MODESTO — Casting director Robert Ulrich and actor Kim Ulrich have been chosen as the 2012 Distinguished Alumni for Modesto Junior College and will be honored at the commencement Ceremony on Friday, April 27, at 6 p.m. in the MJC Stadium.

As MJC’s Distinguished Alumni, the couple will be presented with an award and have their names added to the perpetual plaque on display at MJC.

Kim Johnston Ulrich was born in Ripon and grew up playing in the almond orchards, swimming and cheerleading. Kim graduated from Modesto Junior College with an AA degree in Fashion Merchandising. After attending several colleges, Kim moved back home to Ripon. She attended California State University, Stanislaus and obtained a B.A. in Art. While attending CSU, Stanislaus, Kim participated in a theatre class and performed in a production of “Thieves Carnival” – which whet her appetite for acting. It was during a production of “Camelot” where Kim was doing the make-up for extra credit in an art class, that she met Modestan Robert Ulrich, who was playing the role of Lancelot.

When Kim married Robert, they moved to New York City where they spent their first 5 years of marriage. It was in New York where Kim began modeling and eventually started her career in acting. Kim’s first major role was playing Diana McColl on the CBS soap opera “As the World Turns”. After two years on the soap, Kim and Robert moved to Los Angeles, and Kim’s career flourished.

For the next 15 years, Kim worked in movies and television and appeared in such shows as “Cheers”, “Wings”, “St. Elsewhere”, “My Two Dads”, “Third Rock From the Sun” and “Murder She Wrote”, to name a few. Kim played Allison Yates on the controversial NBC series “Nightingales” and in 1999 she re-entered the “soap world”, originating the role of Ivy Winthrop Crane on the quirky NBC soap opera “Passions”. Kim played Ivy until “Passions” went off the air 9 years later.

This past year, Kim guest-starred on CBS’s “NCIS”, CW’s “Supernatural”, and CBS’s “The Mentalist”. Kim can also be heard narrating the “audio” young adult novel, “Willow”.

For more information on the MJC Distinguished Alumni Awards, to join the MJC Alumni Association or to make a contribution to the MJC Foundation, contact their office at 209.575.6068.