NNA -nbsp;A joyous mood permeated the grand ballroomnbsp;in New York Citynbsp;wherenbsp;250 alumni, friends, and trustees of LAU gatherednbsp;September 15nbsp;to lend their unwavering supportnbsp;to the institutionrsquo;snbsp;students.
Withnbsp;Lebanonnbsp;still mired in an economic crisis,nbsp;LAUrsquo;s financial aid has reached unprecedented scale, covering 85% of the student body.nbsp;To maintain high standards, this has been accompanied by massive faculty and staff retention packages.
Initiatives such asnbsp;thenbsp;Legacy Scholarship Gala,nbsp;which raised over $1 millionnbsp;bothnbsp;from attendees andnbsp;fromnbsp;donors far and wide, arenbsp;nownbsp;critical tonbsp;the universityrsquo;snbsp;success innbsp;empoweringnbsp;newnbsp;generationsnbsp;of professionals, creators, thinkers, entrepreneurs.
Kicking off with a surprise appearance by New York City mayor Eric Adams, the evening featured a succession of international honorees, special guests, lively appeals, and delightful music, all in celebration mdash;and material supportmdash; of this great cause.
ldquo;The diaspora, of which many of you are a part, is Lebanonrsquo;s gift to humanity,rdquo; said Philip Stoltzfus, the chairman of LAUrsquo;s Board of Trustees. He described the Lebanese as ldquo;a people so talented and industrious that they lift and transform every community they adopt as their own.rdquo;
LAU president Michel E.nbsp;Mawadnbsp;appealedfor helpnbsp;ldquo;from the ranks of outstanding faculty, physicians, staff and students deeply committed to the pursuit of quality education and healthcarerdquo; andnbsp;ldquo;on behalf of an institution that proudly embraces a dual identity of American and Lebanese.rdquo;nbsp;Henbsp;characterized the university as ldquo;an academic and professional lighthouse in the darkness of Lebanon.rdquo;
The call for support resonatednbsp;throughout thenbsp;eventrsquo;s colorfulnbsp;program mdash; and it did not go unheeded.nbsp;The live appealnbsp;byauctioneernbsp;CK Swettnbsp;drew swift responsesnbsp;throughout the roomnbsp;fromnbsp;beamingnbsp;donors.
ldquo;We are here for the students, for their future and for the future of Lebanon,rdquo; and to ldquo;open doors for the students, which will undoubtedly have a lasting effect on their lives,rdquo; said gala committee co-chairs Zeina Fares and Micheline Nader, respectively.
ldquo;We need you more than ever right now,rdquo; said mayor Adams referring to institutions such as LAU. ldquo;[Our] children are undergoing so much mdash; we#39;ve never had to go through what these young people are going through,rdquo; he said, before presenting a proclamation as a recognition ldquo;on behalf of 8.3 million New Yorkers.rdquo;
LAUrsquo;s two honorees received the Sarah Huntington Smith award with warm and forward-looking words.
ldquo;Education has been my anchor, my foundation of knowledge, and the source of valuable life lessons,rdquo; said basketball star Waelnbsp;Arakjinbsp;rsquo;16, accepting the award on behalf of the national basketball team of Lebanon. ldquo;And tonight, I want to inspire and stand next to and behind the next generation in Lebanon hellip; I want them to know that regardless of where they start, with hard work and dedication, they can aspire to greatness,rdquo;nbsp;he added.
In a heartfelt impromptu speech, H.H. Sheikha Intisarnbsp;AlSabahnbsp;highlighted her fondness for Lebanon, the work of her NGO that helps women overcome violence and war trauma, and her upcoming return to serve as an LAU trustee again. ldquo;So if you were thinking of giving $1,000 before, make them $10,000, because there are a lot of students that need help,rdquo; she said to a captive and cheerful audience.
ldquo;I am so honored and proud to be here receiving this award hellip; I promise you we will continue and increase our efforts to support all the students at LAU,rdquo;nbsp;she said.
Mona Abounbsp;Hamzeh, the award-winning presenter of the TV shownbsp;Talk of the Town,was also on handnbsp;as a special guest. She reaffirmed the importance of Lebanonrsquo;s diaspora in the recovery and reform efforts.
A special attendee this year was Jananbsp;Sharara, MD class of 2023.nbsp;Her successnbsp;exemplifiesnbsp;the triumph that isnbsp;LAUrsquo;snbsp;financial aidnbsp;program with the additionalnbsp;support of major donors, who were therenbsp;to reinforce her safety net at the worst moments of the economic crisis.nbsp;They did not let her fall,nbsp;and that is what this event was all about.
The gala concluded with a musical feast by Guynbsp;Manoukian. — LAUnbsp;
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