CCCU Announces 2025 Young Alumni Award Winner

(WASHINGTON) — The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities today announced that Cydney Bridges, a 2023 graduate of Huntington University who serves as a nurse providing critical care for children with severe lung illnesses and was named the second runner-up in the Miss America 2024 pageant, has been named the 2025 CCCU Young Alumni Award winner. The award will be presented on January 30, 2025,  as part of the CCCU’s Presidents Conference in Washington, D.C.

“Cydney is a beacon, shining the light and love of Jesus in a world that needs it,” said Dr. David A. Hoag, president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. “As a nurse, as a mentor to young people and as a pageant winner, she displays incredible grace, kindness and dedication. She is an incredible representative of Christ-centered higher education.”

In 2023, Bridges graduated from Huntington with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. She ascended to the title of Miss Indiana the same year, becoming the fourth African American woman to win the title, and the first to do so while working full-time as a nurse. Bridges utilized her nursing degree to serve on a pulmonology intensive care step-down unit in Indianapolis, IN. She went on to compete in the 2024 Miss America pageant, where she was awarded the title of second runner-up and voted Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants.

“Cydney’s care for others and love for Christ are evident in everything she does,” said Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president of Huntington University. “She has intentionally used the platforms available to her to lift up and encourage others, whether she is providing nursing care or speaking in front of a crowd. We are thrilled to see her flourish and to celebrate with her as she receives the 2025 CCCU Young Alumni Award.”

Throughout her pageant involvement, Bridges has utilized her platform to advocate for youth empowerment and mentorship. She created the “Ignite Your Sparkle” program, a five-week workshop for young girls that encourages them to discover what makes them unique, the things that “make them sparkle.”

“Receiving the CCCU Young Alumni Award is an incredible honor that warms my heart,” Bridges said. “I grew up in an ‘at risk’ home environment with a single mom and three siblings. Through my life circumstances, I developed a passion for serving youth and making an impactful difference in my community. Being a student at a Christ-centered institution furthered my ability to intertwine my faith with my passion for service and leadership. Throughout my few years as an alumna, the Lord has given me many opportunities to serve my community as Miss Indiana, a youth mentor and a pediatric nurse. Impacting young people will always be at the center of my heart’s desire, and I know the Lord will continue to light my path as I walk alongside our youth.”

The Young Alumni Award honors an individual who graduated from a CCCU member institution within the past decade and whose work demonstrates uncommon leadership or success that reflects the values of Christian higher education. Previous recipients include Lindy Wiliamson Cleveland (Samford University), founder of Unless U; Wendy Gomez Matamoros (Dordt University), executive director of Nicaraguan-based nonprofit Tesoros de Dios, and Kelsi Deel Franco (Lee University), founder & executive director of The House of Cherith. Read more about these and other past winners here.

In addition to awarding Bridges with the Young Alumni Award, the CCCU recognized two individuals as runners-up. Bodie Kuljian, a graduate of Vanguard University, was recognized for his accomplishments as a musician. Kuljian competed on season 22 of NBC’s The Voice, where he became a fan favorite. After placing second on The Voice, Kuljian has continued to pursue his musical career, signing with record label Provident Entertainment in April 2024 and serving as director of Vanguard Worship Collective.

The CCCU also recognized David Punnamannil, a graduate of Trinity Western University, as another runner-up. Punnamannil founded the nonprofit organization Lighthouse Voyage, which seeks to provide a safe haven for victims of exploitation. Lighthouse Voyage collaborates with local organizations to provide housing, education and vocational training for exploited women and children.

All media inquiries regarding the CCCU Young Alumni Award should be directed to Dr. Amanda Staggenborg, chief communications officer, at astaggenborg@cccu.org.

About the CCCU

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of more than 185 Christian institutions around the world. Since 1976, the CCCU has served as the leading national voice of Christian higher education. With campuses across the globe, including more than 150 in the U.S. and Canada and more than 30 from an additional 19 countries, CCCU institutions are accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities whose missions are Christ-centered and rooted in the historic Christian faith. Most also have curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. The CCCU’s mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help our institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.

About Huntington University

Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering award-winning graduate, undergraduate and online programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. Founded in Huntington, Indiana, in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University has over a century of experience educating graduates who are ready to impact the world for Christ through scholarship and service. The nonprofit university’s locations include the original home campus and the UB Launch in Huntington, a doctoral program in occupational therapy and an accelerated baccalaureate nursing program in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and an undergraduate and doctoral program location in Peoria, Arizona. Huntington University’s home campus offers 18 official men’s and women’s athletic programs, and the university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).

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