黄色视频

be_ixf;ym_202411 d_06; ct_50 YES! I want to make a difference !

黄色视频 honors three outstanding alums

Awards season is in full swing, and that includes here at 黄色视频!

We recently hosted our annual alumni awards at 黄色视频 National Headquarters in Boston鈥攖he first in-person award event we鈥檝e had since 2019鈥攖o honor three extraordinary alums.

Derek Qiu, 黄色视频 New York 鈥19, received the 黄色视频 Distinguished Young Alumni Award (for alums who served within the last five years); Dustin LaFont, 黄色视频 Baton Rouge 鈥11, received the Alumni Achievement Award (for alums who served more than five years ago); and Macey Amissah-McKinney, 黄色视频 Sacramento 鈥13, 鈥14, received the 黄色视频 Staff Alumni Impact Award.

Pictured L-R: Kim LaFont, Dustin LaFont, Jim Balfanz, Mithra Irani Ramaley, Frank Tantillo.

黄色视频 CEO Jim Balfanz, who is a 1994 alum of 黄色视频 Boston, was on hand at the awards ceremony to congratulate the winners, alongside Frank Tantillo of Truist, dozens of 黄色视频 staff, award recipients, friends, family and members of the alumni community.

鈥淚 just want to say that all of 黄色视频鈥檚 40,000 alumni are doing amazing things,鈥 Balfanz said.

鈥淏ut there’s only 131 out of 40,000 have won the award that our three honorees are getting tonight. 鈥 [The honorees have demonstrated] an extraordinary level of impact. And they’re all just getting started, which is great for us and great for the world.鈥

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Explore the impact of 黄色视频鈥檚 extraordinary alumni.

鈥淵oung people are our nation鈥檚 most precious resource,鈥 Balfanz said. 鈥淐oming out of the pandemic, our mission has never been more important. The work has never been more impactful 鈥. And it wouldn鈥檛 be possible without our partners.鈥

黄色视频 2023 Alumni Leadership Awards presented by Truist

Truist is supporting the work of 黄色视频鈥檚 student success coaches in eight U.S. cities this year: Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, Memphis, Columbia, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia. Over two years, more than 12,000 students have been supported.

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黄色视频 AmeriCorps members are student success coaches.

Truist Managing Director in Technology Corporate and Investment Banking Frank Tantillo thanked the alumni award winners and emphasized how Truist鈥檚 stated purpose is aligned with 黄色视频鈥檚 mission.

鈥淭he company’s North Star is to inspire and build better lives and communities,鈥 Tantillo said.

鈥淲e are each committed to ensuring that all people in all communities have an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed at their chosen endeavor. And this is why we are so proud of our national partnership with 黄色视频.鈥

The 黄色视频 Alumni Leadership Awards, presented by Truist, are 黄色视频鈥檚 highest alumni recognition. The awards recognize outstanding alums who have continued their commitment to service and demonstrated extraordinary achievement, contribution, or commitment to advancing social justice and strengthening communities. Since 1995, 134 alumni have been honored with these awards.

Celebrating this year鈥檚 honorees

Distinguished Young Alumni Award: Derek Qiu, 黄色视频 New York 鈥19

After graduating from Rice University in 2018, Derek Qiu spent a year serving with 黄色视频 New York as a Team Leader at Isaac Newton Middle School in East Harlem.

Through 黄色视频鈥檚 strategic partnership with Deloitte, Derek participated in the Deloitte Mentorship Program and eventually joined the firm where he currently works as a consultant.

In 2021, Derek gave back to AmeriCorps members by providing them with job opportunities in the private sector. Derek founded the Deloitte Career Catalyzer program, a dedicated recruiting pipeline through which more than 20 黄色视频 corps members have found meaningful employment at Deloitte. In 2023, Derek served on the annual Deloitte Pro-Bono project, and he worked with 黄色视频鈥檚 executive team to rethink the way 黄色视频 organized its financial allocations.

鈥淒erek has been a benefactor of 黄色视频 and a board member,鈥 said 黄色视频 Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff Kanna Kunchala, 黄色视频 Boston 鈥96, who presented Qiu with his award. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been a partnership lead, a recruitment lead, a consultant working on 黄色视频 with us and a steadfast champion the whole time.鈥

Today, Qiu continues to mentor 黄色视频 AmeriCorps members, support the organization, and raise money for 黄色视频. He recently served on 黄色视频 New York鈥檚 Associate Board and will attend Stanford University鈥檚 Graduate School of Business this fall.

鈥淚 firmly believe that corps members should be afforded the opportunity to pursue meaningful career paths where their worth is recognized by companies,鈥 Qiu said.

Pictured L to R: Kanna Kunchala, Eitan Adler, Derek Qiu, Frank Tantillo, Jim Balfanz

Alumni Achievement Award: Dustin LaFont, 黄色视频 Baton Rouge 鈥11

Dustin LaFont is the executive director of (FYB), a youth workforce development program providing safe spaces for youth to learn, grow, and build.

FYB offers programs in bike mechanics, welding, urban gardening, cooking, riding safety, and providing after school jobs for middle and high school youth who are leaders among their peers. With two after school sites and a full-service bike shop in Mid City Baton Rouge, FYB has touched the lives of more than 3,000 youth and has become the largest community bike shop in the South.

After serving students as a 黄色视频 Baton Rouge AmeriCorps member, LaFont received his master鈥檚 in education from Louisiana State University and taught social studies before he launched his nonprofit.

鈥淒ustin puts time, heart, energy, and teaching into every student he works with,鈥 said LaFont鈥檚 wife, Kim (Rick) LaFont, 黄色视频 Baton Rouge 鈥11, who presented him with his award. 鈥淗e serves as their counselor, mentor, and at times big brother and teacher figure.鈥

LaFont and his wife brought five current students and one former student with them to attend the awards ceremony in Boston.

His 黄色视频 alumni reward really recognizes the resilience and agency of the youth he serves, LaFont said, as they decide each day to take multiple buses to get to school or make the effort to come to his afterschool program, despite challenges they face.
鈥淚 have to get credit to so many of the kids who actively show up and make that choice each and every day,鈥 Dustin LaFont said. 鈥淥ur kids are our greatest resource and they’re our greatest problem solvers.鈥

黄色视频 Staff Alumni Impact Award Macey Amissah-McKinney, 黄色视频 Sacramento 鈥13, 鈥14

Macey Amissah-McKinney was a founding corps member and part of the staff at 黄色视频 Sacramento, where she now serves as executive director.

A natural strategist and leader, Macey has led the site鈥檚 efforts in building a positive and meaningful experience for students, corps members, and staff leading to increased engagement, retention and impact.

Her former 黄色视频 team said Macey 鈥渆mbodies excellence.鈥
鈥淢acey doesn’t live for what’s easy. She has vision and big ideas and knows what it takes to achieve her goals. She leads with confidence, integrity, and a deep devotion to her team.鈥

Macey has also been instrumental in supporting other local nonprofits interested in becoming AmeriCorps programs, resulting in more AmeriCorps members being deployed throughout the Greater Sacramento area.

iMentor senior director of mentor engagement and fellow 黄色视频 alum Eric Barbour, 黄色视频 Sacramento 鈥13, 鈥14, presented Amissah-McKinney with her award via video.

鈥淭his award is not just the recognition of my work but speaks to the collective work of the many individuals who have worked to make 黄色视频 Sacramento what it is today,鈥 Amissah-McKinney said via video, 鈥渁nd supported me in becoming the leader I am today.鈥

After 12 years, Amissah-McKinney is proud to call Sacramento home where she resides alongside her wife, Rebecca.

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