The College Raised More Than a Half-Million Dollars for the Scholarship Funds in a Pandemic Year   

On Tuesday, April 27, more than 400 households tuned in to watch NYSID’s first virtual gala produced by STAMP Event Management and Boatman Media and hosted by NYSID Trustee Alexa Hampton. Ms. Hampton kept the tone playful and the mission front and center as she MCed, in a stunning gown, from her NYC apartment.  Hampton presented Alex Papachristidis with the Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award, Corey Damen Jenkins with the Larry Kravet Design Industry Leadership Award, and NYSID alumna Nina Farmer ’02 with the Rising Star Award (made possible for the third year in a row by The Shade Store). The awards were engraved crystal vases donated by Baccarat.   

One of the most powerful aspects of the virtual format was the ability to see inside the homes and ongoing projects of the designers in NYSID’s community as they shared wisdom and well-wishes. NYSID’s development team exceeded its goal for the gala, raising more than $500,000. Every dollar will go towards making the best interior design education possible for deserving students through NYSID’s emergency, diversity, Pre-College and general scholarship funds. Said NYSID President David Sprouls, “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your support of and confidence in NYSID.” Special thanks to NYSID Board of Trustees chair Ellen Kravet and gala co-chairs Chesie Breen, Alexa Hampton, David Kleinberg, Susan Nagle, Betsey Ruprecht, and Maria Spears, all trustees of NYSID.