Iowa State will showcase the achievements of more than 400 ethnically diverse students at the Minority Student Affairs 20th Annual Recognition Banquet Sunday.

The banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Scheman Building, with the doors opening at 6.

The theme is “We must be the change we wish to see,” the words of M.K. Ghandi.

Derrick Rollins, diversity adviser to the president and cabinet, called the number of students being recognized “remarkable.”

“I don’t know how this ranks in historical comparison, but it is quite an achievement,” he said.

The evening also will feature a dance performance by members of the Vietnamese Student Association and the words of keynote speaker La Verna Fountain.

Fountain currently is the director of the Save the Children Foundation. She founded Teach Teens to Teach Teens Non-Violence youth institutes.

“She has done a number of things that are truly outstanding,” said Irma Wilson-White, program assistant for MSA.

However, the focus of the event will be the recognition of students.

The banquet will serve as a tribute to students who already have overcome many hardships to attain scholastic excellence, White said.

“As a student, to look out at a sea of similar faces and know there is a body of students excelling is a great feeling,” she said.

Rollins called the ceremony an “inspiration” to struggling students who may be doubting their abilities.

“It also inspires younger kids. It shows them hard work does pay off, and there are rewards for perseverance,” he said.

The achievements of minority students reflect a collaborative effort between the students and the support system that nurtures them, Rollins said.

Tickets cost $13 for faculty and guests and $6 for students. However, for students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, admission is free.

Tickets can be picked up at the MSA office located at 301 Beardshear Hall.