The Welty Gala Benefiting the MUW Scholarship Fund
October 24, 2025
The Welty Gala
On Friday, October 24, 2025, at 7:00 p.m., students from the Ina E. Gordy Honors College, alumni, and community members are invited to join us for an elegant evening at the Trotter Convention Center in downtown Columbus.
The Welty Gala begins with a reception with this year’s Welty Symposium authors followed by dinner and a presentation by Jeff Henderson, inspiring celebrity chef and bestselling author.
The Welty Gala is our annual fundraiser for the MUW Scholarship Fund. To ensure the success of this event, MUW is seeking supporters who will participate as Benefactors, Patrons, and Friends. We are especially grateful for your support of this event and the opportunity it provides to the community and our Ina E. Gordy Honors College students to further their academic experience beyond the classroom.
The MUW Scholarship Fund
Scholarship funds help The W strengthen our dynamic learning environment to benefit our entire student body. Scholarship support does so much more than provide tuition assistance; it recognizes and rewards hard work and dedication giving students opportunities to hone career choices and pursue their dreams. Scholarship funds make the difference in whether or not many deserving students are able to attend The W.
Our Speaker
Jeff Henderson inspires with his emotional journey of redemption from the streets to the stove, sharing real-life strategies to help you achieve your dreams, no matter your stage of life.
From humble beginnings in South Central Los Angeles to life as an imprisoned drug dealer and then as an award-winning celebrity chef and bestselling author, Jeff is a role model for anyone who needs the encouragement to reinvent their life. Since he discovered his passion and gift for cooking in the unlikeliest of places — prison, Jeff has completely turned his life around and today serves as a popular and powerful voice for self-transformation.
The creator of Food Network's reality series, “The Chef Jeff Project,” host of “Family Style with Chef Jeff,” and the star of the nationally syndicated series, “Flip My Food with Chef Jeff,” he is also the bestselling author of two books.
From overcoming hardship to identifying one’s personal talents, Jeff reveals his hard-knock yet transformative life lessons and the secrets to rising above and realizing your potential. His dynamic and engaging presentations help audiences discover their hidden business aptitudes, make life-changing decisions, and gain a new foothold on the ladder to success.
Schedule
5:30 p.m. Private reception with Jeff Henderson for Benefactors and Patrons
6:00 p.m. Friends reception with Welty Symposium Authors in the Trotter Main Lobby
7:00 p.m. Dinner in the Trotter Ballroom
8:00 p.m. Presentation by Jeff Henderson
9:15 p.m. Book signing
Sponsorship Levels
Welty Gala online sponsorship purchasing is available through Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. at the following levels. For more information, please call the Office of Development and Alumni at 662-329-7148.
Benefactor
$5,000 ($3,800 tax deductible)
Eight seats at a named table including preferred dinner service
Eight invitations to a private reception with Jeff Henderson
Four autographed copies of a bestselling book by Jeff Henderson
Prominent program recognition
One quarter-page advertisement in the spring issue of our alumni magazine, Visions
A 20-meal ticket to the MUW Hogarth Dining Center or
A 20-session pass to the MUW Stark Recreation Center
Patron
$500 ($400 tax deductible)
Dinner seating for one
Invitation to a private reception with Jeff Henderson
An autographed copy of a bestselling book by Jeff Henderson
Program recognition
Friend
$125 ($65 tax deductible)
Dinner seating for one
Invitation to Friends reception with Welty Symposium authors in the Trotter Main Lobby
Program recognition
Sponsorship Purchasing
Online sponsorship purchasing ends Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. For assistance, please call the Office of Development and Alumni at 662-329-7148.