Poway Chamber of Commerce Awards Ten Business and Community Leaders at 2023 Business Star Awards

On Friday, June 23, nearly 100 Chamber members, guests, staff, Board of Directors, and City Officials gathered at Maderas Golf Club for the 2023 Business Star Awards & Board Installation event. Musical entertainment by Floyd A. Smith and fun games were enjoyed between awards presentations, exciting drawing prizes were won, and the 2023-24 Board of Directors was installed.

Most notably, the Poway Chamber’s 2023 Business Star Award recipients were honored and celebrated amongst the Chamber and business community. Congratulations to our award winners: New Business of the Year: Board & Brew; Innovative Leader: David Guzman; Small Business of the Year: Crystal Gardens Florist; Customer Commitment: Addy’s Bistro; Marketing Magic: Poway Living Magazine; Large Business of the Year: Poway Unified School District; Non-Profit of the Year: Kiwanis Club of Poway; Employer of the Year: Amada Senior Care; Community Service: Tony Rubino; Vern Marston

Volunteer of the Year: Anita Della-Rocco.

The 2023 Business Star Awards were sponsored by: EDCO (Platinum Sponsor); Big Cheech’s Chicken Waffles and Sliders & Junction Bar and Grill (Gold Sponsors); Aaron Ford of Poway (Silver Sponsor); Table Sponsors: General Atomics, Farmers Insurance – Peterson Agency, Cox Communications, Neighborhood Healthcare, Koi Zen Cellars, and Divine Microblading & Permanent Makeup Studio. Awards were sponsored by: Cynthia Elizondo, Realtor; The Hop Stop; Pedder CDJ&R; California Dreaming Pools & Spa; Janet Bark Photography; North County Special Needs Community Foundation; Crystal Gardens Florist; The Farm in Poway; Mainstream Bar & Grill; and Villa de Vida.

The Business Star Awards event was created to celebrate exceptional Chamber members and business leaders in the community. For more information on this annual event, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Poway Chamber at chamber@poway.com or visit www.poway.com.

The Poway Chamber of Commerce is a private 501(c)6 not-for-profit membership organization that works to strengthen prosperity for members and the business community by providing leadership, education, advocacy, and networking.

Tamara is the CEO of Reality Changers, an organization that prepares youth to become first-generation college graduates and agents of change in their communities. She goes to great lengths to help students achieve their dreams… including rappelling down a 30-story building!

Tamara took some time to chat with us about Reality Changers, their upcoming Over The Edge event, and how you can get involved.

How are you making a difference in San Diego?

I am the proud President & CEO of Reality Changers. We help local high school students from underserved communities become the first in their families to graduate from college.

We know that college degrees can make a huge difference for our students. On average, a Bachelor’s degree increases an individual’s lifetime earnings by 84%. So, our work helps to address economic inequalities, giving young people and their families a chance to thrive.

Additionally, part of our mission is to create “agents of change.” This starts with community-service projects in high school and continues when our graduates come back to San Diego to educate, advocate, invest, and collaborate. Every degree has a ripple-effect that benefits neighborhoods and communities.

Is Reality Changers really offering the chance to rappel down the side of a building?!

Yes! On Sunday, August 6, 2023 we’ll be hosting Over the Edge, Presented by NV5. This is a one-ofa-kind event where attendees make a difference for college-bound youth by rappelling down the iconic Manchester Grand Hyatt downtown.

Rappellers will set up a custom online fundraising page. Participants must raise a minimum of $1,000 for Reality Changers to secure a place on the ropes. Every dollar raised helps local students to achieve their dreams.

Anyone who wants to join is welcome, no prior experience necessary! They can learn more or sign up online at realitychangers.org/over-the-edge

What is it like to go Over The Edge?

I will admit, rappelling 30 stories was a bit outside of my comfort zone, but it was also so incredible. The view was amazing. And what an adrenaline rush!

Our students face many challenges in their lives –they may have to balance work and family obligations with school, they may have adults in their lives who are telling them that they aren’t cut out for college, or they may feel out-of-place on college campuses – but we know that they are going to succeed and we tell them that every day. Since we ask our students to conquer their fears, I knew that I had to challenge myself as well. And for me, that challenge was a 30-story rappel.

It was definitely worth it. I feel extremely proud that I did something BIG and BOLD for our students. Plus, I had a lot of fun!

What will funds raised during Over The Edge support?

Over The Edge supports Reality Changers programs, which are focused on getting students to, through, and beyond college.

We have a three-part model. First - we start with 8th through 11th graders. We offer tutoring, career & college experiences, parent programs, mentorships, and community involvement opportunities. At this stage, it is most important to us to identify students who are struggling academically or who may not have considered themselves “college material.” We want to surround them with a strong support system and start building their self-confidence.

Second - we work with 12th graders. We help students apply to college, get financial aid, and prepare for life on campus. The goal for 12th graders is to make sure that they get into the 2- or 4-year school that’s the right fit for them AND that they graduate with minimal debt.

Third - We support college students and graduates. We help students stay in college with academic advising, on-campus resources, and troubleshooting. As they start to think about graduation, we’re there to help with resume review, career mentorship, networking, and more. We are with our students every step of the way and that’s why our participants are seven times more likely to complete college than their similar peers.

How does Reality Changers measure success?

At Reality Changers, we have both quantitative and qualitative metrics for success.

Quantitatively, we know that:

1) High school students in our program increase their GPAs year over year.

2) We served 1550 people last year. This includes youth,college graduates, and parents.

3) We have had more than 3,300 graduates since we were founded in 2001, including 175 this year.

4) Our high school class of 2023 has earned more than $10.4 million in grants and scholarships for the next 4 years.

Qualitatively, we see success stories every day. We have graduates who have become doctors, teachers, small business owners, accountants, engineers, and more. One story that has been sticking with me lately is Haniyeh, a 2018 graduate.

Haniyeh is an Afghan refugee who joined our program in 2017. At the time, she was simultaneously learning English, taking care of her little sister, and attending high school. Her mother brought her and her sister to this country specifically to pursue education, since women in Afghanistan are prohibited from participating in higher education. Haniyeh wanted to become a doctor, but didn’t know how to get into college or how to pay for it.

Reality Changers helped Haniyeh apply for college and scholarships. We also connected her with a mentorship program at UCSD. Through a lot of hard work, she just graduated from UCSD and is now working on medical school applications. She told me that Reality Changers helped her to understand the U.S. education system and opened doors for her. Most importantly, however, she says that the program helped her to believe in miracles.

When it comes to success, that’s what I am most proud of. Reality Changers works with students who have been overlooked by the education system. We know that they can succeed and we help instill that belief in them.