Hempstead, NY - The 2022 Hofstra University Alumni Awards Dinner takes place Thursday, September 29 at The Garden City Hotel and three former members of the Pride will be honored. Hofstra football alumnus Marques Colston, BA, '06, will receive an Alumni Achievement Award, while women's lacrosse alumna Emily (Corzel) McBride BBA, '13; MBA, 14, will receive the Young Alumna Award. Field hockey alumna Maria Grasso, BBA, '86, will receive the University's highest alumni accolade as she is being honored as Hofstra's Alumna of the Year.

A four-year letterman and a three-year starter on the Hofstra football team from 2001 through 2005, Colston was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 National Football League Draft by the New Orleans Saints after an outstanding career with the Pride. As a senior, he was an All-Atlantic 10 Football Conference First Team selection and graduated as the Hofstra record holder for career receiving yards. Colston finished his career with 182 receptions for 2,834 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 182 catches rank third on the Hofstra career reception list, while his 2,834 yards is second. Colston, who graduated from Hofstra with a degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2006, had his jersey number 89 retired in 2008 and was inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021. A 2019 inductee into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame, Colston played in 146 career games for the Saints with 106 starts and recorded 711 receptions for 9,759 yards and 72 touchdowns. He is first in Saints history in receptions, receiving yardage, receiving touchdowns, and total touchdowns (72). He was also a Saints All-50th Team selection in 2016 and was a key contributor on their Super Bowl-winning team in 2009. 

Off the field, Colston has also excelled as a business leader and speaker dealing with topics in education, leadership, team management, and transformation. He is the founder of Marques Colston Enterprises, a professional development services company empowering growth-minded individuals and organizations to unlock creativity and possibility and experience sustainable business success.

McBride was a three-year starter and a team captain on the women's lacrosse team during her tenure between 2010 and 2014, playing in 57 games with 42 starts. A defender, McBride tallied a pair of assists, 52 ground balls, and 27 caused turnovers during her playing career. She earned Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie honors in 2010 and All-CAA Second Team recognition in 2014. She was also selected to play in the IWLCA North-South Senior All-Star Game.

A 2013 graduate with a degree in finance, McBride would earn her MBA in finance from Hofstra in 2014. She began her career as an analyst at Credit Suisse in 2014 before becoming a vice president at Jefferies in 2018. In January 2022, McBride was promoted to senior vice president. McBride is also an active supporter of Hofstra Athletics and serves on the board of the Hofstra Athletics Pride Club.

Grasso, a field hockey student-athlete at Hofstra and a 1986 graduate with a degree in finance, is a strong advocate for women's athletics with her support and philanthropy as a long-time member of the Hofstra Athletics Pride Club. She is also heavily involved in non-athletic support at the University, serving as President of the Zarb Alumni Association, and as a board member on the Women in Leadership Advisory Board and the Frank G. Zarb School of Business Dean's Advisory Board.

Currently the senior executive vice president and chief operating officer at Flushing Financial, Grasso has more than 35 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry. In addition to her professional career and her commitment to Hofstra University and the athletics program, Grasso is also heavily involved with the United Way of Long Island and has served as a board member for more than 20 years. She is also a board trustee and co-chair of the golf committee for the American Kidney Fund. 

For more information about tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the 2022 Hofstra Alumni Award Dinner, please visit hofstra.edu/alumniawardsdinner2022.