Celebration of Scholarships 2023
RISD’s annual Celebration of Scholarships event, held in May, brought together donors and students for a night of connection and recognition.
Scholarship donor Rafael de Cárdenas 96 AP hosted the event and students Zaineb Aljumayaat 25 IL and Adrian Pelliccia MArch 24 gave remarks and shared their work. Prior to the evening’s celebration, Leslie Ponce-Díaz BArch 23 and nonprofit organization What Cheer Flower Farm led guests through a workshop on arranging flowers. Amy Sabpisa 24 ID provided music for the evening on her keyboard.
President Crystal Williams thanked donors for their commitment to RISD and its students, noting that philanthropy accounted for nearly $31 million in financial aid in the last five years. “Such generosity speaks to our shared values of creating environments where students are able to access the necessary tools and skills that help them ask questions and generate solutions to engage more effectively in a rapidly changing world,” she said.
“While financial aid is transformative for students and is a key driver of social equity and inclusion, it is also transformative for RISD," Williams added. "Increased access to financial aid allows the institution to begin to realize the vision of being a place where the most talented students face no barriers to entry. Students across the financial spectrum are innovative and creative. Financial aid helps to ensure that if they choose, they can develop their craft and expand their worldview through the educational experience available at RISD.”
Header image: Jan Rybczynski 23 FD; Regina Gutierrez 24 SC; Amadi Williams 25 PT.
