"Esprit De Corps Award"
One of the best things about AmeriCorps service is that it unites you with people who are similarly passionate, committed, and civically engaged. In AmeriCorps lingo, this is called the “esprit de corps”, the common spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to service to the community. It’s the intangible feeling that you’re connected with people who are actively working together with you for better schools and communities.
We would like to honor the following members who have shown exemplary service, loyalty, enthusiasm, and embodied a service mindset.
2024 Recipients
Gilda Temaj Marroquin - Mission Graduates
Jackie Hernandez - Oakland International High School
Kay Benitez - Mission Graduates
2023 Recipients
Sofia Cohen - 826 Valencia
Kayla Ong - OUSD Community School
Sergio Orizaga - Summit Public Schools
Katie Schneidau - Summit Public Schools
2022 Recipients
Angela Iton - 826 Valencia
Kit Gardner - 18 Reasons
Colleen Weyland - WCCSD King Elementary School
Sasha Price - OUSD Korematsu Discovery Academy
Lisa McNelley - BACR Mental Health Intern
2021 Recipients
Leila Rad - La Clinica de la Raza, Oakland Tech High School TechniClinic
Matt Wilcox - WCCSD Lake Elementary School
Jilly de la Torre - Youth Spirit Artworks
Joshua Chan - 826 Valencia
Allison Waugh - BACR Mental Health Intern
"Pete Hudson Leadership Award"
Pete Hudson lost his fight to brain cancer on March 26, 2011. Pete was more than a member of the BACR staff team; he was a member of our BAYAC family. During his 10-year tenure with BACR, Pete was treated many times, and each time he came back to BAYAC to help make it the stellar program it is now.
Pete was responsible for a variety of very complex and demanding administrative activities and always practiced the BACR value of perseverance in performing his work. Pete had a heart big enough to personally touch each and every AmeriCorps member he came in contact with. Pete was a quiet leader who had a soft-spoken, though powerful presence and impact on the lives of those he worked with.
The following members we’d like to honor with the Pete Hudson Award for their humble strength and compassionate leadership.
2024 Recipients
Eman Alkaheli - Huckleberry Youth Program
2023 Recipients
Jacob Linde - 826 Valencia
Owen Thomas - Summit Public Schools
2022 Recipients
Emmanuel Tril - Alameda County Office of Education , Opportunity Academy
Kai Willow Smith - OUSD Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School
2021 Recipients
Diego Hernandez - 826 Valencia Associate
Lana Tleimat - BAYAC Outreach Fellow
"Mentorship Award"
The true definition of a mentor is someone who shares their knowledge, skills, and experience with another person or group of persons to help them to progress. Mentors engage in a reciprocal learning relationship and work collaboratively toward the achievement of mutually-beneficial goals. We honor the special relationship that our returning members have with our first year cohort Members in supporting them to have a successful AmeriCorps experience. As a program, we value this partnership and would like to acknowledge a second year who has gone up and beyond this year to support the BAYAC program with their leadership and guidance to our current cohort.
2024 Recipients
Shay Perryman - Highland Elementary School (OUSD)