University of Lynchburg marks eighth annual Mosaic Gala

The Mosaic Gala is part dinner, part talent show, and part awards ceremony. Awards are given to students, faculty, and staff who support inclusion and a sense of belonging at the University.

“It’s just a really nice way to commemorate all the hard work that we’ve done throughout the year,” said Alexis Scott, assistant director of belonging and mentorship initiatives.

For the past two years, Scott has been organizing the Mosaic Gala, along with student leaders of the University’s affinity groups.

The event was founded in 2018 as the “Multicultural Gala,” and was initiated by Lynchburg’s affinity groups. Annette Stadtherr, former director of multicultural services, was the gala’s first organizer.

“We had nine active affinity groups back then,” she said. “… They wanted to have their own kind of formal program to recognize the work of … faculty, staff, and students.”

Stadtherr describes the early ceremonies as reminiscent of “the Academy Awards,” where guests and participants would “dress to the nines,” a tradition that continues to this day.

Guests began arriving at the ballroom at about 5 p.m. on Friday. Some were dressed in formal evening wear, others in more evocative attire, such as dresses covered in suns, moons, and stars.

The guests included students, staff, faculty, department heads, and their friends and family. Also in attendance was President Dr. Alison Morrison-Shetlar, the University’s first female and foreign-born president, who will retire this summer.

Brainey Tamrakar ’28 and Dr. Mike Robinson, chair of the communication studies department, opened the ceremony, thanking the sponsors. They introduced Price Jett, vice president of finance and operations services and chief financial officer, as the evening’s “narrator.”

“The purpose of the narrator is to serve as the storytelling thread of the evening,” Tamrakar said. “[He’ll] guide guests through each performance and connect it to individual pieces.”

Jett took the microphone and began to speak.

“Tonight’s theme, of course, is the stars,” he said. “Long before we named the stars, we told stories — stories of who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.

“Tonight, we gather beneath an enchanted sky, not as strangers, but as a constellation in the making. Each of us carries a story … a memory, a voice. And just like the stars, no two shine the same.”

The first musical performance of the evening was by Aisha Abdulbary-Knotts ’26 and Molly Hoover ’26. They performed a stirring rendition of “Read All About It, Pt. III” by Emeli Sandé and Professor Green.

Abdulbary-Knotts sang in a loud, clear voice, while Hoover accompanied her on the piano. The song’s lyrics encourage listeners to speak up and express themselves in times of fear and intimidation:

“You’ve got the light to fight the shadows / So stop hiding it away.”

The duo received a standing ovation. Next, they performed a song from the Broadway musical “Waitress,” which Abdulbary-Knotts dedicated to a childhood friend.

“Aisha,” Robinson said afterward, “You’ve got to get yourself an agent and get on ‘American Idol’!”

Dinner was served. A handful of guests danced while local musician Trevor Hicks played renditions of “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Perfect” on saxophone. Groups of friends and colleagues lined up to squeeze into a photobooth.

After dinner, the guests were entertained by spoken word artist and former Lynchburg staff member Desmond Mosby.

Mosby said when he heard the night’s theme was “Constellations,” he “started thinking about the sky.”

“… And I thought about how easy it is to look up and miss the lesson,” he said. “Because when most of us see the night sky, we see beauty, we see wonder, we see light. But if we look a little closer, we see something more. We see meaning, we see pattern, we see connection, we see proof that what looks scattered can still belong to something greater.

“And that might be the real message tonight. Because constellations do not happen because every star is the same. They happen because somebody learned how to connect what was already there.”

Mosby also challenged his audience to “shine … not arrogantly, not alone, not against one another, but together.”

After Mosby’s performance, Tamrakar announced the awards ceremony, “where we honor students, clubs, faculty, staff, everybody who’s … impacted how we do things here.”

Saida Ehsani ’27 received the Patience and Fortitude Award. It honors someone who “exemplifies the ideals of patience and fortitude” and “remains strong and supportive, no matter the issue or circumstances.”

Vannon Lail ’28 received the Always Becoming Award, which honors a first-year Lynchburg student who “shows perseverance in upholding the values of the University” and is an “evolving leader and … reflection of the University of Lynchburg’s vision to ‘always be becoming.’”

Willow Martin ’26 received the Inclusive Excellence Award.

Tracy McCray, Westover manager and Woman2Woman mentor, received the Community Engagement Award, honoring an individual who “focuses their efforts on growing and improving diversity and inclusion to impact the surrounding Lynchburg community for the betterment of everyone.”

Julian Rodgers, University counselor, received the Exemplary Mentor Award, which is given to an employee who “serves as a role model to the student body” and is “dedicated to empowering students to become leaders, encouraging integrity, and is a beacon of inspiration.”

The Rev. Dr. Nathan Albert, University chaplain and assistant vice president of belonging, received the Voice of Peace and Inclusion Award. It honors “a student or University employee who uses their voice to promote inclusion in their personal, professional, and/or collegiate journey” and who is “thriving in the realm of inclusivity.”

Madison Morton ’28 won the Distinguished Leadership Award, given to a student who “has served as a pillar for the University” and “has contributed outstanding leadership, service, and dedication to the campus community.”

The Helen Mundy Witt Award, named after the first Black graduate of Lynchburg College, was given to Allen TenBusschen, assistant professor of art and chair of the art department.

The Mosaic Gala award was given to Soliyana Atnafu ’26. It honors a senior who has exemplified excellent leadership and service, while honoring the mosaic culture of our campus, and who has “left their individualistic mosaic pieces with their peers, faculty, staff, and surrounding community.”

“Your leadership has been one of the guiding lights, has been steady and inspiring, and deeply impactful to my time at the University. You have helped shape the community here, where our stories are valued, our voices are uplifted, and each of us has found a place to shine. …

Finally, the Organization of the Year Award was given to Man2Man, an organization that focuses on the development of successful men of color at the University of Lynchburg.

Then, Alexis Scott made a final announcement, saying there was “one more person to thank.”

“Dear President Alison,” she said, “as we gather under this year’s ‘Enchanted Constellations’ theme, we are reminded that every constellation is shaped by the light that came before it.

“As you step into this next chapter, may you celebrate all that you’ve given us and all that you’ve made possible. May your retirement be filled with joy, hopefully a little bit of rest, and the same beauty and care that you’ve shaped within this community.”

Morrison-Shetlar came to the stage, where she accepted a bouquet of flowers from Scott and gave her a hug.

In the final performance of the night, Assistant Director of Campus Engagement Gretchen Casler-Cline performed “Appalachian Melodies: Songs that Shaped the American Journey,” including an original piece titled “Starlight.”

Leading up to her performance, Jett provided one final narration:

“Every constellation has an origin, every place has a story where it begins,” he said. “Places can feel like home, some steady, familiar, and deeply a part of us, while others still cause us to grow, to explore, to become something new.

“Our past is not something we leave behind, but something we carry forward, … the stories we choose to write next.”