Amber Childress

Achievers and the Pandemic

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At San Francisco Achievers, we have been doing our part to keep staff, volunteers and our students safe. All staff are working from home and all in-person programs have been suspended until further notice. Utilizing virtual tools, we are continuing to empower our high school and college students by providing information regarding food distribution, access to masks, access to technology resources, academic support and most importantly encouragement. During these times we are extremely dependent and grateful for the support of our donors and volunteers.

Our staff have been in regular communication with students, their families and our strategic partners like DCYF and SFUSD. We are sharing information on useful resources, including the list of school sites that are providing free to go meals for youth 18 years and under. We are doing our best to stay on top of the updates and information that is coming in daily from local and statewide officials.  We are under guidance in the Bay Area along with five other Bay Area counties,  including Alameda and Contra Costa regarding the “shelter in place” order as it progresses through the phases to re-open physical spaces. For local updates please check your local news outlets and for Covid-19 updates from the CA Department of Public Health, please click here

With gratitude,
San Francisco Achievers Staff and Board

Black Lives Matter!

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Dear San Francisco Achievers supporters,

In this time of immense tragedy, San Francisco Achievers has long been a place for empowering African American young men in San Francisco and for supporting them through a wide variety of challenges including racism. This is ingrained in our very DNA as part of our mission to inspire and assist African American young men in San Francisco to lead and thrive in higher education and beyond. We accomplish this through mentoring, leadership training and college scholarships.

As individuals, as a team and as an organization, we will not stand for bullying, bigotry, or hate of any kind. In this time of extreme sadness, anger and grief we stand with and support the young men we champion not just for a brighter future, but one that truly lives up to the ideals of unity expressed throughout the country today. We are grateful to our vast community of partners and friends who are standing with our students of color with compassion and empathy. We hold one another up and celebrate the differences that make us the rich tapestry that is America. We watch out for one another and stand up against the injustices that threaten not just dreams, but also lives. We all listen to really understand the struggles and deep hurt that some of us may never face. We all stand and rise together.

Black Lives Matter!

On The Road To Freedom

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During the second week of April, two Achievers embarked on a civil rights trip down south. The small travel group, led by retired Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell spent seven days traveling throughout the following cities: Jackson, MS; Little Rock, AK; Memphis, TN; Birmingham, AL; Selma, AL; and Montgomery, AL.

As you can imagine, the trip was insightful and full of emotions. We are grateful for this new partnership that was initiated during our 10th Anniversary Gala in 2018. The Commonwealth Club of California (also a non profit) was founded in 1903 by San Francisco Chronicle editorial writer Edward F. Adams, founded the club with these words in mind: we only propose to find truth and turn it loose in the world. These words still hold true for more than 100 years after the Commonwealth Club founder spoke them.

On April 30, 2019, the Commonwealth Club held an event where the two Achievers and Judge Cordell sat on a panel and shared their experiences from the trip. Watch the On The Road to Freedom and Home Again video here:

Achievers Abroad

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We enjoy reading stories from our college scholars and sharing these stories with you all. With that, please enjoy this piece from college senior, Chris Emelife, who is currently attending the University of San Francisco.

I cannot believe it. I am entering my final semester of college. It is crazy to think that four years have passed this quickly. I am going to miss college. It has been some of the best years of my life.

This semester has been by far the best throughout my four years of college. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Greece and it was an adventurous, unconventional, and eye-opening experience. In addition to having the opportunity to travel to other countries nearby, spending time abroad has helped me discover aspects of myself that I would never have discovered otherwise.

One highlight from my time abroad was my trip to Santorini. Santorini has always been on my bucket list. How can you not obsess over the white-washed houses and cathedrals topped off with light blue domes? It looks like heaven on Earth! The photos you see of Santorini are accurate! In my opinion,

Looking forward, I have been thinking about my future. I plan on studying for the GMAT when I return from my study abroad trip. After that, I plan on applying to graduate school to knock out two birds with one stone: obtaining the 150-credits required to sit for the CPA Exam and earning an MBA with a concentration in Accounting or a Masters’ in Accountancy. Some of the schools that I am thinking about applying to are San Diego State University, UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Irvine. While doing all of this, I plan on continuing my part-time work at the FDIC. Other than that, I am really excited for the future!