Co-presented by the UC Berkeley Foundation and the Cal Alumni Association, the Mark Bingham Award commends a young alumnus/a who graduated within the last 10 years who has made a significant contribution to his/her community, country, or the world at large. This award pays tribute to Mark Bingham ’93, who died on September 11, 2001, defending the United States on United Airlines Flight 93.
Past recipients of the Mark Bingham Award for Excellence in Achievement by Young Alumni include award-winning entrepreneur and engineer Christopher Ategeka ’11, M.S. ’12 (2021) and Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin ’05 (2007).
About Alex Morgan Carrasco
Alex Morgan Carrasco ’14 has made a name for herself as a soccer star at Cal, a two-time World Cup champion, and an Olympic gold medalist—as well as a fierce advocate for equality and reform within her sport.
Morgan, who earned a degree from Berkeley in political economy, finished her Cal career ranked third all-time in goals scored (45) and points (107). She was the Soccer America MVP, a two-time All-Region and a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree, as well as a three-time member of the Pac-12 All-Academic Team. She was the number-one pick overall in the 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer draft by the Western New York Flash, and she recently joined the San Diego Wave FC after six seasons with the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Morgan was the youngest player on the national team at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where the team finished second. At the 2012 London Olympics, she scored the winning goal in the 123rd minute of the semifinal match against Canada as the USA went on to win the gold medal. She was subsequently named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year and was a FIFA World Player of the Year finalist. Morgan also helped the United States win titles at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups, earning the Silver Boot award in 2019.
Off the field, she is a co-founder of TOGTHXR, a media and commerce company focused on rich storytelling rooted in lifestyle and youth culture, and remains a force as a player, embodying strength, leadership, and grace. With her husband, fellow Cal soccer alum Servando Carrasco ’10, Morgan provides philanthropy and feedback to the Cal program, inspiring student-athletes to excel on the pitch and beyond.
About the Achievement Awards
The Berkeley community is filled with people pushing the edges of what’s possible—business leaders whose achievements have shaped entire industries and benefited humankind; alumni whose dedication to Berkeley has had a profound and lasting impact on students and faculty; and young alumni whose early achievements are already showing great promise for their fields or communities. Each year, the university honors forward-thinking business leaders, gifted faculty, and dedicated and promising alumni with the Achievement Awards, co-presented by the UC Berkeley Foundation and the Cal Alumni Association.
See all the 2022 Achievement Award recipients.
Further Reading
Twenty Years Later: Remembering Mark Bingham
Since 2005, the Mark Bingham Award for Excellence in Achievement by Young Alumni has been presented in Bingham’s honor to celebrate those who embody his legacy. Get to know this extraordinary alum.
