Sacramento, Calif. – Mountain climber and author Stacy Allison, the first American woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, will serve as keynote speaker for National University’s 2004 commencement ceremony in Sacramento on Sunday, June 13. The ceremony will include graduates from academic centers in Fresno, Stockton, San Jose, Sacramento, and Redding.
Ms. Allison scaled the world’s largest mountain in 1988 as a member of the Northwest American Everest Expedition. She reached the peak after 29 days on the mountain. It was her second Everest expedition. Her first expedition turned back at 23,500 feet after a severe storm trapped her and her team in a snow cave for five days.
Having also lead a successful expedition to the summit of the world’s second largest mountain, K2, which is considered by professional mountain climbers to be the world’s most challenging peak, Ms. Allison went on to become a successful writer. Her published works include Beyond the Limits: A Woman’s Triumph on Everest, and Many Mountains to Climb: Reflections on Competence, Courage and Commitment.
In addition to her careers as a mountain climber and author, Ms. Allison also owns and operates Stacy Allison General Contracting, a residential building company specializing in the restoration and remodeling of older homes. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two sons. For more information regarding Stacy Allison or National University’s 2004 Sacramento commencement, please contact Hoyt Smith at (858) 642-8111, or visit National University’s website at www.nu.edu.