Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually to an individual who attended Centralia College for at least one year and/or has made significant contributions to his or her profession or society in general.
2026 Distinguished Alumnus
The recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Alumnus award is Charlie Albright, who was performing at the college as a fundraiser for the Centralia College Foundation on May 2 when the award was announced.
“It was a great effort to keep this award secret from Charlie for the last few months,” said Christine Fossett, executive director of the Centralia College Foundation. “We had the best time surprising him with this much-deserved honor. Charlie is a shining star musically and a great example of a young alumnus who is committed to giving back to future generations of Trailblazers.”
Albright attended Centralia College from 2005-07 as a high school student through the Running Start program. He earned his Associate of Science degree becoming the first classical pianist in the Harvard College/New England Conservatory’s five-year dual degree program. He completed a bachelor’s degree at Harvard College and his Master’s in Music in Piano Performance at the New England Conservatory. He went on to earn the prestigious Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School.
Albright is the recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and Gilmore Young Artist Award, he won the Ruhr Klavier Festival Young Artist Award presented by Marc-André Hamelin (Germany) and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.
In addition to performing, Albright is sought after as a speaker, masterclass instructor, teacher, and competition judge.
In 2017, Albright founded the Charlie Albright Scholarship to support music students and purchased the Charlie Albright Piano, a 9-foot Steinway Piano for Corbet Theatre. He performs at the college every few years to raise funds for the scholarship and for piano maintenance.
Nominate a Distinguished Alumnus
The Centralia College Foundation is currently seeking nominations for its Distinguished Alumnus Award. The award is presented annually to an individual who attended Centralia College for at least one year and/or has made significant contributions to his or her profession or society in general.
The recipient of this prestigious award is announced in the spring and recognized at the college’s graduation ceremony in June.
CONTACT THE FOUNDATION
Centralia College Foundation
600 Centralia College Blvd
Centralia, WA 98531-4099
360-623-8942
ccfoundation@centralia.edu