2025 Laurels & Stripes, presented by Centennial Bank and co-chaired by Lisa and Brad Hegeman ’89, ’96, was UCA’s biggest night of the year as more than 300 attendees honored two new Distinguished Alumni, recognized donors who created 17 new scholarships over the last year and celebrated all of UCA’s many accomplishments.
Brig. Gen. Amanda Azubuike ’93
Brig. Gen. Amanda Azubuike ’93 has proudly served our country during her illustrious military career. She currently works as Chief of Public Affairs for the U.S. Army, serving at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Azubuike is the only public affairs general in the Army. She has served in the U.S. Army for more than 36 years beginning as a Private in the Army National Guard in 1988 and receiving her commission in 1993 when she graduated from UCA with a bachelor’s degree in communication. After graduating from flight school in 1995, Azubuike served in overseas missions including Sinai, Egypt and South Korea. After transitioning to public affairs, she has served both abroad and at home. Her awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters and the Army Achievement Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster.
Cliff Garrison ’62
Cliff Garrison ’62 has served many during his impressive career as a men’s basketball coach for high school and college teams. He coached men’s basketball at Hendrix from 1972-2003. Including high school, his teams won 578 games, 463 at Hendrix, which made him the third-winningest college coach in the state when he retired. As athletic director in the 1990s, he helped lead Hendrix in the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division III. After retirement, Garrison helped create the Arkansas High School Basketball Coaches Association. In 2015 he received the Guardians of the Game Award in Education by the National Association of Basketball Coaches at the NCAA Final Four. He is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the UCA Sports Hall of Fame, the Hendrix Sports Hall of Honor and the Forrest City Hall of Fame. He is currently involved in raising funds for the Cliff Garrison Fellowship of Christian Athletes established in 2016 to provide scholarships to Faulkner County student-athletes.