and the WMC ROTC Hall of Fame. He went on to earn a Master of Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1968.

Butler served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He retired from the Army as a colonel.

A decorated officer during his military career, Butler earned the Bronze Star with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the Vietnam Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Legion of Merit, National Defense Service Medal, Air Medal, Civil Actions Honor Medal, a Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and Combat Infantryman Badge, three Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry, and the Silver Star, which is the third highest military decoration for valor in combat.

Butler and his late wife, Dorothy A. Snider Butler ’57, fulfilled a legacy at the college that now spans three generations with more than a dozen family members having attended the college, including his children Della Butler Hager ’81, Donna Butler Nichols ’82, and Robert W. Butler Jr. ’83.

Reflecting on his time at McDaniel, Butler says, “I will forever be grateful to the college and its faculty for providing the environment that encouraged me to develop lifelong traits.”

Butler lives in Myersville, Maryland, with his wife, Barbara Willis Reed Butler ’60.

Kittie DeLuca Pain earned a bachelor’s degree from McDaniel College in 2000 and a Master of Letters from Drew University in 2004. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration at Saint Peter’s University.

For more than two decades, Pain’s career in graduate admissions, enrollment management, and strategic marketing, has kept her connected to her alma mater.

Currently serving as the director of graduate enrollment management at Kutztown University, Pain leads recruitment strategy, marketing, and cross-campus collaboration, while actively contributing to university committees and professional organizations like the National Association of Graduate Enrollment Professionals.

From 2016 through 2020, Pain was not only an active volunteer on the Hill but also an employee. As the director of graduate enrollment management and then writer for graduate programs, she developed recruitment strategies, created content for print and digital platforms, and engaged with current students to assist them on their career paths.

While a McDaniel employee, Pain served on committees such as the McDaniel College Enterprise Applications Committee, McDaniel College Community Critical Response (Title IX), McDaniel College Graduate and Professional Studies Division Leadership Team, and the McDaniel College 150th Anniversary Committee.

She has been an active volunteer for the college and the Alumni Association, including co-founding and chairing regional alumni chapters with her husband, Jameson Pain ’99, and co-chairing the Outreach Committee of the McDaniel College Alumni Council.

“My time as a student on the Hill taught me how to be self-sufficient and manage my time, leading me to give back to the college,” says Pain, who met her husband on the Hill. “I am proud to show our son, Brodie, what college ties can look like through the years. It’s important to teach him and others what giving back looks like and that it can look different for everyone.”

Jacob Raymond McCurry graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2009 and a master’s degree in Counselor Education in 2013. Since completing his M.S. in Counselor Education, he has worked in a variety of settings related to behavioral and mental health. 

McCurry currently works at TrueNorth Wellness Services as a mobile therapist with the CORE program. He helps patients move toward recovery by developing treatment goals, leading therapy groups, and tailoring individual treatment plans to meet each person’s needs. McCurry is currently pursuing licensure as a professional counselor in Pennsylvania, having already passed the National Counseling Exam, and anticipates full approval this year.

McCurry has been an active member in his community for most of his life. An Eagle Scout himself, he was actively involved until 2013 with the Boy Scouts of America, where he taught leadership, community engagement, confidence, and independence. In addition to Eagle Scout honors, McCurry received the District Award of Merit, the highest honor awarded by the district to an Adult Scouter, and he served on the Advancement Committee and the Eagle Board of Review. For 20 years, McCurry also organized an annual drive to collect and donate new toys for a children’s hospital in Washington, D.C.

Recently, McCurry has returned to McDaniel College as a guest lecturer, speaking to students on topics such as suicide prevention and the importance of human connection. 

Reflecting on his time on the Hill, McCurry says, “McDaniel allowed me to explore avenues toward meeting my own personal goals. I not only learned humility but also confidence, especially through choir. I continue to carry these throughout my professional life.” He hopes to one day return to the Hill as a professor, “to emulate the professors that taught me so well.”