After a two-year hiatus, the Brock University Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) is hosting its annual spring gala in celebration of its 20th anniversary.

The fourth annual Starlight Gala is set to take place Saturday, April 2 in person at Club Roma in St. Catharines beginning at 5:30 p.m. The evening will include a cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres service followed by dinner and dancing. The GSA will also be presenting six awards that recognize outstanding graduate students for their commitment, service and leadership.

Current graduate students as well as graduate student alumni who convocated between spring 2020 and fall 2021 are invited to attend the celebration.

“The Starlight Gala is the GSA’s signature event and is a wonderful opportunity for graduate students to connect with each other and celebrate their accomplishments, especially after a couple of challenging years as a result of the pandemic,” said GSA President Christopher Yendt (BA ’15, BEd ’15, BEd ’20, MEd ’21). “We have opened this year’s event to graduate students who recently graduated and may not have had the chance to say their final goodbyes to friends and colleagues in person.”

Yendt said this year’s gala will also celebrate the GSA’s 20th anniversary, which was recognized last fall with a livestreamed event.

“Although we have already marked this significant milestone in our association’s history, the gala offers another opportunity to reflect on the past two decades of graduate student service, representation and engagement, and honour the progress we have made,” he said.

Tickets for the gala are $35 for current graduate students and Brock graduate alumni, and $40 for guests. The deadline to purchase tickets is Thursday, March 24 at 4 p.m.

Yendt says ticket sales have already surpassed the gala’s previous highest attendance and he expects the event to reach maximum capacity.

Questions regarding the event, including tickets, can be emailed to gsaoffice@brocku.ca