Golden Valley High School

November Newsletter

Thanksgiving Brotherhood Event

GVHS Brothers at the Thanksgiving Brotherhood Event

The IYT program at Golden Valley High School ushered in the holiday season with a meaningful and energetic Thanksgiving Feast during programming! The session began with our important rituals, followed by a time where the brothers wrote down something they were thankful for this year. Following this moment of gratitude, the young men eagerly enjoyed their meal and spent quality time mingling and strengthening their bonds of brotherhood.

Stanford College Tour

GVHS brothers exploring the campus, attending a presentation, and the basketball game

GVHS brothers seized a fantastic opportunity to participate in our highly anticipated college tour to Stanford University this month! They immersed themselves in campus life with a comprehensive campus tour, gained vital insights at an admissions presentation, and cheered while attending an exciting basketball game! This pivotal experience directly aligns with the IYT mission by providing Brothers with tangible, firsthand vision and motivation for pursuing higher education.

Importance of Communication

William Mack (left) and Jokel Davis (right) partnered up for the communication workshop activity

Brothers actively participated in a fun, interactive workshop that strongly emphasized the need for teamwork to complete a shared task. One brother described the photo projected on the board, while the other tried to draw it based on the description they were given. We facilitated this challenge twice, having the brothers switch roles to gain both perspectives; many of the resulting drawings were notably inaccurate. Once they finished, we explained the importance of communicating effectively and with essential detail.

AG Visit

We were honored to take part in a press conference and volunteer service activity on December 2nd at Natomas High School and Joey’s Food Locker with NHS Principal Marcel Baker, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and GO-Serve Director and CA Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday.

Service is inherently powerful, and intentionally woven into the foundation of IYT. We’ve seen time and again the positive change that happens when people step up to serve their community, and put their values into action.

We’d like to thank Attorney General Rob Bonta and Josh Fryday for their unwavering support of programs like ours, and for taking the time to meet with Team IYT.

To learn more about how to become a mentor with IYT, please visit our website, or click the link below.

Central Valley Board of Advisors:
Featured Advisor

We're thrilled to announce our new Board of Advisors for IYT Central Valley! These dedicated individuals are deeply committed to moving the needle forward for young men of color, and we're honored to have their support.

Diane Ornelas

Social Services Case Manager, SUSD

As a parent of a current IYT member, I have seen first-hand the impact the program makes on our youth.

Brother of the Month

Brother Bryan

11th Grade

This month, we are celebrating Bryan Lopez as our Brother of the Month for consistently embodying a positive attitude and academic excellence! Bryan is always positive in his interactions, regularly attends and actively contributes to programming, and maintains strong academic performance in all his classes. Well done, Bryan!

Upcoming Events

Top Grades Cookout 

12/18/2025

Students who end the semester with C’s and above will be invited to a burger cookout at lunch in the quad! 

Weaver x GVHS Event

January/February TBD

15 WMS students will be paired with 15 GVHS students playing the role of a mentor. They will go on a campus tour, learn about clubs/sports, enjoy lunch together, and more!

College Tour

February/March TBD

Students will go on a trip to a college/university to get a feel of a new campus!

Program Info

Melanie Friz

melanie@improveyourtomorrow.org

209-372-7954

Golden Valley High School

Programming & Study Hall Days:

Tuesday & Thursday (3:30 - 5:00 pm) Room 305)

Number of Parent Engagement Sessions:

105

Number of Mentor Sessions:

105

Check out our stories from Golden Valley High School.

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