The University of St. Thomas-Houston proudly celebrates and shares that St. Thomas alumna and UST Director of Corporate Relations Mallory Peterson ‘11 has received Leadership Houston’s prestigious Patrice Yvonne Johnson Distinguished Alumnus Award. Leadership Houston’s Director of Programs and Operations Claudia Gonzales explained that “the mission of Leadership Houston is to enlighten, empower, and engage diverse community leaders through a broadened knowledge of Houston and increase their civic leadership capacity for the benefit of Greater Houston and its stakeholders.”

An Ethical Leader, Connector and Friend

Within the nominations submitted by Peterson’s peers from the latest Leadership Houston 10-month class, words used to describe the young leader included “connector, friend, advocate, communicator and person of service.” She was selected for “embodying the qualities of a motivated, committed, service-minded visionary and ethical leader.”

Grateful and Humbled

Peterson was thrilled to be selected.

She said, “I am beyond grateful and extremely humbled that my classmates selected me for this incredible honor. This ten-month journey has been filled with personal growth, blood, sweat, tears and some amazing relationships with Houston’s prominent leaders. I am so thankful for the experiences.”

An Alumna Who Flourished and Transformed at UST

At the presentation event, Leadership Houston Board Member, UST Chief of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement Officer Arthur Ortiz introduced the award recipient with a heartfelt story.

“It was personally a great honor, as Leadership Houston Class XLI Chair, to announce Mallory as the Patrice Yvonne Johnson recipient,” Ortiz said. “It was particularly special because I remember meeting Mallory as an 18-year-old from Central Texas, looking for a great education and a place where she could be a collegiate volleyball athlete. Witnessing her transform from a first-year university student to become a leader on campus and a leader in the Houston community brings me great joy.”

Peterson’s Leadership Is Serving Students at UST

Through her leadership, Peterson brings joy and accomplishment to deserving students at UST. With her help, the University’s remarkable Rising Stars Internship Program to serve students with limited access to educational excellence has experienced phenomenal success.

Rising Stars places qualified students in paid internships with corporate sponsor companies so they can gain real work experience and personal connections as they earn funds to offset the cost of tuition.

The proven program has grown from five students when it launched four years ago to 180 by the fall of 2022. This upcoming year, the Rising Stars program will have around 250 students and over 70 corporate sponsors and community partners.

This Celt leader is part of a thriving community of UST alumni that demonstrates the four pillars of goodness, discipline, knowledge and community.