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Spirit of St. Thomas Award

The Spirit of St. Thomas Award recognizes the professional and/or personal achievements of Tommies under the age of 40. Introduced in 2021, this is the newest alumni recognition award.

Nominations

We are not currently accepting nominations. For future nominations or stories you'd like to share, contact Alumni Relations (alumni@stthomas.edu)!
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2025 Spirit of St. Thomas Award Recipient

Teron Buford ’10, ’18 MSWA

Teron is the Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, where he is a driving force for equity in the healthcare space. Through his leadership, Teron champions initiatives that create inclusive environments, ensuring access and fairness for all communities.

A graduate of the University of St. Thomas, Teron stood out as one of the most intelligent, empathetic, and inspiring individuals among his peers. While at St. Thomas, he collaborated with the Dougherty Family College, leading efforts to recruit and support underprivileged students. His compassionate and curious approach to addressing societal challenges left a lasting impact on his classmates and the broader university community.

Teron has a long-standing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. His work extends beyond his professional role, reflecting a deep passion for creating equitable opportunities and fostering understanding.

His nominator said Teron does not “shy away from issues facing our society. Instead, he approaches them in a compassionate and curious manner.” Beyond his work at BCBS, he is a proud father, husband, mentor to Tommies, and NCAA Basketball referee. 

Jazz Hampton ’12, ’15 JD Georige Fort accepting the award on stage at the 2023 St. Thomas Day Awards Environmental photo of Solome Tibebu

2024

Jazz Hampton ’12, ’15 JD

One of three founders, Jazz Hampton is CEO and General Counsel at TurnSignl. TurnSignl is a Minnesota-based tech company that provides real-time legal guidance from an attorney to drivers, all while their camera records the interaction. Before joining TurnSignl, Hampton was the Director of Diversity and Inclusion and a practicing attorney at Foley & Mansfield, a national law firm with 150+ attorneys. He also has served as an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, an Emerging Leader within Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, and the Co-Chair of DRI’s Young Lawyer Diversity Committee.
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2023

Georgia Fort '11

A Class of 2011 St. Thomas alumna, Georgia Fort is a two-time Emmy nominated journalist. Her mission as a storyteller is to change the narrative by dedicating her work to media reform and narrative justice. In 2020, she founded BLCK Press LLC, a company dedicated to advancing equity in media by creating content that moves the culture forward. She also founded the nonprofit BLCK Press Center for Broadcast Journalism.
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2022

Solome Tibebu '12

A 2012 St. Thomas alumna, Solome is an award-winning mental health and patient advocate, digital health investor, and social entrepreneur. She has worked with organizations, universities and associations to change the conversation around mental health and the use of technology to find new and innovative solutions to address mental health needs, especially among young people.