Honoring Assemblymember Mike Gipson with the Carol Rowen Legacy Award
2026 Carol Rowen Legacy Award: California State Assemblymember Mike Gipson
Named in honor of EXP founder and former Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner Carol Rowen, the Carol Rowen Legacy Award recognizes leaders who embody Carol’s vision of expanding opportunity and access for all young people. California State Assemblymember Mike Gipson’s steadfast commitment to equity, public service, and community advancement reflects this legacy.
As a Carson City Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem, Mike played a critical role in helping EXP expand from our flagship, Phineas Banning High School, to Carson High School in 2007. This expanded footprint was a crucial step toward EXP’s future growth in the region.
When Mike was elected to the California State Assembly in 2014, his support of EXP had never wavered. Today, he is the longest-serving Democratic Caucus Chair in the history of the California Assembly, a testament to the respect he has earned among his colleagues and to his enduring leadership. Since 2016, Mike’s office has welcomed 23 EXP student interns, including Jamaal Willis, providing more than 1,800 hours of hands-on experience, mentorship, and civic learning, including virtual placements during the pandemic, to ensure students continued to have access to opportunity. His leadership and belief in young people have made a lasting and meaningful impact.
We are truly honored to recognize Assemblymember Gipson for his longstanding commitment to youth and for the meaningful impact he has made directly on our future leaders.
Join us in honoring Mike at Oceans of Opportunity on April 30
Join us for an unforgettable evening at the 26th annual Oceans of Opportunity Awards & Scholarship Celebration on Thursday, April 30, at the Hotel Maya in Long Beach.
EXP proudly celebrates 26 years of empowering young people to achieve academic, career, and life success. We look forward to welcoming more than 300 civic leaders, industry partners, philanthropists, and educators for an evening, all united by a shared belief in the limitless potential of young people.
