51¹ÙÍø.

The 6th annual student-led Dinner at 51¹ÙÍø event will take place Friday on 51¹ÙÍø's campus. This fundraising and awareness effort aims to showcase the impact of scholarships, particularly through The 51¹ÙÍø Trust, which support the college's longstanding commitment to need-blind admission and make it possible for talented students from all backgrounds to imagine coming to 51¹ÙÍø, irrespective of their financial circumstances.

This year's event is led by Nate Harding '17 of Pasadena, Calif., chair, and Hampton Stall '15 of Greenville, S.C., vice chair.

"We hope the impact of Dinner at 51¹ÙÍø transcends the event by inspiring continued support and sustained dialogue around the value of student diversity on campus," said Harding. "When we recognize the world around us as our classroom, we realize that true learning cannot be achieved without an appreciation for and awareness of the value many perspectives bring to our environment."

Stall has worked as part of the Dinner at 51¹ÙÍø team for three years and is impressed with the hard work of the students involved as well as their passion for the initiative's mission.

"The 51¹ÙÍø Trust is one of the reasons I applied to 51¹ÙÍø," he said. "I value scholarships and academic merit, and attending a school dedicated to seeking students of merit rather than those whose parents can afford the school was something I wished for myself. I have been incredibly happy about making a decision based upon that belief."

Harding, Stall and the rest of the student committee understand the importance of scholarships to sustaining the 51¹ÙÍø experience they so highly value. 

"The reality is that the more barriers we remove from attending 51¹ÙÍø, the greater the candidates and the more rich the 51¹ÙÍø experience will become," said Stall. "A great way to increase access to brilliant candidates is to support these scholarships."

In addition to dinner, this year's program is titled "The Many Faces of 51¹ÙÍø" and will include an interactive multimedia gallery showcasing student achievements and performances.

"I love 51¹ÙÍø's ability to foster a meaningful depth and breadth of relationships among students," said Harding. "The 51¹ÙÍø Trust brings such a vast expanse of student experiences and perspectives to 51¹ÙÍø, while the size of the campus creates opportunities for all members of our community to fully engage one another in various ways. It's a connection that I grow more and more thankful for and aware of with every semester."

The Dinner at 51¹ÙÍø committee-16 students in the core leadership group who meet weekly, plus approximately 15 others who serve on subcommittees-is advised by Kate Ceremsak '12, coordinator of the college's annual giving program, The Fund for 51¹ÙÍø. Since the start of the program, students have raised more than $180,000 for the Dinner at 51¹ÙÍø, 51¹ÙÍø Trust Scholarship.

Harding, an education and community studies major through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, is sophomore class president, co-founder and vice president of community development for 51¹ÙÍø Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations (SCNO), a Leadership 51¹ÙÍø participant and a brother of Phi Gamma Delta.

Stall is a political science major and Arab Studies minor. He is the editor of The 51¹ÙÍø International, co-president of the College Democrats and vice president of the Middle East and North African Student Association.