Peace Gala Hits a Fundraising Record in Support of SUA’s Mission
Even before auctioneer DawnMarie Kotsonis asked the hundreds of SUA supporters attending the 2022 Peace Gala if they believe that peace is possible in the world, several SUA alumni sent video messages showing their own answers were a resounding yes.
One of those former students, Prakash Bista ’17, described developing schools in Nepal with a mission that echoes SUA’s: providing what students need to reach their full potential to live a contributive life regardless of their life circumstances.
The purpose of the gathering was clear, and the 293 guests attending “Celebrating a Vision of Peace,” on campus and online on Oct. 8, rose to the occasion. The 18th annual event raised almost $1.2 million—a SUA record—to ensure that future peacemakers may benefit from a SUA education regardless of their financial or economic status.
Reacting to the alumni messages, Master of Ceremonies Gene Kang, Emmy award-winning journalist with KTLA 5 News in Los Angeles, said that knowing young people are doing this work “despite so much going on in the world, with wisdom, courage, and compassion, is truly something that actually educates and brings up the level of humanity all around the world.”
A Foundation of Peace
SUA President Edward Feasel put its peace-making mission in context when he took the stage. In his conversations with SUA’s newest undergraduate and graduate students—50 percent of whom are international students—Pres. Feasel noted that most said they chose SUA both because of its mission to educate global citizens and because of its generous financial aid. He thanked the many donors who make their bright futures possible.
When opening the Soka Institute for Global Solutions this past May, a response to SUA founder Daisaku Ikeda’s 1987 call for the establishment of such an institute, Pres. Feasel saw that peace education was fundamental to finding solutions to the human rights, environmental, and development crises that plague our planet. He determined that SIGS’ two inaugural projects would focus on creating resources for global citizenship education at the K-12 level and addressing the crisis of nuclear weapons. The full SUA experience, including academic concentrations and study abroad, allows all students to explore peaceful solutions to complex global issues.
“I firmly believe our students and our alumni are the hope for humanity, and everyone here at SUA, whether student, faculty, or staff, realizes that it is because of our donors that we have the resources to educate global citizens,” Pres. Feasel said.
A Ripple Effect
After a lively and successful auction, and a rousing performance by Freda Payne, the singer and actress best known for her hit “Band of Gold,” the evening closed with additional messages of gratitude from several SUA alumni making a difference in the world.
Emmanuel Gebremeskel ’19, originally from Ethiopia, described how his multidisciplinary education has prepared him to pursue his dream of becoming a concierge of business in Africa. Without the support of donors, “a little boy like me from Ethiopia would not have been able to experience the world through the portal that you’ve created…I would not have been able to meet the people I’ve met, I would not have been able to learn the things I’ve learned, and I would not potentially be able to make the impact at the scale that I want to make.”
Julia Odano ’08 reflected on how the values inherent in an SUA education have helped her develop as a leader and manager in her sales career. She expressed gratitude to SUA donors whose support is evidence of global citizenship “because it’s their wisdom, it’s their compassion, and their care for others that allowed me to have a phenomenal education.”