Ten Riverside County Youth Honored at the Annual 2024 Jamil Dada Character Excellence Youth Awards

Riverside, CA – On Friday, July 12, 2024, the Riverside County Workforce Development Board honored ten awardees of the 2024 Jamil Dada Character Excellence Youth Awards at the March Field Air Museum. This annual event celebrates Riverside County youth who have shown exemplary character while overcoming some of life’s most significant challenges.

Awardees each received $2,500 in educational scholarships, a trophy award, legislative certificates, and recognition at the award ceremony. This year’s awardees include:
1. Aeon Agundez, Lake Elsinore
2. Alondra Flores-Perez, Lake Elsinore
3. Virginia Finlayson, Lake Elsinore
4. Alexzander Romero, Perris
5. Fabian Gomez-Robles, Perris
6. Arely Guadalupe Jimenez Mendoza, Jurupa Valley
7. Genesis Thania Gomez Amaya, Jurupa Valley
8. Penelope Garcia, Jurupa Valley
9. Roberto Villarino, Hemet
10. Neo Middleby, Hemet

In spite of difficult and sometimes tragic situations, these young people have been identified as leaders in their communities, determined to earn a high school diploma, and/or in pursuit of a post-secondary education. After being nominated, a panel of evaluators determined that awardees exemplified two or more of the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

The 2024 award event featured keynote speaker Stewart Knox, Secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency. The event was hosted by Master of Ceremony, Rob McMillan, ABC7 Eyewitness News Inland Empire bureau chief.

Jamil Dada gave closing remarks for the event and announced that he would be donating $250,000 to ensure that the event has the ability to keep honoring youth for many years to come.
The Jamil Dada Character Excellence Youth Awards Program is named after local, state and federal youth advocate, Jamil Dada. Mr. Dada currently serves as the Riverside County Workforce Development Board Vice Chair, is a longtime member of the California Workforce Development Board, and past Chair of the National Association of Workforce Boards. The annual event and youth scholarships are funded through generous contributions from local businesses, community partners, non-profit agencies, and net proceeds from event tickets sales. According to Mr. Dada, “This is an amazing and important program that supports youth, particularly those who are disconnected, helping them achieve their educational goals and dreams.”

For more information or to donate to the Jamil Dada Character Excellence Youth Awards program, please contact Riverside County Works, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the Riverside County Workforce Development Board, by email at [email protected].