Building Attendant Gracie Alvarez was in a daily team meeting when the announcement of the Mary G. Binder Prize winner came up. At first, she thought the honor was for another team member. Then she saw the bouquet of flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll of a sudden, it hit me,\u201d Alvarez recalled. \u201cI was laughing and crying at the same time because I was just so incredibly nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alvarez, who has 33 years of service at the College, was named the 2026 Mary G. Binder Prize winner, an award that recognizes outstanding support staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early in her career, Alvarez spent five years on the grounds crew, where she was the only woman working across The Claremont Colleges. She now serves as a building attendant alongside Travis Paddock, mail and custodial services manager, who called her, \u201cAbsolutely amazing\u2014one of my best. She\u2019s very supportive of the College and great with students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nominators praised Alvarez for her smile, care and dedication. One nominator noted, \u201cGracie has a very kind soul. She always smiles when she sees me, asks me about my day, and is really interested in how I am doing. She is a hard-working and resilient woman who keeps Drinkward safe and clean. She shows up to work early and on time and is committed to getting her work done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alvarez said\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0been a pleasure to work for Harvey Mudd and,\u00a0as she approaches retirement,\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0hesitant to leave. \u201cI believe that for me,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0like time went by quickly. I love it here because\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a good place to work,” she said. “The students make it worth it. Sometimes I see them when they return, now with kids of their own, and they still greet me, happy to see me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Binder Prize honors a member of HMC\u2019s support staff \u201cwho combines a record of exceptional service with a truly helpful and friendly attitude toward students, faculty and fellow staff members across the College.\u201d The prize was\u00a0established\u00a0in 1996 by engineering Professor Emeritus Sam Tanenbaum and his wife, Carol, in honor of Carol\u2019s mother. It includes a $1,000 award and a commemorative certificate, and Alvarez\u2019s name will be added to the Mary G. Binder Prize plaque in the foyer of Galileo Hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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