Jeremy Lin Foundation

Meet Yeshi! 🫶 .nyc

SAYA has been a part of Yeshi’s life since he first stepped through SAYA’s gym doors as a high schooler. Fifteen years later, as a member of SAYA’s finance team, he now finds time to impact students in his own way. “I don’t want youth to feel like I’m a teacher,” Yeshi said. “The same way that I never held back from sharing with [my mentor] Suhail, these kids don’t hold back either. When they want advice, I give it to them how I would want it—but of course with grace and with love.”

Yeshi also shared about his friends during his time participating at SAYA. “In the safe space that SAYA created, my friends and I began opening up about insecurities and mental health struggles that none of us had ever shared. Hearing those stories revealed sides of each other we never expected — unfiltered, authentic, and genuinely ourselves. It definitely made us closer, for sure.”

Meet Roberto! 🫶

For 18 years, Roberto has been a pillar of the Hope Horizon community in East Palo Alto and Roberto has seen both his children and grandchildren participate in Hope Horizon’s programs. Roberto remembers days when his daughter didn’t want to join Hope Horizon programming, “She didn’t want to come because I was making her do it. But now that her kids are here, she sees the impact that we’re having on youth. Even if she didn’t see the impact for herself when she was here.”

While much has changed in the community, over 18 years, Hope Horizon’s work has not. Roberto said, “We have spiritual programs for middle school and high school youth... and the love and affection in the way they build their own community goes a long way. The program leaders lending an ear to listen to some of our kids, they go through situations at home that we’re not even aware of.”

Hope Horizon’s impact is holistic, spanning academic, spiritual, and emotional support. Roberto recalled, “Once, there was a young teenager having issues at home, there was crime in the family, and she lost both of her brothers. At first, she was having problems where she was depressed, didn’t want to talk to or open up to anybody, but inside she was screaming for help. Over time, she started opening up to our staff, and even though she lived through a situation she won’t be able to forget, our team eventually helped her move on. Last time I heard, she graduated high school and moved out to the East Coast. We do see her on social media sometimes. She’s doing good.”