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The Institute For Health And Social Equity

The Institute for Health and Social Equity empowers communities by investing in students pursuing careers in nursing, STEM, and public health through scholarships and mentorship, fostering a diverse workforce for a healthier future.

Date: September 12, 2026 Time: 5:00 PM VIP/Sponsor Reception | 5:45 PM General Doors | 6:00 PM Program Location: Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, University of Maryland, College Park Attire: Black-TieDiscounted reservations are available at the Hotel at the University of Maryland, located on campus, through August 11. <a fr-original-style="" href="https://reservations.thehotelumd.com/book/dates-of-stay?groupID=5313436" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Reserve your room here</a>. The Gratitude Gala is a milestone for The Institute and a celebration of the people who have carried this work forward &mdash; the scholars, the educators, the leaders, and the supporters whose investment in the next generation makes everything we do possible. The evening is hosted by Vanessa Tyler, Emmy Award-winning journalist and Senior News Anchor at iHeartMedia. Why We GatherEvery profession that shapes our health begins in the communities that shape us. And communities depend on the educators, mentors, and families who see every student&#39;s potential. For a decade, The Institute has invested in students pursuing careers in nursing, STEM, and public health sciences &mdash; through scholarships, mentorship, and community &mdash; and honored the educators and leaders who prepare them. A healthier future requires a workforce that reflects the world it serves. The Arc of the Evening Opening Keynote&nbsp; The evening opens with Dr. Marion L. Johnson, whose work&nbsp;on the Apollo 11 mission helped carry&nbsp;humanity to the moon. The Institute&#39;s&nbsp;STEM Scholarship bears her name. Honoring Our 2026 Scholar Cohort Our&nbsp;2026 Scholars are recognized in person&nbsp;&mdash; students pursuing careers in Nursing,&nbsp;STEM, and Public Health Sciences,&nbsp;supported through three named&nbsp;scholarships established in 2018:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Marion L. Johnson STEM Scholarship</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Alana Cueto Nursing Scholarship</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Gloria Addo-Ayensu Public&nbsp;Service/Public Health Sciences&nbsp;Scholarship</li></ul>Presenting Our Inaugural Signature Awards We celebrate five leaders whose&nbsp;careers exemplify the mission we&nbsp;carry forward:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Christine &quot;Chrissy&quot; Thompson, M.Ed. &mdash; Catalyst Award &mdash; Senior Director of Teaching &amp; Learning at Girls Who Code, honoring her work expanding opportunities for girls in computer science</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Petita Rentz, MS &mdash; Cornerstone Award &mdash; Professor at the College of Southern Maryland and Secretary of The Institute&#39;s Board, honoring her steadfast leadership</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Samantha Spytek, M.Ed. &mdash; Vanguard Award &mdash; Secondary Science Educator at Academies of Loudoun, honoring her dedication to inspiring the next generation of STEM students</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Dr. Vivienne Pierce McDaniel, DNP, MSN, RN, FADLN, FNAP &mdash; Laureate Award &mdash; a lifetime achievement honor recognizing decades of nursing leadership, health equity advocacy, and policy champion work</li><li fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Dr. Aisha K. Brooks, DNP, MPH, RN, FADLN, FAAN &mdash; Founders Award &mdash; Former Chief Nurse Officer, U.S. Public Health Service &middot; Founder &amp; CEO, VitalVoice Nursing, honoring a distinguished career in service and leadership</li></ul>Closing Keynote&nbsp;The evening closes with Dr. Sheldon Fields, PhD, RN, CRNP, FNP-BC, AACRN, FAANP, FNAP, FADLN, FAAN,&nbsp;14th National President of the National&nbsp;Black Nurses Association &mdash; casting&nbsp;vision for what comes next in nursing&nbsp;leadership and the workforce we are&nbsp;building together. Also This Evening We&#39;ll preview our 2027 leadership and readiness program for emerging professionals in Nursing, STEM, and Public Health Sciences &mdash; the next chapter of The Institute&#39;s work. A Private Reception for Sponsors &amp; HonoreesBeginning at 5:00 PM, sponsors and honorees are invited to a private cocktail reception preceding the program &mdash; an opportunity to meet our scholars, honorees, and invited guests. This reception is among the benefits extended to our sponsors; to learn how to join us, see the sponsorship details below. Sponsorship Partnership opportunities range from our Supporter Circle through our Founders Circle, which carries a named scholarship awarded at the Gala. Sponsor benefits include reserved seating, recognition on our digital Donor Wall, and an invitation to a private VIP reception preceding the program.For sponsorship details, please review our full Sponsorship Prospectus <a fr-original-style="" href="https://institute4equity.org/prospectus/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">here</a>.To commit to a sponsorship, please complete our brief <a fr-original-style="" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhgrbqV9LY_QDGGH68F3dZQ1Wx3hIBFooe-4dYkmzvN_2_Gg/viewform" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Sponsorship Commitment Form</a>. Questions? Reach us at <a fr-original-style="" href="mailto:sponsorships@institute4equity.org" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">sponsorships@institute4equity.org</a> or 571-358-8915. Souvenir Journal Prefer to show your support through our commemorative Souvenir Journal? Reserve your ad <a fr-original-style="" href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:8c238fc1-44fe-45f0-9c43-351468578d90" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">here</a> &mdash; a meaningful way to stand with our scholars, with options starting at just $50. Thank YouThis anniversary belongs to everyone who has stood with us. We hope you will join us on September 12 to celebrate a decade of work and to honor the scholars and leaders shaping what comes next.The Institute for Health and Social Equity, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. A Note on Checkouts: We partner with Zeffy to ensure 100% of your ticket purchase goes directly toward our scholarships and programs. To make this possible, Zeffy will add a suggested, optional tip to your total at checkout to cover their operating costs. This contribution is entirely voluntary and helps keep their platform free for public charities like us. If you prefer not to tip, simply select &quot;Other&quot; from the dropdown menu and change the amount to $0.

10th Anniversary Gratitude Gala

Ten years of opening doors. Ten years of gratitude. One evening to gather the community that made it possible. Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026 Time: 6:00 PM EST Program &middot; Doors open at 5:45 PM EST Location: Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD Attire: Formal Accommodations: A discounted group rate of $169/night is available for out-of-town guests. Reserve your room <a fr-original-style="" href="https://reservations.travelclick.com/107316?groupID=5313436" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">here</a>by August 11th, 2026. Ticket Deadline: Tuesday September 1, 2026 The EveningThe Gratitude Gala is a milestone for The Institute and a celebration of the people who have carried this work forward &mdash; the scholars, the educators, the leaders, and the supporters whose investment in the next generation makes everything we do possible. The program will be hosted by Dr. Vanessa Tyler, Emmy Award-winning iHeart Radio podcast host.The evening opens with the awarding of our 2026 Scholar Cohort &mdash; several scholarships presented to students pursuing careers in Nursing, STEM, and Public Health Sciences, across three honoree scholarships established in 2018:<ul fr-original-style="text-align: start;" style="text-align: start; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Marion L. Johnson STEM Scholarship</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Alana Cueto Nursing Scholarship</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Gloria Addo-Ayensu Public Health Sciences Scholarship</li></ul>Awards We&#39;ll also present our inaugural class of Signature Awards, honoring five leaders whose careers exemplify the mission we carry forward:<ul fr-original-style="text-align: start;" style="text-align: start; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Dr. Vivienne Pierce McDaniel &mdash; Laureate Award, a lifetime achievement honor recognizing decades of leadership, advocacy, and social justice</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Dr. Aisha K. Brooks &mdash; Founders Award, honoring her distinguished career as a retired Captain, former Assistant Surgeon General, and the 12th Chief Nurse Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Petita Rentz &mdash; Cornerstone Award, honoring her steadfast leadership as Secretary of The Institute&#39;s Board</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Christine &quot;Chrissy&quot; Thompson &mdash; Catalyst Award, honoring her work with Girls Who Code, expanding opportunities for girls in computer science</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Samantha Spytek &mdash; Vanguard Award, honoring her dedication as a high school science teacher inspiring the next generation of STEM students</li></ul>KeynotesDr. Marion L. Johnson, NASA Hidden Figure, opens the evening as our keynote speaker, and Dr. Sheldon Fields, 14th President of the National Black Nurses Association, closes it as our keynote.&nbsp; The evening will also preview our 2027 leadership and readiness program for emerging professionals in Nursing, STEM, and Public Health Sciences. A Private Reception for Sponsors &amp; Honorees Beginning at 5:00 PM, sponsors and honorees are invited to a private cocktail reception preceding the program &mdash; an opportunity to meet our scholars, honorees, and invited guests. This reception is among the benefits extended to our sponsors; to learn how to join us, see the sponsorship details below. Sponsorship Partnership opportunities range from our Supporter Circle through our Founders Circle, which carries a named scholarship awarded at the Gala. Sponsor benefits include reserved seating, recognition on our digital Donor Wall, and an invitation to a private VIP reception preceding the program.For sponsorship details, please review our full Sponsorship Prospectus <a fr-original-style="" href="https://institute4equity.org/prospectus/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">here</a>.To commit to a sponsorship, please complete our brief <a fr-original-style="" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhgrbqV9LY_QDGGH68F3dZQ1Wx3hIBFooe-4dYkmzvN_2_Gg/viewform" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Sponsorship Commitment Form</a>. Questions? Reach us at <a fr-original-style="" href="mailto:sponsorships@institute4equity.org" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">sponsorships@institute4equity.org</a> or 571-358-8915. Thank YouThis anniversary belongs to everyone who has stood with us. We hope you will join us on September 12 to celebrate a decade of work and to honor the scholars and leaders shaping what comes next.The Institute for Health and Social Equity, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

The Institute For Health And Social Equity

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10th Anniversary Gratitude Gala

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Sponsorships and Souvenir Journal Ads- The Institute's 10th Anniversary Gratitude Gala

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