By SHIM LACY
For the Bulletin
Manteca Youth Focus (MYF) recently celebrated the accomplishments of the captains of their “All-Star Team” at their annual “Reaching for the Stars” leadership awards ceremony.
Hosted by MYF Board President, Judi Horton, the event is a cherished tradition that honors the youth leaders who served the organization and greater Manteca community over the past year.
In total 17 young people were presented with commendations from the MYF Board of Directors, City of Manteca, San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, and Congressman Josh Harder for their year of service as titleholders, earning scholarships from last year’s MYF scholarship competitions.
Numerous civic organizations including the Manteca Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Club of Manteca, Wide Horizons and the Cpl. Charles O. Palmer II Memorial Troop Support Program (MTSP), also presented certificates of recognition for the youth leaders’ service to their causes.
Teri Palmer, mother of the late Cpl. Palmer and MTSP co-founder, along with other MTSP board members, personally thanked the three titleholders who chose MTSP for their MYF community advocacy projects: Trenton Bradshaw — Teen Manteca City Ambassador, Jacob Russell —- Young Manteca City Ambassador, and Yannis Ang — Miss Young Manteca.
They were honored to receive special additional scholarship awards from MTSP for their fundraising efforts and volunteer service over the past year.
Russell, age 11, and Ang, age 12, are the youngest and “smallest” captains of the MYF All-Star Team but have had an enormous impact on the community.
As the winners of the young age division (ages 10-12) in last year’s competition, they have spent the past year serving as the official representatives of Manteca Youth Focus and ambassadors of goodwill for the “Family City” of Manteca.
They promoted community pride while attending key events such as the Manteca 4th of July Parade, National Night Out Celebration, Manteca Pumpkin Fair, Manteca Twilight Holiday Parade, Little Miss and Mister Escalon Contest, Great Valley BookFest, MYF Community Unity Benefit Concert, and Manteca Crossroads Watermelon Street Faire.
They also supported local businesses by attending numerous mixers and coffees hosted by the Manteca Chamber of Commerce and aided their fellow service team members with their advocacy projects.
For their advocacy projects, both chose MTSP and assisted with three separate MTSP troop packing events including one hosted by Teen Ambassador Bradshaw at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
Ang sold handmade friendship bracelets throughout the year, raising over $300, which she used to purchase candy and treats for over 100 packages sent to military troops serving across the US and overseas.
Russell promoted MTSP all year and joined Bradshaw and Ang, along with the MYF Student Service Team and church members, in organizing and packing the 100 boxes.
Russell is entering 6th grade at George McParland Elementary School and is the recipient of a $200 scholarship from MYF and additional $250 from MTSP. He is active in many competitive sports including baseball and swimming, but his true passion is for gymnastics.
He has won numerous individual medals, most recently earning gold in both trampoline and tumbling and silver in double mini trampoline at the US Regional Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah.
This was Russell’s first year with the MYF All-Star Student Service Team during which he completed over 40 hours of volunteer service with MYF and other organizations.
Ang is entering 7th grade at Park View Elementary School in Ripon. In addition to her $200 MYF scholarship and $250 MTSP scholarship, she also earned a Gold Level President’s Volunteer Service Award from the Points of Light Foundation, signed by US President Joe Biden, in recognition of the more than 150 hours of volunteer service she completed this past year.
She is an accomplished musician, vocalist, and dancer, playing the piano and cello, and regularly performing with her siblings, Charis and Marcus, and mom, Yan-Yan, at church events across the central valley.
She also dances with SONdance Christian Dance School. Ang has been a member of the MYF All-Star Student Service Team since 2022 and made history as the inaugural Miss Young Watermelon Street Faire 2022.
You can see Ang and Rusell perform their individual talents as members of the cast of the
2024 Young Manteca Scholarship Competition which will be held Saturday, June 29, at 9:30 a.m.
at Cornerstone Community Church in Manteca.
The duo will crown their successors from among
the five boys and eight girls competing for the titles of Miss Young Manteca and Young Manteca
City Ambassador 2024.
MYF is celebrating its 30th anniversary and will once again welcome back Matt Vaughan as the host of the show.
Vaughan has the distinction of serving as the very first Young Manteca City Ambassador back in 1998. Vaughan, who also served as Teen and City Ambassador, now lives in the Reno-Sparks area of Nevada and serves as the News Director and Executive Producer for KOLO-TV 8, the local ABC affiliate.
Vaughan returns to his hometown of Manteca each year to host and perform in the show, which is under the direction of MYF Vice President Douglas Scott.
;As the youngest captains of our All-Star Team, Yannis and Jacob have demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership throughout this past year. Their commitment to service has not only inspired their peers but also greatly benefitted the Manteca community.
“Their contributions to the MTSP and various community events have showcased their outstanding character and potential. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and grateful for their year of service,” remarked Scott.
The MYF Board of Directors invites the community to attend all three of the upcoming scholarship competitions where 35 outstanding young people of achievement will compete for more than $9,000 in educational scholarships.
The competitions will take place Friday, June 28, at 7:00 p.m. for contestants ages 16-20 and Saturday, June 29m at 9:30 a.m. for contestants ages 10-12 and 3 p.m. for contestants ages 13-15.
All shows take place at Cornerstone Community Church in Manteca.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children and available for purchase online at MantecaYouthFocus.org or at the door.
Manteca Youth Focus programs are open to youth between the ages of 9-20 from the greater Manteca community which includes the cities of Manteca, Ripon, Lathrop and the communities of River Islands, French Camp, and Weston Ranch (South Stockton).
The organization also periodically sponsors recreational “prince and princess” fundraiser programs for children ages 9 and under.
For more information on MYF programs email MantecaYouthFocus@gmail.com or visit www.MantecaYouthFocus.org.
