The Reubin O’D. Askew Price:
Five Notable Noles will also be featured with the Reubin O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award, the highest honor given to young alumni by the FSU Alumni Association. Named in honor of former Governor Reubin Askew, this award recognizes his contributions to our state, our nation, and our university. These recent graduates continue Askew’s legacy of outstanding achievement, built on the foundation of a Florida State University education.
The 2022 Askew/Notable Noles Award recipients are:
1st Lt. Andres Bascumbe (BA ’12)
College of Communication and Information | head of federal affairs, Block; First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Reserve
Andres Bascumbe spent five years on Capitol Hill, most recently as legal counsel to Speaker Maxine Waters and the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. As a student, Bascumbe was a member of the Student Government Association’s Student Senate and served as public relations director for the Hispanic Latino Student Union. He also worked as a public relations officer and news anchor at WVFS Tallahassee. Bascumbe continues to provide significant impact as a mentor to FSU alumni looking to get their start in Washington and Capitol Hill. Since 2018, he has also been a board member of the FSU Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Network, which organizes events such as the Seminoles’ Service Panel, aimed at connecting recent graduates and veterans to various career opportunities. He is also a board member of the FSU Alumni Association’s Pride Alumni Network and has broken down barriers for military and LGBT women, especially officer candidates who seek to live openly and serve as leaders in the military. American. He was the first openly gay man to serve as vice president of his class at the Army Officer Candidate School and continues to serve the community as a mentor with the LGBT Congressional Staff Association (LGBT THAT’S IT). Additionally, Bascumbe volunteers at the Whiteman Walker Legal Clinic to help secure name and gender marker changes.
Cameron Pennant (BS ’15, MPA ’17)
College of Business, College of Social Sciences | Legislative Director, Charlotte County, Florida; Visiting Lecturer in International Affairs, Florida State University
Cameron Pennant has worked in public service for more than a decade and has held several key positions in the Florida Legislature. He currently represents the interests of the Charlotte County Board of Commissioners with the Florida Legislature and Office of the Governor, the United States Congress, the White House, and federal regulatory agencies. He is passionate about Florida State University’s Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement, or CARE, supporting first-generation students and providing equity and access to students whose identities have traditionally been underrepresented in education. superior. Pennant has mentored several students and provides strategic planning and career advice to undergraduate students. In 2020, he created Pennant Scholars, the inaugural scholarship for the CARE SCOPE program, which aims to break down professional barriers for first-generation students. Pennant, the youngest national board member of the FSU Alumni Association, has also represented the university as a co-presenter of seminars at the Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. , in Germany. Upon his return, he became a frequent guest lecturer for FSU students in international and domestic affairs. He cites his passion for sustainable public policy solutions as a guiding principle in his policy and advocacy efforts.
Drew Piers (BS ’14, MS ’18)
College of Communication and Information, College of Social Sciences | Managing Director and Partner, Sachs Media
As Sachs Media’s youngest partner, Drew Piers helped build the agency into one of the Southeast’s leading public relations firms. Piers has led several successful legislative and constitutional campaigns across the country, leveraging his talent for communicating across political and creative landscapes. While skilled in communications strategy, he is also passionate about giving back to the community of Tallahassee and beyond. He has held positions for various philanthropic organizations, such as Equity Tallahassee Leon, Legal Aid Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend, and the Capital Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. Piers is also an adjunct professor who teaches political communication to FSU master’s students and is committed to student growth through mentorship and support for student organizations.
Alana Rawlinson (BS ’10)
College of Arts and Sciences | Assistant Clinical Professor, University of Florida
Alana Rawlinson has made many achievements in the field of clinical psychology since graduating summa cum laude in 2010. As a student, she has received accolades including the 2010 Outstanding Senior Scholar Award, nomination by Marion Jewell Hay Phi Beta Kappa and the Howard D Award from the Department of Psychology. Baker Undergraduate Research Fellowship. She was also president of the swimming club and the FSU chapter of the Psi Chi honor society in psychology. She earned her certification in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in 2014 and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University’s Child Stream in 2016, then became a PCIT Within Program Trainer in 2020. the COVID-19 pandemic, Rawlinson pivoted to providing PCIT via telehealth and maintaining treatment for vulnerable populations. She also provided therapeutic support to children struggling with the isolation of pandemic-related restrictions. As an assistant clinical professor, Rawlinson has become one of the most sought after pediatric clinicians and is popular among doctoral students seeking mentorship and advice. In 2021, she became the Honors Program Director for UF’s College of Public Health and Health Professions. In this role, she teaches and mentors undergraduate students in research and professional development. She credits the strong mentorship she received through FSU’s honors program with her desire to influence the next generation of pre-health students now.
Dr. Emily Townsend-Cobb (BS ’12)
College of Health and Human Sciences | Pediatric Physiotherapist, Brooks Rehabilitation
Emily Townsend-Cobb was diagnosed with an inherited eye condition called Leber congenital amaurosis when she was 3 years old, causing her to gradually lose her sight. Despite this obstacle, Townsend-Cobb persevered and is currently a physical therapist at Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville, Florida. Cobb has served as a pediatric team leader and rehabilitation center manager and is a member of Brook’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council. Townsend-Cobb regularly speaks at national rehabilitation conferences regarding disability justice; most recently at the National Meeting of the Combined Sections of the American Physical Therapy Association. While at FSU, Townsend-Cobb was a member of the management team of the Marching Chiefs and the musical sorority Tau Beta Sigma. Townsend-Cobb is one of the nation’s few blind health care providers and became the first blind physical therapist doctor when she graduated from the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus in 2015.
