Editor’s note: This guest post is by Tiffany Price, former education program fellow and program coordinator of the Koshland Young Leader Awards. She is also the information strategist for the Kapor Center for Social Impact.

Last Tuesday, I had the pleasure of celebrating with ten amazing Koshland Young Leader Award recipients, their families, friends, and other supporters.

The award was established 20 years ago by Dr. Daniel Koshland, Jr. to give additional funds to San Francisco public high school juniors with extraordinary life challenges, yet high academic performance, to help them access college. The recipients are  all great scholars with amazing stories of triumph and resilience.

After five years coordinating this awards program, I recognized two additional common characteristics among all the awardees — from their stories, witnessing them in action, and getting to know them individually.

Hearts of Gratitude
Many of these young people have never won anything in their entire lives. More often than not, they had to do without even the basic necessities. Some have been homeless; some left their families in other countries to come, alone, to the U.S. for a better education. Some have dealt with chronic illness, family crises, or having to work full-time jobs while going to high school.

Despite — or perhaps because of — their struggles, they are the most grateful and humble people I have ever encountered.

Their lives have not soured them. The extra hard work has not embittered them. Many even view these challenges as character-building experiences that they are grateful for.

They have given some of the biggest hugs and most sincere and heartfelt thanks to me, the Koshland family, and others at the Foundation upon receiving this award. Many of them continue to give thanks years after receiving the award. They inspire all of us to do a better job of thanking those who have lifted and blessed me when I have needed it most.

Hearts of Service
Even with all these students have endured, all of them have a commitment to the value of serving others. Their drive to go to college is in service of helping their parents and siblings have a better life: sending money home to family members, building their parents the house they always wanted, or becoming an immigration lawyer so other families don’t have to go through difficult experiences. They help their classmates with their studies, care for their siblings, work to help their family pay for food and rent, and engage in community organizing to better their neighborhoods and schools.

This amazing group of young people has every reason to focus on themselves. But they choose, instead, to use their time, talent, and treasure to help others.

They don’t consider individual success to be success at all — unless they can share it with those who have loved and supported them along the way.

There is much to learn from these young leaders. In the face of adversity, we must remain humble, count our blessings, and be grateful for the contributions and sacrifices of those in our lives who helped us along our journeys.

These young people are the reason I continue to be a part of this work.  And it is why their stories of triumph and dedication touch so many across the Bay Area, the nation, and the world.

Learn more about the Koshland Young Leader Awards and the 2013 awardees.

2011 Community Leadership Awards Honorees:

Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, founder and director of Ark of Refuge, for courageously addressing the issues of HIV/AIDS prevention, response, and care within the African American faith community. As a pastor, scholar, teacher, and activist, she has united gospel and social ministries to create unique programs that improve the quality of life of some of the most marginalized in our community.

Gonzalo Rucobo, co-founder and executive director of Bay Area Peacekeepers, for helping former gang members reach their potential and successfully contribute to society. By intervening with gang-affiliated communities in the East Bay, he helps channel grief and anger into activism, creating positive alternatives to violence.

John Santos, musician and cultural activist, for making music that transcends cultural barriers and serves as a tool for social justice. As an educator, scholar, performer, and composer, he celebrates and promotes Latin music and understands that art has the power to inform and nurture.

Jordan Simmons, artistic director of the East Bay Center for Performing Arts, for building a better future for young adults through music and cultural programs. As a musician and arts administrator, he has changed the lives of thousands of people in Richmond’s Iron Triangle through rigorous artistic training, school-based outreach, and performances of traditional and original work.

Ravenswood Family Health Center, for providing high quality, cost-effective healthcare to southeast San Mateo County, and for advocating for the need to address health disparities and inequities. Through its innovative health education programs and Health Navigators outreach, Ravenswood serves as a model for tackling complex community health issues locally and nationally.

Koshland Young Leader Awardees:

Makda Beyene, Mission High School
Antonio Cruz, Ruth Asawa School of the Arts
Daynelita Dulalas, Metropolitan Arts and Technology High School
Maria Figueroa, Mission High School
Sintia Henriquez, June Jordan School for Equity
Dina Lemus, June Jordan School for Equity
Christopher Quinteros, Mission High School
Huimin Yang, Balboa High School

Awards Celebration
Please join us for an evening of inspiration, fun, and food at The San Francisco Foundation 2011 Community Leadership Awards Celebration. 

WHEN: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
John Santos and the John Santos Sextet will perform from 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Awards ceremony begins promptly at 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Herbst Theatre
San Francisco War Memorial Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
Press RSVP to publicaffairs@sff.org or 415.733.8588.

For photo opportunities before, during, and after the event, call 415.733.8588.

About The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards
We celebrate people who are rolling up their sleeves, taking initiative, and solving problems in their neighborhoods and communities. The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards recognize individuals and organizations whose leadership has made a significant impact in their particular Bay Area communities. This work may confront societal or civic issues, address health or environmental concerns, or promote arts and humanities. The Community Leadership Awards showcase individual or organizational excellence in leadership as demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of work, and inspiration of others. With each award, The San Francisco Foundation publicly affirms present achievements, seeks to encourage further work on the part of the recipients, and hopes to motivate others to follow their lead in service to Bay Area communities.

About the Koshland Young Leader Awards
The Koshland Young Leader Awards recognize the next generation of leadership in our community. These impressive high school seniors from San Francisco public schools are strongly motivated to achieve in spite of the added challenge of responsibilities to their families. The San Francisco Foundation applauds the Koshland Young Leader Awardees for their commitment to achieving their goals, succeeding academically, and pursuing their career ambitions. The students are nominated by their teachers and counselors during their junior year for this $7,000 award.