A Night Among The Stars
A Night Among the Stars
The Youth Center will be hosting the 14th Annual Ceremony for A Night Among the Stars in which twenty outstanding volunteers that have selflessly given their time and talents to charities are nominated by non-profits, schools, and community groups.
Selected nominees and their families will receive an invitation to this special formal event. Youth nominees each receive a certificate of recognition from the U.S. Senate, The Los Alamitos City of Commerce, and a chance to win five $500 scholarships.
Scholarships will be provided by Rotary of Los Alamitos & Seal Beach, S.E.T.H. Foundation (Lion’s Club), Rossmoor Woman’s Club, and Rossmoor Homeowners Association.
We are seeking sponsors for this event. We would love to promote your company at our event and in return you would help to give our amazing nominated youth volunteers and their families the best event ever!
Event History
Launched in 2013, “A Night Among the Stars” is a cherished initiative by The Youth Center that honors the philanthropic spirit of young individuals. This event represents the culmination of Elaine Wissuchek’s Gold Award Project, “Working Together,” highlighting our unwavering commitment to youth philanthropy and volunteerism.
Our mission is to transform the lives of children and families through collaborative programs. We firmly believe that engaging youth in volunteerism not only enriches their lives but also strengthens our community, cultivating the leaders of tomorrow. Since its inception, we have proudly awarded over $20,500 in scholarships to youth.
This event is a collaborative effort between The Youth Center and the Rotary Clubs of Los Alamitos, Cypress, and Seal Beach. Scholarships are generously provided by the Seal Beach Lion’s Club, the Rotary Club, the Rossmoor Women’s Club, and the Rossmoor Homeowners Association.
Call for Nominations
6We are excited to announce that nominations are now open for the 13th Annual “A Night Among the Stars”! We invite non-profits, schools, and community members to nominate outstanding youth volunteers who have dedicated their time and talents to improve our community.
This formal red carpet event will take place on April 24, 2026, at On the Greens at Navy Golf Course from 5:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Join us for a delightful evening featuring savory appetizers, desserts, and drinks as we honor these incredible young volunteers.
This year, we will recognize 18 exceptional youth volunteers, with five of them receiving $500 scholarships. We encourage you to nominate young volunteers (ages 5–18) who have made a significant impact in your organization, neighborhood, or community.
To submit your nomination, please submit nomination online.
Important Details:
- Each selected nominee will receive a Certificate of Recognition from the U.S. Senate and the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce.
- Nominees and their families will be invited to this special event.
- Scholarships will be provided by the Rotary Clubs of Los Alamitos and Seal Beach, the S.E.T.H. Foundation (Lion’s Club), the Rossmoor Women’s Club, and the Rossmoor Homeowners Association.
We are also seeking sponsors for this event! Your support will help make this a memorable evening for our nominated youth volunteers and their families.
Sponsorship opportunities are available below, along with our contact information for any questions.
Don’t miss the chance to celebrate the incredible contributions of our youth! We look forward to receiving your nominations soon!
Contact Information: info@TheYouthCenter.org or 562-493-4043
Thank you for helping us honor the stars of our community!
Thank you to our amazing sponsors:
Congratulations to Our Stellar Volunteers Who Won Scholarships
2025
- Kristen Chan – LAHS Growing Up STEM (RWC Award)
- Yara Saadeh – The Girl Scouts OC & The Youth Center (RWC Award)
- Era Berani – Rotary Club (RHA Award)
- Josephine Velez – Seal Beach VBA LEO (S.E.T.H. Award)
- Adrian Lopez – Rotary Club of Los Alamitos, Cypress & Seal Beach (Rotary Award)
2024
- Ellie Sutherland – Girl Scouts (RWC Award)
- Austin Hsiung – City of Los Alamitos (RWC Award)
- Skyler McClain – The Youth Center (RHA Award)
- Kyan Whiten – Seal Beach Lions Club (S.E.T.H. Award)
- Lwam Kibrom – Rotary International (Rotary Award)
2023
- Una O’Farrell – Camp S.H.A.R.K. (RWC Award)
- Hayley Dunn – Casa Youth Shelter (RWC Award)
- Lexi Blankenstein – LAEF (RHA Award)
- Sarah Saadeh – The Youth Center (Rotary Award)
2022
- Katie Velez – VBA Leos Academy (S.E.T.H. Award)
- Katelyn Loh – LAEF (Rotary Award)
- Ally Hatakeyama – The Youth Center, Los Alamitos High School, Emerging Leaders Club (RWC Award)
- Amelia Drukker – Girl Scouts of OC (RWC Award)
2021
- Kirsten Okamoto – Girl Scouts of OC (S.E.T.H. Award)
- Evert Lukas – Grateful Hearts (The Youth Center Award)
- Katie Recker – LAUSD (Rotary Award)
- Davis Taylor – Seal Beach Leos (The Youth Center Award)
2019
- Darren Deutsch – Los Alamitos High School (The Youth Center Award)
- Rebecca Gomez – Seal Beach Leo Club (The Youth Center Award)
- Viviana Ramirez – Grateful Hearts (Rotary Award)
- Rory Lowdermilk – Girl Scouts (The Youth Center Award)
2018
- Daniel Hayase – VBA Seal Beach Leo Club (The Youth Center Award)
- Lindsey Torgerson – Los Alamitos High School (The Youth Center Award)
- Tanner Webb – Summer Harvest (The Youth Center Award)
- Cody Tanner – Seal Beach Leo Club (Rotary Award)
2017
- Morgan Cheng – The Youth Center (The Youth Center Award)
- Bryan Elapano – Grateful Hearts (Rotary Award)
- Riley Rojas – Precious Life Shelter (The Youth Center Award)
- Anita Maksymchuk – Los Alamitos High School (The Youth Center Award)
2016
- Brielle Johnson – Grateful Hearts (The Youth Center Award)
- Max Russell – The Friendship Circle (Rotary Award)
- Josie Pearce – Los Alamitos School District (The Youth Center Award)
2015
- Andrew Turner – Los Alamitos High School (The Youth Center Award)
- Jennifer Lang – Seal Beach Lions Foundation (The Youth Center Award)
2014
- Janine Kim – Los Alamitos Unified School District (The Youth Center Award)
- Laura Munley – The Youth Center (The Youth Center Award)
2013
- Cullen Fitzgibbons – Grateful Hearts (The Youth Center Award)
- Evan Jenkins – Seal Beach Lions Club (The Youth Center Award)
Recognizing local youth and their accomplishments
By Brooklynn De Shazer
Adrian Lopez – Rotary Club Scholarship
The first scholarship of the night was awarded to Los Alamitos student Adrian Lopez. He was nominated by the Rotary Club of Los Alamitos, Cypress and Seal Beach. He has earned honorable recognition for fall 2023, spring 2024, fall 2024, and attended ASB camp in 2024. In eighth grade, Lopez received the Spanish honors, perfect attendance and outstanding citizenship awards. Not only is he a distinguished student, but he is also a member of ASB, president of the sophomore class council and the president of The Heart Club from the American chapter. Additionally, Lopez is a member of the Interact Rotary Club of Los Alamitos High School and is the upcoming president of The Youth Center’s leadership council.
“When I was younger, I didn’t have a lead to follow, and I’m really glad that I’m now part of the group that will be leading our future to success. I am really passionate about that,” Lopez said.
One project Lopez has done to give back to the community is send cards to healthcare workers. With his club, the Heart Club, they have raised over 150 cards. He has also been part of volunteer projects supporting schools in Africa and ambassador workshops with the leadership council. Through these activities, Lopez has been able to continue his passion and give back to the community.
Congratulations, Adrian Lopez, on achieving the Stellar Rotary Award!
Kristen Chan – Rossmoor Women’s Club Scholarship
The second award was given to Kristen Chan, a senior at Los Alamitos High School. She is a passionate leader dedicated to science and service.
As the president of the Growing Up In Stem club at LAHS, she has made it her mission to inspire younger students to discover and pursue STEM. Under her leadership, the club has brought many hands-on and exciting science experiences to elementary schools in the Los Alamitos Unified School District. The club's STEM Sunday events begin with a magic show and continue with interactive classroom activities for students to explore chemical concepts like pH levels, polarity, and chemical reactions.
In this past year alone, Chan has helped organize and lead three major events for her club, reaching over 500 elementary school students. From purchasing materials to designing experiments, Chan does it all. Her dedication and belief in the power of early exposure to STEM have sparked curiosity in young minds.
“It's my hope that sharing my passion for science at these events will only inspire the next generation to one day lead and continue to find ways to give back to the community that they were once supported in,” Chan said.
Congratulations, Kristen Chan, on achieving the Stellar R.W.C. Award!
Yara Saadeh – Rossmoor Women’s Club Scholarship
The third scholarship was given to Yara Saadeh, a dedicated leader who has been involved in Girl Scouts since kindergarten, where she was first recognized for her communication skills at such a young age. Through Girl Scouts, Saadeh was able to grow to become a confident and articulate individual. Saadeh shared that one standout moment for her was her promotion speech in fifth grade. Over the years, she has achieved her Bronze and Silver awards for Girl Scouts and has finally achieved the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Saadeh identified a major problem: there was a decline in public speaking and social communication skills in kids and youth. In response, she developed the Youth Center program, Level Up, for her Girl Scout Gold Award. The program was designed to help students gain confidence in public speaking. To ensure the program would run smoothly, she established a Level Up club at LAHS to help lead and grow the program even after she graduates.
“The Youth Center has given me a place to build and form my desired change in this world. They have not only nurtured my love for public speaking, but additionally allowed me to instill it within so many kids,” Saadeh said.
Congratulations, Yara Saadeh, on achieving the Stellar R.H.A. Award!
Josephine Velez – Seal Beach Lions S.E.T.H. Award
The fourth award was given to Josephine Velez, who has been a dedicated Seal Beach Lions Club member for the past seven years and has volunteered more than 2,500 hours during that time.
Currently, for Lions Club, she is the vice president for the district and has served as president twice and vice president once. Through this, she has led many impactful initiatives, such as a food drive for children facing food insecurities. She has also visited nursing homes, offering musical performances that bring smiles to the elderly's faces. Not only does she help the elderly, she also provides tutoring and academic support for at-risk, low-income students in Santa Ana.
In addition to her community service, Velez is an accomplished and talented cellist. Her passion for music has taken her far as a prestigious Carnegie Hall National Youth Orchestra member. This has allowed her to travel intentionally, including performing in the Dominican Republic.
“These experiences have taught me that no matter what passion or skills you have, you can use them to uplift others in your community. Service, for me is a universal language that we can help others no matter what situation you're in or what language you speak, and I'm extremely grateful for all the opportunities I've been able to have and been able to work with others to create a bigger and brighter future for all,” Velez said.
Congratulations, Josephine Velez, on achieving the Stellar S.E.T.H. Award!
Era Berani – Rossmoor Homeowners Association Scholarship
The fifth and final scholarship was given to Era Berani, an LAHS sophomore who is the founder and president of Bright Hearts Club, as well as the founder and leader of the Junior Model United Nations Club at Oak Middle School. As a committed Girl Scout, she has earned the Silver Award after leasing and collecting over 300 toys for CHOC Hospital. She is also an active member of the LAHS Interact Club and has spent a lot of her time volunteering, including spending her summer in Europe to assist in a clinic where she organized supplies, helped patients, and carried out daily tasks.
Berani's dedication does not stop at individual projects– it is a family project. As a family, the Beranis host an annual free Thanksgiving meal and dessert at the Griffin Grill. Era has also participated in and organized large-scale drives, such as the Hope For LA drive, where she has helped to collect over three truckloads of donations. For Christian Outreach in Action, she has led her own breakfast initiative, preparing and serving over 150 meals for those in need. This summer, she plans to launch a nonprofit to provide communities in Europe with school supplies.
“Volunteering means so much to me, not just because of the difference it makes for others, but because of the way it brings people together to create something meaningful,” Berani said.
Congratulations, Era Berani, for achieving the Stellar R.H.A. Award!