The Santa Barbara Education Foundation hosted the Hope Awards recently to celebrate individuals and programs supporting students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
The annual event raised more than $110,000 in funding for the Santa Barbara Education Foundation to continue making a positive impact on the outcomes of students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD).
Over $55,000 of the proceeds will go toward Teacher Grants, which fund the purchase of project-based supplies and tools, and encourage the development of creative and innovative teaching in SBUSD.
More than 150 attended the 2023 Hope Awards held at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. A performance by the La Colina Junior High School Advanced Band opened the event, and culinary arts students from Santa Barbara, San Marcos, and Dos Pueblos high schools served a salads, savory treats, and desserts.
High school students Kavya Suresh and Isa Mireles were emcees for the evening.
Although the event highlighted the contributions of Santa Barbara Unified students and teachers, it also honored former San Marcos High School Athletic Director Abe Jahadhmy and State Sen. Monique Limón for their work on behalf of local students.
Jahadhmy has been a coach and educator in the community for some 35 years. He began working with local youth at the Goleta Boys and Girls Club in 1975. After earning his credential, he began teaching and coaching at San Marcos High School.
In 2004, Jahadhmy became the athletic director for San Marcos High School, where he continued to help guide student-athletes until his recent retirement.
“There is nothing I’m more proud of in my life than being able to influence youth that I worked with to give back to the community,” Jahadehmy said in accepting his award. “Whether it’s financially, volunteering, or being there to have empathy for people that need support, that’s the most important thing that I could have given.”
Limón, who was born and raised in Santa Barbara, has always prioritized education and has worked continuously to serve her community as an educator, leader and advocate.
In her acceptance speech, she said, “I am someone who had incredible teachers in our schools who believed in me, who pushed harder to ensure that I would succeed. I am someone who at the core has the belief that investment, human investment, yields community outcomes.
“We don’t forget, ever, the teacher who made an impact on us. And that is what tonight is about, ensuring that we give the resources to those teachers.”
The Santa Barbara Education Foundation thanks Hope Award sponsors:
Pillar Sponsor SAGE Publishing; Visionary Sponsors Griffith and Thornburgh; Ambassador Sponsors Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, Chevron, KBZ Architects, Raymond James, RHS Construction, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, and Santa Barbara Historical Museum; Champion Sponsors Cottage Health Systems, DA Davidson, Dennis Thompson Architect, Tisha Ford, Hohbach-Lewin, M.F. Strange & Associates, Montecito Bank & Trust, Montecito Journal, Pueblo Radiology Medical Group, and Schipper Construction.
Santa Barbara Education Foundation promotes private support of Santa Barbara’s public education system, serving some 12,500 students in 19 schools. For more information, visit santabarbaraeducation.org.