The Class Gift, a moment of celebration and solidarity

Over 400 students took part in the Class Gift 2024 gala evening, an emotional occasion where the latest batch of graduates celebrated the culmination of an experience they will never forget: the years spent at HEC Paris. The event also provided an opportunity for departing graduates to make their first ever donation to the HEC Foundation, marking their entrance into the HEC Alumni community.

On Thursday 6 June 2024, the sun made a welcome appearance for the students’ last night on the Jouy-en-Josas campus. This year's graduates were lucky enough to have Valérie Taittinger Colloredo (H.94) as their class sponsor. A fervent advocate for HEC Paris and for equal opportunities, Valérie is a member of the Board of Directors of the HEC Foundation, as well as the first woman to become a member of the Dean's Circle (reserved for our most generous donors).

Before sitting down to dinner in the legendary Hall of Honor, the evening kicked off outside with a cocktail reception for the graduating class. Some of them had not seen their classmates for quite some time, having spent recent months overseas or on work placements. There were smiles all round and some emotional moments, since this class gift evening would be their last night on campus before heading out into the world. "I’m very moved and very happy to be back here with my classmates. It’s a great way to celebrate our 4 years at HEC" is how Julie (H.24) summed it up.

Thanks to contributions from the graduating students, and the generous support of their class sponsor, the evening raised €142,000! This collective donation will be used to cover the tuition fees of twenty-plus students in the next academic year.
This initiatory donation to the HEC Foundation is a great show of generosity and solidarity on the part of the graduating class, for the benefit of the school and future generations of students. It is testament to the spirit of collective responsibility so dear to the HEC community. “As a scholarship student myself, I was especially keen to contribute to this event, which helped me to study at HEC. It's important to give something back." Laura (H.24)

During the gala dinner, Valérie Taittinger Colloredo shared her own emotional response to this special moment in the HEC calendar: “It is both moving and joyous to see all these students, so different from the way we were 30 years ago, but possessing the same spirit, the same lust for life, the same sense of community and sharing.” Her most important piece of advice to the graduating class: “Trust yourselves!” She also added: “Never forget that you are part of a big community, the HEC community; it is not about us, it is always focused on others, striving to find solutions for others.”

This attitude has informed her own dedication to furthering educational opportunities – “giving different talents an opportunity to shine, to become the best version of themselves” – and an attitude as effective as it is convivial: she expressed her admiration for the “transparency of the HEC Foundation,” as well as the “spirit of collective mobilization with old classmate,” always with the aim of “making a difference, year after year.”

A big thank you to Valérie for her exemplary commitment.