Saturday, October 15, 2005: 

24th Annual Florin JACL Spaghetti Dinner & Bingo Scholarship Fundraiser

Event Program

5:30 PM – Dinner Served

7:00 PM – Welcome & Acknowledgements

7:15 PM - Announcements

7:30 PM – Raffle Drawing & FREE Bingo

Event Co-Chairmen

We would like to thank Bob Uyeyama and Amos Freeman for doing such a great job with the event year after year.

Donors

We would like to thank all of individuals that donated money to our worthy cause so that we may continue to offer the scholarships.

(Names Listed in Alphabetical Order)

Supporters

We would like to thank you, our members and friends, for making this event such a great success year after year.

Volunteers

We would like to thank everyone that was involved with organizing the event, preparing the food and staffing the event.

Business Advertisements

We would like to thank all of the individuals and local businesses that purchased advertisements in our printed program.

Stan Eisner Insurance Agency, Inc.

Nakano Companies

Family Chiropractic & Acupuncture Center

UPN 31 KMAX

SMUD

Genevieve Shiroma

Bingo & Raffle Prizes

We would like to thank everyone that donated prizes for our bingo and raffle.

Special Thanks

Florin Buddhist Church

 Ronald McDonald House Charities

Florin JACL Scholarship Committee - Ruth Seo , Aileen Nishio, Stan Umeda, Andy Noguchi

2005 Scholarship Recipients

The Florin JACL Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce this year's scholarships winners:  Megan M. Toyama and Jennifer M. Nishizaki. They were selected based on their JACL, community and school involvement; leadership ability; and academic achievement. 

Jennifer Nishizaki, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Terry Nishizaki, is a senior at  C.K. McClatchy High School in the HISP program (Humanities and International Studies, an honors program with a rigorous academic curriculum). This active teen carries a 4.0 GPA while participating in KEY Club, Peace Coalition, California Scholarship Federation and Student Government.  She has served on the Sacramento Youth Commission, President and Treasurer of the Parkview Presbyterian Church Youth Group and has earned the Gold and Silver Awards in Girl Scouts.  She has also taken fencing lesson for four years.

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Megan Toyama, daughter of Titus and Donna  Komure-Toyama, also participates in the HISP program at C.K. McClatchy High School .  This honor roll student is active in student government and athletics.  She is currently on the varsity tennis team and has played on the junior varsity basketball and soccer teams.  She also participated on numerous community teams in tennis, soccer and basketball.  Megan is currently the senior class president at her high school.  She is also a member of the 4 Peace Coalition, Asian Student Union, Youth Congress and CSF.  She was selected as a delegate to the Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project Conference at the State Capitol and helped with the Doris Matsui election campaign.  Megan has been playing the koto since 1996.

Both Jennifer and Megan and members of the Florin JACL Youth group  and they both had roles as extras in the film, Day of Independence .

Past Scholarship Recipient Updates  

Ryan Takeda (2004) – I am currently a sophomore attending the University of California, San Diego and my major is Animal Physiology/Neuroscience.  My extra curricular activities include participation in the Nikkei Student Union and other activities related to my college here at Eleanor Roosevelt College .  I continue volunteering at Mercy General Hospital when I am in Sacramento .

Nicholas “Nick” Uchida (2004) – I graduated from Kennedy High School .  I am in my second year at the University of Pacific and enrolled in the pharmacy program.  I’ve met many new people and I’m enjoying my college experience.  I’ve lived in the dormitory for two years and I think it’s a good way to meet new people.  I’m very appreciative for the scholarship that I received, it has helped with my school expenses this past year.  I’m sorry that I am unable to attend the Spaghetti Dinner Scholarship Fundraiser this year, but I wanted to let all of you know that I am doing well.  Thank you again for all of your support.

Erik Nishida (2004) – I’ve accomplished a few things that I am very proud of in my first year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University .  I am a founding father of the Sigma Chi Fraternity chapter at my campus.  I was a part of the Magnetic Field Investigation of Mars by Interacting Consortia program (MIMIC), a group of 52 universities around the country funded through NASA to perform research.  The program was to be the first student designed, built and run mission to another planet.  Unfortunately, NASA was also launching a satellite to perform similar tasks that our satellite was going to perform.  As a result, we will find another project to do, possibly a land rover project.  I have actively participated with the Hawaii club as well.  We held a community Luau at the school.  It was a big hit and worth all the time.  In addition, I still managed to get on the Dean's List!

Lisa Yuki (2003) - I graduated from C. K. McClatchy's Humanities and International Studies Program in 2002.  In 2003, I received a scholarship from the Florin JACL and the Ronald McDonald House Charities.  In June 2006, I will graduate from UCLA with degrees in History and Political Science with a concentration in International Relations.  At UCLA, I worked in the Student Affairs Office in the School of Engineering and was involved in tutoring elementary schoolchildren in the Asian American Tutorial Project and Project Literacy.  This academic year, I am studying abroad at University of Manchester in England .  I am currently taking classes on the History of Victorian Manchester, American Political Development and the relationship between News Media and International Crises.  Outside of school, I am interested in photography, art, travel and food.  After graduation, I hope to get job experience in government before going on to graduate school.  I am extremely grateful for receiving a scholarship from Florin JACL because it has helped me tremendously by offsetting college costs (including a year in England !) and lessening my concerns about student loan debt.

Lance Yabut (2002) – After my graduation from John F. Kennedy High School , I attended the University of California at Davis (UCD) majoring in Managerial Economics.  I started my college career off on the right foot, attaining a 4.0 GPA in my first quarter.  During my two years at UCD, I frequently came back to Sacramento to visit with family and give back to the community that so strongly supported me through my entire life.  I’ve completed 91 units at UCD including Business Law, Asian American History, Film Studies and Music Theory earning an overall GPA of 3.76.  I’ve gained a priceless wealth of knowledge from my studies.  After completing two years at UCD, I applied for a transfer to UC San Diego (UCSD).  I continued my studies in the area of Economics and Management Science with an emphasis in Public Service.  My keen interest in public service has lead me to be accepted into the prestigious Fall 2005 UCDC Internship program.  I am currently interning for the University of California Federal Government Relations Department in Washington , DC .  As a graduating senior, I look back at my college career and realize that without the support of community organizations such as the Florin JACL , I would not be in the position that I am today.  As a result, I’d like to thank each one of you for your support of the young and emerging leaders of today.

Tracy Tokunaga (2002) - I am now in my senior year at San Diego State University and I will be graduating this spring.  I am majoring in Liberal Studies.  I would ultimately like to become an elementary school teacher and I will be coming back to Sacramento to do my credential program at Sacramento State .  I will hopefully have the opportunity to teach somewhere in the Elk Grove School District .  I have enjoyed my four years here in San Diego and the Florin JACL scholarship played a part in my success, so I’d like to thank all of you very much.

Kevin Nakano (1993) – I transferred to UC Santa Barbara and graduated with a degree in Film & Asian American Studies.  I moved to Los Angeles to work in the independent film industry where I worked on three films.  I worked for the producer Lisa Onodera (Picture Bride) and the director Gene Cajayon (CSU Long Beach graduate) as a location scout, transportation coor dina tor and picture car coor dina tor for a feature film called Debut, the first Filipino American feature film in the United States.  I left the film industry and moved back to Sacramento, earned a second bachelor’s degree in Business with an Accountancy concentration, worked for Ernst & Young LLP and I am now starting my fourth year in the real estate industry.  I have four offices ( Roseville , Greenhaven, San Mateo and Fullerton ) and provide real estate, mortgage, property management and commercial services.  I am VP of Technology and the District Delegate for the Florin JACL , in addition to being on the Spaghetti Dinner and the Annual Installation Dinner planning committees.  I reside in Natomas Park and I enjoy spending time with my family, friends and girlfriend.  In my spare time, I enjoy working out, fishing, symphony, watching movies and mentoring business students at universities all over California .  I am currently the president of the Sac State Business Alumni Chapter and the Sigma Chi Omega Alumni Association, as well a board member for the Rotary Club of Natomas.