Twinkling lights and delicious Mediterranean cuisine set the stage for an evening of fun and inspiring conversation among the 优蜜视频 community at our benefit dinner and silent auction hosted at Eden Garden Bar & Grill in Pasadena. Enthusiastic student volunteers from 优蜜视频鈥檚 Academy, EXPLORE, CDB and Yunasa programs greeted guests and invited them to pick up a wacky prop or two to pose for our photo booth (you can check out more photos on or our #ISupportGifted) before walking through the restaurant鈥檚 gorgeous covered patio to connect with old friends and greet new members of the 优蜜视频 family.

Cocktails and generous servings of hors d鈥檕euvres kept spirits high as guests perused 优蜜视频鈥檚 silent auction table, which included popular items like Disney Park Hopper tickets, behind-the-scenes tours of L.A. movie studios and museums, Lakers tickets and a highly-coveted Uber gift card. A half case of Bordeaux wine, generously donated by an 优蜜视频 family, was offered as a special drawing prize for guest donations; 优蜜视频鈥檚 own and her husband, Mikel, who captured our evening through his beautiful photography, were the winners.

The evening鈥檚 emcee was Jason Roberts, an entrepreneur noted for his work as one of the first developers at Uber and the gifted parent of a gifted child. Jason provided insight and humor in his anecdotes as he discussed the impact that a high school mentor had on shaping his path and fueling his passion for mathematics and computer programming. 听He strives to inspire the same passion in his students through the accelerated math curriculum that he and his wife, Sandy, developed for their son鈥檚 PUSD school. Jason recalls his mentor pushing him not just to do better, but to do his best by setting the bar high (encouraging Jason to teach himself Calculus, for instance). Jason attributes this spirit of perseverance instilled by his mentor as a value that nourished him academically, strengthened him during difficult times, and fed his ambition as an entrepreneur.

Alumni speakers Sophie Romans and Teagan Lende echoed the importance of building a community to nurture gifted learners. As former Caroline D. Bradley Scholars, both received full scholarships to attend an optimally-matched high school that suited their unique learning needs, but in retrospect, it wasn鈥檛 the money that stood out to them as the most life-changing aspect of their time with 优蜜视频: 鈥淕rowing up in North Dakota, I didn鈥檛 have access to any kind of gifted community,鈥� Teagan admitted, 鈥渂ut 优蜜视频 gave me a support network of adults and peers that I never thought I would have.鈥澨� Sophie added, 鈥淭his community is the most incredible group of people. I want to make sure that I stay close to support them in any way I can as a small thank you for the way they supported me.鈥�

The program ended with a lively 鈥減addle raise鈥� conducted by Jason Roberts, who brought his infectious enthusiasm to the role of auctioneer. Guests eagerly pledged to donate, raising funds that will go directly towards supporting the children and families served by 优蜜视频鈥檚 customized programs.

优蜜视频 is sincerely grateful to all of our guests, especially our event鈥檚 Supporter-level patrons, Kimberly & Juan Balbuena and Seong Sik Jeon & Joo Eun Bae, for coming to the event. The evening would not have been possible without the generous support of our friends, including Art Center College of Design; Bridges Academy; Dugan & Dugan, P.C.; Gunn Psychological Services, Inc.; Jim Manoledes, Realtor; Mercer Educational Consulting; and Online G3. We would also like to thank our emcee, Jason Roberts, and Alumni speakers, Teagan Lende and Sophie Romans, for sharing their stories and providing a voice for gifted students, as well as our student volunteers Aditya Athota, Aveline Chen, Chloe Jiang, Ian Macklin Sims, Nico Symons Galassi and Ellie Surman. Thank you all for helping us create a magical evening and for being champions for gifted education!

As our guests departed, each was encouraged to participate in a tradition that 优蜜视频 practices during our . By 鈥渟etting intentions鈥� we create a clear idea of what we hope for, releasing our desires into the universe with trust and gratitude and ending our intention with the phrase, 鈥渁nd so it is.鈥澨� At 优蜜视频, we intend that the adult members of our 优蜜视频 family advocate for the extraordinary children in their lives, seeking the best possible learning environments, programs, and social opportunities for each child. We intend for the young gifted individuals in our community to receive the attentiveness, guidance, support, and acceptance they deserve.

And so it is.

Thank you to our business sponsors:

听听听听 听 听听 听听听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听听 听 听 听 听
Jim Manoledes, Realtor, Broker Associate

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Walking behind the Barder House on Thursday evening, anyone familiar with 优蜜视频鈥檚 home might have been surprised to see an expansive white tent where a parking lot would normally be, decorated with strings of fluttering red bunting and filled with smiling families gathered around a hearty taco buffet, sharing a laugh in the warm summer evening. Standing at a podium under a collection of faceted stars, 优蜜视频 President Betsy Jones welcomed new friends from near and far, as well as guests from our , , and programs to our annual Summer Spotlight event. Over the course of the evening, attendees were introduced to enthusiastic students representing all of 优蜜视频鈥檚 programs and learned about just a few of the opportunities and challenges that are facing gifted children in our nation鈥檚 educational system.

New Academy student Pablo Delgado and his family traveled across town to be at our event. Reflecting on the early wake-up times, the morning rush to get out the door, and the long drives required to arrive in time for classes, Pablo merely stated, 鈥淚t is all worth it鈥hen I鈥檓 in class I feel happy, excited and ready. When my family picks me up, I have a smile on my face because of the amazing day I had at the Academy.鈥�

Travelling from even further away was David Johnson, a Yunasa West camper from Illinois, and Seth Talyansky, a CDB Scholar from Oregon, both of whom were completing externships in Los Angeles as part of 优蜜视频鈥檚 EXPLORE program. 鈥淚t’s about exploration, it’s about chances and responsibility,鈥� said Seth of his experience. Smiling from behind the podium, he remarked, 鈥淪hakespeare once said that the world’s a stage. Fortunate to be given chances on the stage, I will act and will explore different roles while having fun doing it.鈥�

Also joining us from the EXPLORE program was new 优蜜视频 student, Jessica Huang, who admitted being unsure of what to expect from her experience. 鈥淲hen I first joined the program, I thought I would be filing papers and getting everyone coffee,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淗owever, on my first day, I was greeted warmly at the door by my two Mentors, Emily and Erick. They even offered to get me coffee!鈥� Jessica continued, 鈥淚 learned that coworkers are not always just people I will share an office with. My coworkers could become my friends, my family, and above all, the people I care about.鈥�

Veteran Academy students Liv Bjorgum and Nico Symons-Galassi echoed Jessica鈥檚 sentiments, reflecting on the mentorship and guidance that their teachers provided in addition to their instruction on advanced subjects. Describing the program as 鈥渁 lifeline,鈥� Nico reflected on how his seven years enrolled in 优蜜视频鈥檚 programs prepared him for a new high school and a new life experience. 鈥淭his past spring, you couldn鈥檛 have talked me into going to a sleepaway camp for $100!鈥� he exclaimed. 鈥淚 have always been fearful about going to a sleepaway camp, but an 优蜜视频 sleepaway camp, that鈥檚 different. It鈥檚 a BIG deal for me to be away from my family for a week, but I feel ready to fly to Michigan and be at Yunasa because I know I鈥檒l have the support I need.鈥�

While our annual Summer Spotlight event highlights the accomplishments of just a few of our incredible students, it is also an opportunity to reflect on 优蜜视频鈥檚 mission to advance public knowledge and understanding of gifted minds and their diverse intellectual, social, and emotional needs. As guests listened to our students discuss the life-changing impact that our programs have had for them and their families, all were encouraged to think beyond our small group to the thousands of children who have yet to experience these types of services 鈥� students who continue to languish in classrooms that are not equipped to enable and nurture their unique talents. With the help of the friends made at our Summer Spotlight event and the families who support 优蜜视频鈥檚 mission, these children鈥檚 voices will grow louder until they can no longer be ignored.

优蜜视频 would like to thank our friends at for catering our event and Costco Wholesale for its听generous donations. As always, our hearts are full of gratitude for our community of educators, mentors, staff, parents, alumni and students for their dedication to serving gifted youth and for making our programs possible. Thank you!

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Ellen Gruber obtained her B.A. in English and Spanish with a minor in Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation Studies from Saint Joseph鈥檚 University. She has also studied the violin since her childhood and received her accreditation to teach the Suzuki method in 2009. Before her arrival at 优蜜视频, Ellen previously worked as a Development Assistant at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and was an apprentice to Dr. Ellen Frank at the Ellen Frank Illumination Arts Foundation (EFIAF). An avid learner and bookworm, she is thrilled to have found a home among the team at 优蜜视频 that shares her passion for knowledge, discovery and creativity.

It was snowing indoors at 优蜜视频鈥檚 tree-trimming party last Friday as parents, students and staff all worked together to create handcrafted ornaments and paper snowflakes to decorate the Barder House for the holidays. As families munched on cookies and sipped hot chocolate (generously donated by the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf), they reflected on favorite 优蜜视频 moments from the past year 鈥� like our Genius Day hosted at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens and our Summer Soiree BBQ event. Students also spoke excitedly about plans for the New Year, including family trips and courses they had already applied to take in our upcoming Winter Session of Academy.

The event may even be the start of a new 优蜜视频 tradition! 鈥淭his was such a great opportunity to relax and unwind with the 优蜜视频 community after the end of the school term,鈥� remarked a parent. 鈥淎nd the crafts were a big hit. We鈥檇 love to do this again!鈥� Most popular among the crafts were created under the patient instruction of Tiffany Kwong, who showed kids and adults how to cut and tape squares of paper to make intricate, three-dimensional works of art. To make your own ornaments听at home, you can follow the paper snowflake tutorial below!

As the glowing warmth of the tree illuminated the smiling faces of everyone in attendance, there was an overwhelming sense of gratitude for our close-knit community of supporters and the amazing children that we have had the privilege to serve. As the 优蜜视频 staff looks forward to the holidays with our own families, we鈥檇 like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many members of the 优蜜视频 family who have contributed their time, talent and money in service of our mission over the course of 2015. As we prepare for the New Year, your support is paramount to helping us plan for the future of 优蜜视频 and providing much needed services to the children in our programs.

If you would like to make a donation to support 优蜜视频 in time for the New Year, please visit our website鈥檚 donation page or call our office at 626-403-8900. To sign up for an Academy class, click here!

Happy holidays from all of us here at 优蜜视频 and best wishes for the coming year!