Sac High Band 3

It’s hard to believe that the school year is over and summer is here. We are excited to be offering vibrant summer programs for our scholars including the first ever St. HOPE Inspire U Academy that provides activities to promote creativity and personal growth. Our scholars have the opportunity to choose from a variety of FREE 2-week camps focused on dancing, painting, swimming, cooking, music, arts and crafts, STEAM, and more. We also have credit recovery and academic programs for our scholars who need additional support. 

This month, we have been fully immersed in learning about and celebrating Black history. Not only are we focused on learning from the past we are focused on seizing future opportunities and building our next generation of leaders.

At St. HOPE we are always working to increase access and exposure. This includes ensuring our community has access to authors and artists of all ethnicities and backgrounds. We recently hosted the Oak Park Black Film Festival at the historic Guild Theater and are getting ready to welcome the Colour of Music Festival to Sacramento. This wonderful music festival showcases the talents of black classical musicians and composers and highlights their impact and historical significance on American and world culture. 

As students head back to school, I want to remind parents, students, and neighbors about the incredible community asset we have in Underground Books located in the heart of Oak Park. Underground Books opened in the summer of 2003 and is part of the 40 Acres Cultural Center that provides so many enriching entertainment and cultural activities for residents in the region.  

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! For me the recent Independence Day celebrations – both Juneteenth and the 4th of July – were fun-filled days spent enjoying time with family, friends, and our larger community. Not only were they full of good food and friendship, they were important occasions to reflect on the freedoms and opportunities we often take for granted. Whether due to limited access or inequitable policies, too many people in America and throughout the world face barriers to success.

Graduation season is upon us and I’m proud to report that 99% of Sac High seniors were accepted into four-year colleges in 2023 including all nine University of California campuses and 20 out of 23 California State University campuses. This is an achievement worth celebrating! We will be congratulating our Sac High seniors as they walk across the stage at their graduation on June 3. I know they have a bright future and I can’t wait to see them succeed in college next year.

Throughout March, I’ve been reflecting on the power of women in leadership. I’m proud that more and more of our elected and business leaders – especially those in the Sacramento region -  are female and hope that we can continue on this trajectory.