Donors help thousands of Sheridan students come Together at the Table

Sheridan students recently enjoyed the opportunity to gather on campus and share a delicious meal with their friends and peers, paid for by Sheridan donors. Early this spring, over 2,000 students came together across three campus events, fostering new connections and a deeper sense of belonging within the Sheridan community.

This is what Together at the Table was hoped to be. The program, launched for the first time this March, was formed through the collective partnership of the Sheridan Student Union (SSU), Student Affairs department, and Sheridan Advancement.

Rallying together, the goal was to build on the success of Sheridan’s first-ever communal meal program held last spring at Davis Campus. With the impact of this initial shared meal in mind, a campaign to raise funds for Together at the Table was the focus for the college’s Giving Tuesday campaign in 2024.

Thanks to the overwhelming support of the Sheridan community and a matching gift from SSU, a total of $13,553 was raised making it possible to have a fully funded community meal event on each campus. The Together at the Table events—which took place March 26 at HMC, March 27 at Davis Campus, and April 3 at Trafalgar Campus — welcomed students to sit down, share a meal, and engage with one another in a welcoming, inclusive environment.

“I'm a very shy person, so I'm trying to connect with more new people, be more extroverted and make new friends and have a fun time,” said second-year Computer Programming student Het Sheladiya who attended the Davis Campus event. “[The experience] has been good. I’m making new friends already.”

“Whether it's social events or even chances to boost your career, there are a lot of opportunities to do that. It's definitely worth it to be involved and be here.”

– Adanna Straker, first-year Creative Writing and Publishing student

All the events featured live music performances and included fun opportunities for students to win prizes, as well as interactive activities, like button making and a 360° camera experience. The event was also supported by Giving Tuesday donors who volunteered to help serve the meals.

“Although it’s my busy time [at work] being an accountant, I said no, I need to go,” said Naval Gupta, Sheridan alumnus, donor, and Together at the Table event volunteer. “[Being here] makes me feel younger and more connected right away, seeing all these energetic students.”

The energy in the room was part of what first-year Creative Writing and Publishing student Adanna Straker enjoyed most about the event.

“The food is really good...and the vibes are amazing, the music is nice, love it. I would of course come to another one,” said Straker, who came to study at Sheridan from Barbados. “Something I really like about Sheridan in general is how many chances you're given to be involved in things. Whether it's social events or even chances to boost your career, there are a lot of opportunities to do that. It's definitely worth it to be involved and be here.”