Every year, Assemblymembers get to name an organization as their district's Nonprofit of the Year. For 2023, I chose Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) because of their decades-long impact on our youth, planting the seeds to be leaders across many industries since 1970. I proudly honored them in Sacramento this month.

As your state legislator, one of my priorities has been to ensure our children are provided with opportunities and resources to succeed. Whether it's digging California up from the bottom in per-pupil spending, creating Universal Transitional Kindergarten or providing free school meals, we've invested in their future.

But the state cannot do it alone. We need community partners to help carry out our mission. JCYC has been one of those partners, serving thousands of local young people every year. While their roots focused on Japanese Americans, they have expanded their reach to all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

Today, JCYC focuses on toddlers to high school seniors, offering robust programs in child development, leadership training, college preparation and job readiness. Their locations touch every corner of our district from San Francisco's westside to San Mateo County's Daly City.

We are fortunate to have a tireless and committed organization as part of our community.