The San Jose/Evergreen College District Foundation’s annual fundraiser hosted more than 230 community leaders on Aug. 22 at the San Jose Athletic Club’s Corinthian Grand Ballroom.

The unfolding events brought forth the foundation’s true purpose and impact on the community.

Autumn Young, San Jose/Evergreen Community College Foundation Chair, opened the annual Bridge to the Future luncheon by telling her story of fear from stepping on the San Jose City College campus for the first time 30 years ago.

“I wasn’t successful. When I sat in the class the first day I was shaking, I was so afraid, Young said. “I don’t belong here, what makes me think I have the ability to make a difference and grow?”

“With tears in my eyes I approached the instructor after class and said, ‘I don’t think I can do this, I don’t have the first idea of how to study, I don’t know what to do and I don’t have the confidence, Young said.”

The instructor responded by saying, ‘I’m going to seat you with another student.’ And then he gave me some very sage wisdom and said, ‘When you study a topic make sure you know the who, the what, the where and why.

Young has since earned her Associate of Arts degree from SJCC in 2005, and is pursuing a degree at San Jose State University.

Other successful students also shared their stories of initial fear, hardships and self-doubt in attending community college.

As a child, Daniel Rodabaugh was diagnosed with dyslexia and deemed to be a slow learner and a high tempered special ed kid.

Years later he hid his insecurities with drugs and alcohol, which eventually led him to Folsom State Prison.

Prison gave Daniel time to read. “As I wrote letters home to my mom, she said, ‘hey you know what? Your reading and writing has gotten a lot better, maybe you should try to go to school,’ and in spring of 2009 I applied to SJCC and qualified for financial aid,” Daniel said.

Daniel is majoring in Drug and Alcohol Studies with six classes left and hopes to transfer to a state university.

He said, “one day I will transfer to state university, that’s a lot for a convict, to be able to transfer to a state university. … I’m not that ‘special ed’ kid anymore…and the biggest hope I have is to help that one dyslexic ‘special ed’ kid, and help him get his life in order then the miracle is really learned.”

After several relapses which again sent Daniel to prison, he valiantly declared, “my clean date is  April 17, 2010.”

Vice Chancellor Carol Coen, said, “Because of Daniel’s story of overcoming learning disabilities a Bridge to the Future guest stated, my son is just like that; we didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel, but we do now.’”

Other successful student speakers  gave their story of recovering from physical or emotional trauma as a result of physical injury, broken homes and unstable childhoods.

All of the student stories had several threads in common.

Somehow each storyteller was able to step out of themselves and realize they wanted more from life than what they were experiencing; each story had someone who was there to encourage them.

At the spark of this realization, each storyteller found their way to the SJEVCCD. And each storyteller has a desire to reach back and give someone else a “hand up.”

 Chancellor Rita Cepeda once said at an Academic Senate meeting, “We all have the responsibility to reach behind and lift somebody up.”

A  San Jose Evergreen Community College District employee said to Coen, “I am so proud to be a part of the SJECCD. The work we do is so important. I never realized it before.”

The Foundation is the 501(c)(3) arm of SJECCD and provides financial assets for many student success endeavors.

Pictures of this event can be viewed at: http://sdrv.ms/190XBIB