Thank you to our sponsors, attendees and volunteers who made the 2026 Standing Out in Our Field a success. Standing Out in Our Field returns August 28, 2027.

Supporting Future Physicians

Standing Out in Our Field is the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine’s signature scholarship fundraiser, with all proceeds supporting medical student scholarships. For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Linda Holmes at 304.691.1711 or holmes@marshall.edu.

About Standing Out in Our Field

Standing Out in Our Field started in 2014, the brain child of Chef Steven Nakano, MD ('15), as a way to raise necessary funds to grow our medical student scholarship endowment and involve the community in the effort. Since the inaugural event, it's become an annual tradition hosted by the School of Medicine and supported by the larger Huntington community. Standing Out in Our Field attracts more than 500 guests annually to a tent under the stars. From 2014 to 2019, the event was held on the picturesque farm of Dr. Bobby ('97) and Eric Hardin-Miller nestled in the hills of Proctorville, Ohio. In 2022, the event moved to the soccer complex at scenic Barboursville Park just outside Huntington, West Virginia. Our medical students serve as wait staff, serving a three-course meal that ties in seamlessly with the event's theme prepared by Executive Chef Don Sallada of Marshall Health Network - Cabell Huntington Hospital.

We've taken guests on epicurean journeys around the globe and through decades, from Brazil, Jamaica, the Great American Ball Park, and Havana, to the bright lights of Las Vegas, and most recently the era of Disco Fever. No matter the “destination,” it’s a fun filled evening with friends, food and dancing for a worthy cause.  

Most importantly, we've invested nearly $1.5 million into students scholarships thanks to our generous donors and the hard work of our volunteers!