2026 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients
Lakeesha M. Bair-Myers MSW, LCSW ’91
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Lakeesha M. Bair-Myers, MSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a compassionate leader with more than 20 years of experience serving children, families, and communities across education, healthcare, juvenile justice, and behavioral health systems, making a transformative positive impact.
She currently serves as a School Social Worker at Reynolds Middle School in the School District of Lancaster, providing clinical services, crisis intervention, case management, and social-emotional support, as well as providing master’s level supervision to graduate social work students as a Field Instructor. Lakeesha created the Care Closet at Reynolds Middle School, providing food, clothing, hygiene, and household essentials to students and families, and leads the school’s Secret Angels Program, which mobilizes community support to provide holiday gifts for more than 150 students each year.
Lakeesha earned a Master of Social Work degree from Temple University, with a clinical emphasis on children and families, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a Criminal Justice concentration from Millersville University. Her professional background includes experience in emergency and outpatient medical social work, inpatient psychiatric care, substance use treatment, and veteran services, including work with homeless veterans and Veteran’s Justice Outreach programs. Prior to entering clinical social work, she spent nearly a decade in the juvenile justice system as a Senior Community-Based and Institutional Probation Officer, developing a strong foundation in systems advocacy, court involvement, and family-centered practice.
Beyond her clinical work, Lakeesha is deeply committed to leadership, mentorship, and health equity. She was named Millersville University’s Social Work Field Instructor of the Year in 2023, Distinguished McCaskey Alumni Award and YWCA Women of Achievement Award in 2026. She currently serves on several community and health-focused boards, including the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Equity Community Advisory Board and the Abramson Cancer Center Community Advisory Board at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also an active mentor, union leader, and advocate for educational equity, serving as Representative Secretary of the Lancaster Education Association, and Ethnic Minority Representative to the Pennsylvania State Education Board of Directors. Her work is grounded in culturally responsive practice, trauma-informed care, and a lifelong commitment to advancing equity and wellness for underserved populations.
Dr. Christina Pantoja Williams ’99
Director of Academic Engagement & Community Partnerships
Dr. Christina Pantoja Williams serves as the Director of Academic Engagement & Community Partnerships at Millersville University, where she provides visionary leadership in advancing educational access, fostering meaningful community collaborations, and promoting student success. She is widely respected for her unwavering commitment to creating equitable opportunities for students, particularly those from urban communities and historically underrepresented backgrounds.
With extensive experience supporting first-generation, underrepresented, and marginalized students and families, Dr. Pantoja Williams has dedicated her career to building pathways that empower students to thrive in higher education and beyond. Her work reflects a deep belief in the transformative power of education and its ability to change lives across generations.
Dr. Pantoja Williams earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Millersville University, a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Temple University, and a Doctorate in Education from West Chester University. As a first-generation Latina college graduate, she draws upon her own lived experience—having benefited from access programs, scholarships, and academic bridge initiatives—to guide and inspire those she serves.
A devoted community leader, and a proud product of the School District of Lancaster, she actively gives back through mentorship, outreach, and partnership-building, honoring the community that supported and invested in her journey. She often reminds her students that success is not a linear path, but one defined by resilience, perseverance, and growth.
In her personal time, Dr. Pantoja Williams cherishes spending time with her family, especially her two children, Annalina and Maxum.
Captain Samar Rudolph ’03
Lancaster City Bureau of Fire, Fire Officer
Captain Samar Rudolph began his career in public service in 2007 when he joined the Lancaster City Bureau of Fire after graduating from the HACC John J. Shumaker Public Safety Center Fire Academy.
Throughout his career, Captain Rudolph has earned numerous professional certifications, including Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B), Hazardous Materials Technician, NFPA 1006 Technical Rescue, and multiple Incident Command System (ICS) certifications. His dedication to leadership led to his promotion to Lieutenant in 2019. He further demonstrated his commitment to leadership by graduating from Leadership Lancaster as a member of the Class of 2020. In 2023, he made history as the first African American firefighter in the 144-year history of the Lancaster City Bureau of Fire to be promoted to the rank of Captain.
Some notable career achievements include receiving the American Red Cross Lifesaving Award in 2008. He was also honored with the National Medal of Honor for Courage twice, in 2010 and 2023. In 2021, he was named the Lancaster City Bureau of Fire’s Fire Officer of the Year, and in October 2025, he was recognized as Lancaster City’s Employee of the Month.
Beyond the fire service, Captain Rudolph has served as a Lancaster-Lebanon PIAA basketball official for more than 17 years. His dedication and professionalism earned him assignments to officiate the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship in 2020 and the PIAA District 3 Class 6A Championship in 2025.
Samar’s passions include his volunteer work as a youth sports coach and raising his two children, Anaija and Jordan.
Kyle Charles McWilliams ’05
Home Depot Employee for 22 years
I was born in Lancaster General Hospital on September 16, 1985, and became the son of Charles S. and Darlene K. (Bracken) McWilliams. Life was not very easy for me as a child born with Down’s Syndrome.
There were many obstacles to overcome at an early age just to be able to survive. Thanks to the S. June Smith Center, I started a regimen of physical therapy at the age of three months old to learn how to do many tasks that most babies could accomplish on their own.
My mom was an elementary school teacher and was a great trainer to me as I was in my early childhood. By the time I was six years old I was able to attend kindergarten at Wickersham Elementary School, then Lincoln Middle School, followed by McCaskey East, then was a 2005 graduate of JP McCaskey High School. While in school I participated in the wrestling program for six years under Coach Mitchell and played in the percussion pit of McCaskey High School marching band.
My sisters, Melanie and Sharyn, preceded me through my schooling and were of great help in paving the way for their little brother to make a successful completion of each grade until graduation. For the past 22 years I have been employed full-time by the local Home Depot in the paint department. I wish to give my fellow employees and management a big thank you for their consistent encouragement over those years and looking forward to the years ahead with the company.
Thank you to the McCaskey Alumni Association for recognizing me as a Distinguished McCaskey Alumni.
Kevin Frey ’11
Capitol Hill Reporter for MS NOW
Kevin Frey, class of 2011, is a Capitol Hill Reporter for MS NOW, where he covers Congress and the 2026 elections.
Kevin has spent more than a decade as a journalist. His reporting has taken him across the globe, from Vatican City to Havana, Cuba. Day to day, you can usually find Kevin on Capitol Hill talking to lawmakers and updating MS NOW viewers on the inner workings of Congress.
Before joining MS NOW, Kevin served as Washington Correspondent for Spectrum News NY1, a local TV news station in New York City, where he closely covered New York’s congressional delegation. In addition to being nominated for a number of Emmy awards during his time with NY1, his three-part profile of Sen. Chuck Schumer won a New York Press Club award.
Kevin got his start in journalism as a political reporter for WAFB-TV, the local CBS affiliate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is a summa cum laude graduate of The George Washington University.
Outside of journalism, Kevin also sings in the all-pro choir at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.
During his four years at JP McCaskey, Kevin was a proud member of the Honors/IB program. He was also a mainstay of the school’s music department, participating in the vocal ensemble, orchestra, band, and annual spring musical.