Sparks of Hope at Oceans of Opportunity Virtual Celebration

On Tuesday evening, June 2nd, 200 viewers tuned in to watch EXP’s YouTube premiere of Oceans of Opportunity: A Virtual Awards & Scholarship Celebration. The 30-minute live video presentation recognized the EXP scholarship students who shine, educators who inspire, volunteers who motivate, and business partners who set the spark and keep the flame burning. It also commemorated EXP’s 20th Anniversary. The event was wrapped in light-hearted fun and entertainment, including some spirited dancing!

EXP staff and board members were on hand to live-chat with nearly 200 students, parents, educators and friends who tuned in to show support for the honorees and scholarship recipients. As of press time, the video has nearly 800 views, and will remain available on EXP’s YouTube channel to view and review as many times as you’d like!

This year, we awarded 31 scholarships to EXP students including the Carol Rowen 180 Degree Award winner, Andrew Rivas from Gardena High School’s Global Business Magnet. We honored our lifetime partner The Port of Los Angeles with our Keeper of the Flame award – our highest industry honor. We also paid tribute to our newly-minted board member and long-time EXP supporter Daniella Ruiz with our Bill Stein Memorial Leadership award, and our education community partner Dr. Windy Warren, principal of Carson High School, who we honored with EXP’s Educator of the Year award.

The virtual event also recognized the tremendous generosity of this year’s Oceans of Opportunity event sponsors, who made this event as well as our year 'round career education programs for more than 6,350 local community high school youth.

"We are honored and humbled to have been serving students, schools and communities for the past twenty years. Today, thanks to all of you, the EXP family has grown exponentially," said Amy Grat, CEO. "The sober reality today is that right now there aren’t oceans of opportunities available for our students--they are struggling to find mere puddles of possibility. They look to us adults for hope and guidance. With your support, EXP will continue to be there for them, today and in the future."

Thank you 2020 Oceans of Opportunity Event Sponsors!