Golden Apple Gala in Vegas Honors CCSD Alumni, Celebrates Community Impact and Excellence
Three exceptional Clark County School District (CCSD) graduates received recognition at Paris Las Vegas during the first-ever Alumni of the Year Awards. The Public Education Foundation hosted the special event as part of its Golden Apple Gala on Jan. 4.
The gala received generous support from the NV Energy Foundation, Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts International, who helped make the event possible, Channel 3 reports.
Bo Bernhard, Ph.D, and Alex Bybee stole the show as they received the 2025 Alumni of the Year awards. Up-and-coming talent Adrian Gonzalez took home the Emerging Alumni honor.
Bernhard, who graduated from Bonanza High School, became known for his innovative research. His work gained attention from major media outlets. He also received the World Affairs Council’s International Educator of the Year award, the program reports.
Fellow Bonanza graduate Bybee secured $25 million in public schools and climate initiatives funding and has led positive change in Nevada for over a decade. Gonzalez, a 2024 CCSD graduate, established his Country Bars soap company through his senior project at the Northwest Career and Technical Academy.
The Golden Apple Gala marked a new tradition celebrating graduates who make a difference in their communities. Peter Guzman, Chair of the PEF Board of Directors, emphasized the event’s importance.
“By celebrating leaders who graduated from our local public schools, we also celebrate the excellence found throughout CCSD that has prepared some of our community’s most successful business leaders, policy-makers, and community advocates,” said Guzman to New3LV.
The new awards program helps PEF create stronger connections between schools and the community while developing pride and ambition in each student.