City Year Los Angeles Graduation 2019

Another year of service complete! On Thursday, June 6th, 270 City Year Los Angeles AmeriCorps members were joined by family, friends and City Year Los Angeles champions to celebrate their completion of service to Los Angeles students.

Serving as emcees for the evening were City Year Los Angeles AmeriCorps members Danica Genners, who will be returning as a project leader on the Civic Engagement Team, and Mark Arante, who recently completed the City Year Los Angeles Teaching Intern Program to teach in Los Angeles Unified School District.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti helped send off the corps with a moving speech full of inspiration and hope: “AmeriCorps members serving with City Year Los Angeles won’t just change cities but will indeed change the world. You are breathing hope back into this place called the City of Angels.”

Throughout the ceremony, many City Year AmeriCorps members were recognized by our champions and corporate sponsors for their excellent service and leadership over the past 10 months.

Five City Year AmeriCorps members were presented with the inaugural Bronfman Hauptman Leadership Awards, which were created by the families of our co-founders and longtime board members Andrew Hauptman and Ellen Bronfman Hauptman in their honor. Presented by Andrew, the award will help our AmeriCorps members who served with City Year for two years on their career path after service. Congratulations to Adams Trinh, Liliana Peña, Patricia Gonzalez, Kurcel Joseph and Mayra Mendoza who each received an award.

The Innovative Enrichment Program Award was presented by Andrea Gibson, community engagement manager, enterprise social responsibility at The Walt Disney Company, and was awarded to the City Year team serving at 93rd St. Elementary School.

The Aramark Building Community Award was presented by Erin Ross, senior managing director of external affairs at City Year Los Angeles, and was awarded to Project Leader Dan Graham from the Comcast NBCUniversal Civic Engagement team.

The Comcast NBCUniversal Leadership Award was presented by Jeff Cafuir Director, social impact corporate affairs for NBCUniversal, and was awarded to Senior AmeriCorps member Liliana Peña from the Sony team at John Liechty Middle School.

The Sony Storyteller of the Year Award presented by Lani Monos, vice president, global corporate social responsibility at Sony Pictures Entertainment, and was awarded to Nayeli Galan Calito from the Rosenthal Family Foundation team at Santee Education Complex.

The evening concluded with City Year alum and Business Operations Manager of KIPP Schools of Los Angeles, Reco Sanders Jr., leading the corps in the alumni pledge, officially welcoming the corps to the alumni community.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our corps and their service this year.

Click here to view more photos from City Year Los Angeles’s graduation.