A Night of Celebration

The 30th Anniversary of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace was a night of celebration. A chance to reflect and rejoice over the good work the Chair has done over the last 30 years. A moment to appreciate the Chair's history and the Chair's future.

Being a part of the Bahá’í Chair over the previous two years, I was overwhelmed by the positive support the whole team received at the event. Most of my time has been spent working on virtual and hybrid events, unable to see the direct impact the Chair makes from behind the screen. However, as almost 400 people filed into the Colony Ballroom, I was overjoyed to see the number of people passionate about the work we have been doing and eager to support any upcoming projects. 

The night began with speakers from the university, such as Provost Jennifer King Rice and Dean Susan Rivera from the Behavioral School of Social Sciences. They complimented the Bahá’í Chair as a successful and respected organization that has impacted not only the campus but a much broader community. We greatly appreciated having these campus leaders support the Anniversary. 

The night continued with many amazing people sharing how the Bahá’í Chair has impacted them and how much they appreciate what the Chair is doing. I greatly enjoyed hearing from past students Ashli and Emily and identified with the way working for the Bahá’í Chair had shaped their college and post-graduate experience. 

My favorite part of the night was actually after the speakers had concluded and guests were invited to the dessert reception. I had a chance to talk to the many faces I had seen on a Zoom screen but had never had the chance to meet in person. You could feel the passion for the work the Bahá’í Chair was doing flowing throughout the room.

Speakers from past events, Board members, students, teachers, and members of the Bahá’í community all mingled with each other and discussed the excitement of the celebration. I met guests from Maryland to Maine to Los Angeles and even overseas guests! People had flown to the University of Maryland just to celebrate the work that the Chair was doing, that they truly believed in.

I left the 30th Anniversary event exhausted but filled with pride. I was even more proud of the work we were doing and greatly enjoyed meeting face-to-face with so many inspiring people. I am energized to continue the work that the Bahá’í Chair does on campus every day and look forward to coming back to campus for the 60th Anniversary of the Chair!