Honoring a Tradition of Excellence
Recognizing outstanding alumni is one way Northwest Florida State College Foundation shows its commitment to showcasing the impact of NWFSC on the personal and professional lives of its graduates and the community in which it serves.
These honorees represent the thousands of alumni who contribute in countless ways to business, education, the arts and society.
We honor Distinguished Alumni because they personify the College’s tradition of excellence, bringing distinction to themselves and to NWF through their outstanding achievements.
2023 Distinguished Alumni Award Winners
Mr. Michael Nguyen
- Hometown Hero
Mr. Nguyen graduated from South Walton High School in 2015 and enrolled in the Florida Law Enforcement Basic Recruit Training Program in August of that same year. In December of 2015, he joined the Northwest Florida State College Campus Police Department as a non-sworn Campus Security Specialist where he served for two and half years while he continued to take classes. Michael joined the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Department as a Certified Sworn Law Enforcement Officer in 2019 where he continues to serve. He enrolled in Northwest Florida State College in 2021 to pursue an AS in Computer Information Technology, which he completed in December, 2022. While at NWFSC, he was a member of the Dean’s List as well as the President’s List, graduating with a cumulative GPA of 3.9. Michael has also volunteered with multiple organizations across the community as well as a disabled veteran after serving as an active duty enlisted infantryman.
Mr. Seif Allah Salotto-Cristobal
- Rising Star
Mr. Salotto-Cristobal earned his Associate in Arts degree in 2005 from NWFSC, and continued his education at UWF earning his Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Humanities in 2008. He went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Lighting and Production Design from the University of Missouri – Kansas City in 2011. SeifAllah began working in theater production while a student in Missouri and has continued to this day. In total, he has been a part of more the 170 theater productions across the eastern half of the United Stated. In 2019, he joined the faculty of the University of Southern Maine as an Assistant Professor of Lighting Design. Finally, SeifAllah has won more than 15 awards from regional arts organizations including Best Lighting Design of a Play or Musical, Best Production Design, Gilbert Hemsley Lighting Internship Finalist (New York), and National Opera Association’s Production Competition Honorable Mention.
