‘Leading With Change;’ Alums’ Stories Inspire At Annual Students Rising Above Fundraiser

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — For the third year in a row, Students Rising Above held its annual fundraiser virtually, with this year’s theme being “Leading with Change.”

SRA alums Alex Arango on piano and vocalist Lawrence Park both shined by providing a pre-recorded performance for the event. The duo presented an original song inspired by the non-profit and the students it serves. The song’s powerful lyrics were a loving reminder for the SRA community to never give up.

The event was co-hosted by SRA alums Musadiq Bidar and Maria Fernanda Bernal. SRA CEO Elizabeth Jordan Devaney also made an in-person appearance, along with longtime SRA auctioneer Greg Quiroga. SRA co-founder and former KPIX 5 anchor Wendy Tokuda made a pre-recorded appearance that offered comfort and praise for the students she sees as family.

“They are coming of age in a really difficult time,” said Tokuda. “One of the things that is so inspiring about Students Rising Above, these aren’t ordinary people. These are really special people who have gone through what they have and still held on to that dream of getting an education.”

LEARN MORE: Students Rising Above

Bernal, a UC Berkeley journalism graduate student and KQED intern, says stories such as her own bring inspiration to the community.

“Don’t be ashamed of who you are,” said Fernanda Bernal. “That includes coming from a disinvested, sometimes poor community and just being proud of that. Being able to get to this point I think does inspire some people that may come from the same communities that I come from.”

Bidar, now a CBS News reporter, agreed and credited the non-profit for sparking his interest in journalism.

“I’m the first in my family to go to college but I am also an Afghan American reporter,” explained Bidar. “I don’t see a lot of those at the network level, and I think that potentially inspires the next generation of Afghans and minorities to want to pursue careers in this.”

But keynote speaker Carina Bustos – a first-generation Latina and financial consultant – carried the evening’s most important message. She encouraged all SRA students to lead with change by offering them hope during these very tough times.

“Be courageous and take risks,” advised Bustos in her pre-recorded keynote speech. “Who are the people building this nation? It is all of us here. We can’t change the adversity that we came up against but we can change our trajectory.”

Jordan Devaney agreed.

“Our students’ trajectories … it’s human potential that can now thrive,” said Jordan Devaney. “And so it’s really incumbent upon all of us to make that happen for the common good.”

The event’s online auction and pledge drive are now closed but you can still go to the SRA website and make a donation. Currently, SRA supports 550 Bay Area students.