High Hopes
It’s inspiring to know that some young people move above and beyond difficult circumstances to create a better future for themselves, their families and ultimately, for all of us.
The Berkeley Community Fund honored 16 Berkeley High students Monday night at the High Hopes Scholarship Awards Ceremony. We could hardly stop applauding the young scholars, who have achieved so much. Each was presented with scholarship supplements and a commitment for mentoring through four years of college http://www.berkfund.org/
The 16 soon-to-be Berkeley High
grads won scholarships toward college.
The event was held at the recently renovated YMCA Teen Center, 2111 Martin Luther King, in downtown Berkeley–near Berkeley High. The Teen Center is an amazing story of its own http://www.baymca.org/dt.aspx
A colorful mural painted by students in the
hallway of the new YMCA Teen Center.
Keynote speaker was The Honorable Leo Dorado, Alameda Superior Court Judge, who revealed the challenges of his own childhood growing up in a loving but poor Hispanic family, surrounded by violence and poverty. Dorado encouraged the scholarship recipients to keep on giving their all. And he left them with advice from one of America’s most well-know and popular authors:
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”
– Mark Twain
(left) Susie & Rob Goodin with longtime friend (right) Judge Leo Dorado. (center) Bob Stein is a supporter of Berkelely Community Fund and is married to Jessica Pers, President, Board of Directors (not shown).
(from left) Hillary Perkins, John Abrate, Alan Carr, Pennie Finnie, Skip Battle, Fred Nachtwey, and William Lee. Abrate and Lee representing Union Bank are interested in learning more about how the bank might support Berkeley Community Fund.
(left) Penny Finnie, VP, Board of Directors, with Alan Carr who helped conduct student interviews. (right) Hillary Perkins and her husband, Skip Battle, have given several scholarships.