Stearns Joins the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society

With his most recent gift to the Mitchell Institute, Christopher Stearns, the 1997 Mitchell Scholar from Edward Little High School and Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Aramark, became the 21st and newest member of the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society.

The Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society recognizes Mitchell Scholar alumni who have followed the philanthropic example of the late Truc Huynh, a remarkably gifted and altruistic Scholar alumnus who passed away at the age of 40 in mid-June 2022. As part of his legacy of paying it forward, Truc made financial contributions to the Mitchell Institute at a level that matched and eventually surpassed the entire amount of the Scholarship award that he received in support of his education at Bowdoin College.

Like Huynh, Stearns is a graduate of Bowdoin, where he majored in Government and Legal Studies. Stearns credits the Mitchell Scholarship for setting him on an educational path that later included studying constitutional politics at the University of York as a Fulbright Scholar and earning a J.D. at The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

“I am so proud to be from Maine and so grateful for my education at Bowdoin, which the generosity of the Mitchell Institute made possible,” Stearns said. “Giving back in order to pay forward this generosity has become a priority for me, as I recognize its value is so much greater than just scholarship dollars in 1997. I am privileged to join the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society in support of and gratitude to the Mitchell Institute and its mission to help other kids from Maine like me.”

Jared Cash, President and CEO of the Mitchell Institute, thanked Stearns for his contributions to the Mitchell Institute over the years that resulted in her membership in the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society.

“We are deeply grateful to Christopher for making the success of current and future Mitchell Scholars a philanthropic priority and for recognizing how his contributions can help fund the vital wraparound supports that make the Mitchell Scholarship so transformative for Maine’s young people,” Cash said.

Stearns is Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for Aramark, where he serves as lead counsel for Aramark’s Facilities Management and Sports + Entertainment businesses in North America. In that capacity, he and his team advise the executive, finance, and operational leadership of those businesses on a variety of complex legal matters and commercial pursuits. Stearns also manages all transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, litigation, compliance, and governmental investigations for those businesses. Stearns brings experience from prior roles supporting Aramark’s Collegiate Hospitality, Student Nutrition, Corrections, and Destinations businesses, and was recognized as a Support Superhero at Aramark’s US Leadership & Innovation Summit in 2024.

Beyond his legal role for Aramark, Stearns also serves as senior advisor to Aramark’s PRIDE employee resource group, which supports Aramark’s LGBTQ+ employees and allies, and which he co-founded in 2009 and chaired for several years. He also was the inaugural recipient of the Pride of Aramark award.

Stearns joined Aramark in 2009 from the Philadelphia office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where he was an associate in the business and finance practice group and advised public and private companies and private equity firms on mergers and acquisitions as well as general corporate and securities law matters.

Stearns resides in Center City, Philadelphia, with his husband, Jared, and their daughter, Ezra. In his spare time, he enjoys house restoration projects and driving and maintaining his antique Saabs.

Membership in the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society can happen through a multi-year pledge, steady giving over many years, or a single gift to the Mitchell Institute. New and founding members of the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society are invited to attend receptions to celebrate their philanthropic commitment to supporting the Mitchell Institute. If you are interested in learning more about the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society, please contact Mitchell Institute Director of Development Jeff Candura. Learn more about the program and see all members of the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society.