Last week, more than 150 guests from across Los Angeles, spanning business and entertainment to city government and education, gathered to celebrate Ģ����Ƶ scholars—our future leaders. From live magic and one-of-a-kind raffle prizes to powerful stories from alumni Kimberly Rodriguez and Alberto Martinez Santiago, our annual Leaders of Change event unfolded into a night of brilliance meeting opportunity.

“I am looking forward to helping the younger generation and inspiring them to have hope and to try their hardest even when things are not looking their way. As a Leader of Change, I would like to become the example of ‘If I can do it, so can you.’”

Alberto Martinez Santiago, Ģ����Ƶ Collins Family College-Ready High School Class of 2024, Loyola Marymount University Class of 2028

Through the generosity of our sponsors and guests, we raised $200,000 for the Ģ����Ƶ Gayle Miller Leaders of Change Scholarship Fund. These scholarships will support dozens of exceptional seniors in the Class of 2025 as they embark on their college journeys next fall.

A special thank you to our Scholar Success Board for hosting, our inspiring emcee and Ģ����Ƶ founding principal Jonathan Tiongco, and to all our sponsors, guests, and supporters for making this year’s Leaders of Change event our best yet. Together, we are creating ripples that reach far beyond the classroom—transforming lives and nurturing the leaders of tomorrow.

About Leaders of Change

Spearheaded by the Ģ����Ƶ Foundation’s Scholar Success Board, our Leaders of Change Scholarship fundraiser raises money to support the many intelligent and resilient scholars who bring life to Ģ����Ƶ campuses everyday. All proceeds from Leaders of Change benefit the Ģ����Ƶ Gayle Miller Leaders of Change Scholarship Fund, which provides four-year college scholarships to graduating Ģ����Ƶ high school seniors.

Last week, our Ģ����Ƶ community came together to celebrate our Heroes Among Us, drawing more than 400 guests from diverse communities across Angeles, including those from the philanthropic, business, sports, and entertainment industries, as well as our Ģ����Ƶ scholars, alumni and educators. W​​​e raised more than $2M for Ģ����Ƶ scholars and schools!

“This award is not just about my recognition; it’s a celebration of collective resilience and strength in serving others. It’s a testament to community power, the importance of lifting each other up, and the boundless potential that lies within every young student.”

Marquis Williams, 2024 Ģ����Ƶ Alumni of the Year, Ģ����Ƶ Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High School, Class of 2010

Congratulations to Frank E. Baxter Heroes Award Honorees, Jeff Marine and Eva Stern; Judy Ivie Burton Community Heroes Award Honoree, Reveta Bowers; Ģ����Ƶ Teacher of the Year, Nicole Shorthouse, and Ģ����Ƶ Alumni of the Year, Marquis Williams. Your unwavering generosity, care and dedication to nurturing the brilliance in young people has set thousands on the path towards a brighter future for themselves and their families. Thank you.

(Hear more from our inspiring Honorees !)

Finally, special thanks to our emcee, the talented actor and comedian, Bill Bellamy, our gracious hosts Jami Gertz and Tony Ressler, and to all our sponsors, guests, and supporters for making our 2024 Heroes Among Us celebration a resounding success. While high-quality education is our business, transformational impact is our mission.

About Heroes Among Us

Our Heroes Among Us celebration brings together the Ģ����Ƶ Foundation’s friends and supporters to honor philanthropic and business leaders in our Los Angeles community with the Frank E. Baxter Heroes Award. The event also honors Ģ����Ƶ’s Alumni of the Year and those on the frontlines of educational equity – teachers. 

This month, our Ģ����Ƶ community came together for the tenth consecutive year to honor and celebrate the brilliance of Ģ����Ƶ scholars and to raise funds for the Ģ����Ƶ Gayle Miller Leaders of Change Scholarship Fund. Nearly 150 guests from across Los Angeles, including business, entertainment, city government, and education heard moving stories by our Leaders of Change alumni, Frank Nocelotl-Jimenez and Tamia Lee.

“I’m thankful for the communities that brought me here: to Ģ����Ƶ who nurtured me, setting in me a mindset of being the first one in my family to go to college and graduate—of making your family proud and inspiring them to follow in your footsteps.”

Frank Nocelotl-Jimenez, Ģ����Ƶ Ouchi-O’Donovan Class of 2023, UCLA Class of 2027

With incredible support from our guests and sponsors, we not only met but surpassed our goal, raising a record $228,070 to provide Ģ����Ƶ Leaders of Change Scholarships to dozens of Ģ����Ƶ 2024 graduating seniors to help them pursue their college dreams next fall.

Many thanks to our Ģ����Ƶ Scholar Success Board for spearheading this event, to all our generous sponsors, our guests and supporters for making this year’s Leaders of Change a record-breaking chapter in our Ģ����Ƶ book.

About Leaders of Change

Spearheaded by the Ģ����Ƶ Foundation’s Scholar Success Board, our Leaders of Change Scholarship fundraiser raises money to support the many intelligent and resilient scholars who bring life to Ģ����Ƶ campuses everyday. All proceeds from Leaders of Change benefit the Ģ����Ƶ Gayle Miller Leaders of Change Scholarship Fund, which provides four-year college scholarships to graduating Ģ����Ƶ high school seniors.

Last Thursday, more than 300 members of our Ģ����Ƶ community came together to celebrate our Heroes Among Us. We raised a record-breaking $1.5 million for Ģ����Ƶ scholars and schools, including $320,000 to send Ģ����Ƶ seniors off to college with College Care Package scholarships!

We were joined by guests from across the country, including friends from the sports, philanthropic, business, and entertainment communities (including a surprise virtual drop in from star of the hit series Insecure, Jay Ellis!) along with Ģ����Ƶ scholars, alumni and educators. And, we were moved by the inspiring stories of those who have seen and felt the life-changing impact of an Ģ����Ƶ education. In the words of Horlenes Flores, Ģ����Ƶ’s 2023 Alumna of the Year, “I want to give a special thank you to everyone who is helping scholars like me blossom into the amazing leaders we are meant to be. You’re appreciated more than you know, thank you.”

Congratulations to Ģ����Ƶ Teacher of the Year, Alicia Galindo; Ģ����Ƶ Alumna of the Year, Horlenes Flores; Frank E. Baxter Heroes Award Honoree, Brett Brewer and the inaugural Judy Ivie Community Heroes Award Honoree, Michele Siqueiros. Thank you for modeling the generosity, excellence, and compassion that it takes to create high-quality public schools for all young people in Los Angeles.

(Hear more from our inspiring Honorees in these ).

About Heroes Among Us

Our Heroes Among Us celebration brings together the Ģ����Ƶ Foundation’s friends and supporters to honor philanthropic and business leaders in our Los Angeles community with the Frank E. Baxter Heroes Award. The event also honors Ģ����Ƶ’s Alumni of the Year and those on the frontlines of educational equity – teachers. 

Last night, over 150 members of our Ģ����Ƶ community came together to celebrate our extraordinary Ģ����Ƶ scholars and alumni…tomorrow’s Leaders of Change. We were joined by friends across Los Angeles, from business, entertainment, philanthropy, city government, and education. We heard directly from Ģ����Ƶ alumni who affirmed how powerful it is when we invest in their bright futures.

In the words of Jose Guzman-Wug, Ģ����Ƶ Gertz-Ressler Class of 2022, and USC Class of 2026, “I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without the ongoing support of my family, friends, and the Ģ����Ƶ community. So I want to say thank you…to everyone here tonight for believing in me, and for believing that Ģ����Ƶ scholars can change the world for the better.”

With your incredible support, the Ģ����Ƶ Foundation Scholar Success Board exceeded its goal and raised over $206,000 (and counting) for the Ģ����Ƶ Gayle Miller Leaders of Change Scholarship Fund, which will provide college scholarships to top Ģ����Ƶ graduates next spring.

Thank you—to all of our attendees and supporters—for your belief in the promise and college dreams of our Ģ����Ƶ scholars. A special thanks to our event co-chairs, host committee, and sponsors. You made this year’s Leaders of Change celebration our most successful ever.

About Leaders of Change

Spearheaded by the Ģ����Ƶ Foundation’s Scholar Success Board, our Leaders of Change Scholarship fundraiser raises money to support the many intelligent and resilient scholars who bring life to Ģ����Ƶ campuses everyday. All proceeds from Leaders of Change benefit the Ģ����Ƶ Gayle Miller Leaders of Change Scholarship Fund, which provides four-year college scholarships to graduating Ģ����Ƶ high school seniors.

This past May, over 300 members of our Ģ����Ƶ community came together—in person for the first time in nearly three years. We raised a total of $1,252,322 for Ģ����Ƶ scholars and schools, including $145,000 to send an additional 29 Ģ����Ƶ seniors off to college with a $5,000 College Care Package scholarship.

Congratulations to our 2022 Awardees: Ģ����Ƶ Teacher of the Year Wynter Williams-Adams, Ģ����Ƶ Alumni of the Year Estefany Rodriguez, and Frank E. Baxter Heroes Award Honorees Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine. Thank you for modeling the generosity, excellence, and optimism that inspire us all to strive for great public schools for all young people.

(Hear more from our inspiring 2022 Alumna of the Year in this .)

About Heroes Among Us

Our Heroes Among Us celebration brings together the Ģ����Ƶ Foundation’s friends and supporters to honor philanthropic and business leaders in our Los Angeles community with the Frank E. Baxter Heroes Award. The event also honors Ģ����Ƶ’s Alumni of the Year and those on the frontlines of educational equity – teachers.