Co-hosted by NEIU Foundation Board member Marcellus Moore Jr. and NEIU Alumni Advisory Board Member Melanny Buitron

(B.S. ’19 General Business Administration), last fall’s ceremony on Oct. 15 was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The event was the first in-person gala since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to ticket sales and a lively paddle raise led by Vice President for Institutional Advancement Liesl Downey, the event raised more than $114,000 in gifts and pledges for student scholarships.

Other highlights include:

• The Farzaneh Family Cyrus of Persia Scholarship announced its first scholar, Mamoon Aref (current student). Endowed by brothers Jalal and Mohammad Farzaneh, the full-ride scholarship is named for the ancient Persian king, Cyrus the Great, and will pay for tuition, fees and books for four academic years. Cyrus of Persia Scholars will also be offered one year of free housing within The Nest.

• The Laura Dojutrek Scholarship fund for Physical Education students was announced. Dojutrek (B.A. ’82 Secondary Education, Physical Education) is a former student athlete who founded Dream of Hopes Ranch, Inc., a Texas-based nonprofit for adolescents and adults with special needs.

• Two student-produced and directed films were screened at the Gala. Maria Fernanda Olivares Garcia’s (current student, B.A. Communication, Media and Theatre) film was about Edwin Medina (B.S. ’22 Marketing; current student, MBA). Rin O. Zual’s (B.S. ’22 Computer Science) film was about Student Government Association Vice President Itzel Linares (current student, B.A. Spanish).

• Student Awardee Alvin Gutierrez (current student, B.A. Elementary Education) entertained attendees with a spirited beatboxing performance dedicated to the Northeastern community.

Northeastern alumni, students, staff and friends were treated to gourmet food stations, a photo booth, a pop-up art show featuring student works, student musical performances and student videos. Kenny Kozyra (B.A. ’20 Political Science) of T&R Productions, was at the turntable spinning everyone’s favorite tracks to round out the evening’s festivities.

President Gibson closed the formal part of the evening by thanking all the guests for their contributions, which support students on their academic journeys. She encouraged everyone to “shake a tail feather” on the dance floor and have fun!