As Next Generation Scholars prepares to host our first ever gala, I can’t help but bask in the glow of our growth over the last 21 years. From an idea born on a dinner table in 2004 to achieving 100% four-year college acceptance rates for our entire Academy Class of 2024, I am so proud of how this community has always united in our shared commitment to learn, heal, and uplift each other.
Our Gala’s theme, Illuminate & Elevate, is not only an homage, but a promise to our community. ‘Illuminate’, because we know how much our Scholars and their families deserve the spotlight, and ‘Elevate’, because of our mission to support every single one of our Scholars in rising to their fullest potential.
Truthfully, a gala is not the kind of event our community members would receive an invitation to unless they were working at the event. At times, we are not expected to be there even when we are invited. I have a personal story that showed me this firsthand. When I was in high school, I was invited to a gala-esque event by a friend, a debutante, and a woman in a fur coat asked me to fetch her a glass of water, mistaking me as one of the wait staff. Two decades later, I still vividly and viscerally remember this interaction, this feeling, and the shame I felt.
So when we decided to host our own gala, it was important to me that we were intentional about putting on this “fancy” event the NGS way: by inviting you to our house, welcoming you to come as you are, and to making every single person feel like they belong.
Gala Light will honor our roots and humble beginnings, and it will also illuminate and elevate the bright futures and journeys our Scholars and their families are on. As our Scholars continue to break ceilings and transform the trajectories of their entire families, we are glowing with pride and cannot wait to spotlight all they have accomplished.
We look forward to welcoming you to our Scholar House on April 27th. We promise you a night of light, joy, and soul-lifting connections. I look forward to you witnessing and experiencing our community’s brilliance at our Gala Light.
Come as you are; you belong.
Nghiem Bui,
Executive Director, Next Generation Scholars
NGS Class of 2007
Introducing Raffle Prizes at Gala Light!
Thanks to the support of local businesses across the Bay Area, we are thrilled to offer exciting raffle prizes at our gala event.
One of our raffle prizes will be a "Dine in Marin" package, featuring gift cards to the area's best restaurants: Left Bank, Piazza D'Angelo, and Insalata's.
Catch all this and more at Gala Light.
We hope to see you there!
Special Thanks to One of Our Event Sponsors!
Deloitte's company purpose is to make an impact that matters for their clients, their people, and the communities where they live and work. We thank them for investing in NGS as a Gala Light event sponsor.
