Youth Leaders Awarded for Courage and Service to Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - April 1, 2004 - Youth Leadership Institute, (YLI) a national organization that works with youth and adults to build communities that invest in youth, announced its picks for outstanding Bay Area youth leaders in a special ceremony at San Francisco's War Memorial Veterans Building last night.

YLI's Youth Leadership Awards were given to an exceptionally talented and courageous group of young people, ranging in age from 17 to 21. These youth tackled a broad range of issues from tobacco and alcohol control to youth grant making and community banking. The winners include:

Ashley Hu (Xiaoyun Hu): Ashley is a 17-year-old native of Shanghai who loves her new country, is excelling at school, plays the violin, and is a candidate for Miss Teen Chinatown.

But what she does in her spare has big tobacco companies and leading Bay area retailers nervous. As a founding member of YO!Mateo, (San Mateo County Youth Tobacco Coalition) Ashley is taking action to keep tobacco products out of the hands of young people. She has run "sting" operations against retailers, taken her findings to the top police brass, and has enlisted politicians to her cause. Her work is inspired by her firsthand knowledge of the problems that tobacco has wrought on her native China.

Amber Shields: Amber, an 18-year-old from Novato, is challenging the traditional Bay area philanthropic world of grey hair, Chanel suits, and Pacific Heights cocktail parties. She is part of an emerging force in non-profit funding, where the decision makers arenít even out of high school.

Between studying, running track, and writing for her high school newspaper, she is making decisions and doling out funds to more than 200 Bay area non-profits. As a key member of the Youth Grants Board, Amber is part of an innovative program where youth have the sole power to determine which community projects are backed.

"It's amazing how driven, courageous and effective a young person can be, even in areas where we adults have utterly failed," said Maureen Sedonaen, executive director of Youth Leadership Institute. "These outstanding young community activists are living proof that youth should not only be consulted about the problems that confront them, but they should lead the way toward solutions."

The full list of Youth Leadership Institute award winners is as follows:
Name - Age - Hometown - Activity
Amber Shields - 18 - Novato - Youth Philanthropy
Zack Ruskin - 17 - San Anselmo - Skate parks/Marin Youth Commission
Sadaf Minapara - 17 - San Francisco Youth credit union
Jesse Cotrell - 21 - San Francisco - Youth civic engagement/youth policy
Jose Tardencillo - 18 - San Francisco Youth philanthropy/school reform
Cole Church - 20 - San Francisco - Crime prevention/youth philanthropy
Ashley Hu - 17 - San Mateo - Tobacco control
Andrew Huang - 18 - San Mateo - Tobacco control
Jes Levine - 17 - San Rafael - Youth alcohol and tobacco prevention
Sophie Yanow - 17 - Woodacre - Youth parks/youth media advocacy