e to "comunidad del valle." i'm damian trujillo, and remember from now on you'll be able to use a qr code throughout the show on "comunidad del valle" that you're gonna see there to register to vote. it goes directly to the secretary of state's office in sacramento. so, from now on you will be able to vote on your "comunidad del

valle," or register to vote on your "comunidad del valle." there is a qr code there right now. on the show today, the copita mini world cup on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ damian: and we begin today with the catalino tapia scholarship foundation. those scholarships are back. he joins us now in "comunidad del valle," also with janet gutierrez on the show. welcome back to the show, don catalino and yanet. yanet gutierrez: hi. catalino tapia: good morning. damian: hi, good morning, how are you? catalino: i'm doing fine, just getting older. damian: yes, we all are. well, tell us once again, this used to be called the bay area gardener scholarship foundation. it's now the catalino tapia scholarship foundation. but it's la misma cosa, it's the same thing.

catalino: yeah, it's the same thing. but the board of directors decided to change the name to honor the founder, like, three years ago. so, now it's catalino tapia scholarship. damian: and tell us, yanet, what this scholarship has meant for you, this foundation and the scholarship itself. yanet: it allowed me to finish my bachelor's degree in 2021. i was able to graduate from san jose state university, and now currently i'm working for the foundation since 2021. damian: and how does that feel, don catalino, that those who you give scholarships to, they don't just go away and forget about you. they come back. catalino: they all come back in one way or another. but yanet, she's been, you know, really close to the foundation, and now she's working for us and doing a great, great job.

damian: well, tell us what's happening now. what is next step? are you ready to offer the scholarships? are you still requesting applications? yanet: yes, as of right now, the application is open, and it closes on may 17. so, anyone who would like to apply for the scholarship is still on time to submit an application. you can visit the ctsf.org and click on under scholarships, and you will be able to get the application link over there, but also the scholarship is not just work money, or you also get to participate in workshops that are--we touch very important topics that are help students to navigate the system. and also, we are heavily investing in--on mental and wellness health, not only for students, but for the parents of the awardees. also, they get a mentor if they don't have a mentor.

see, it's pretty much a very, very robust package that every scholarship awarded gets for one year. wow, well, that's fantastic. we're looking at video of some of the scholarship recipients. don catalino, you've awarded a lot of money, and you are a retired gardener. catalino: correct. well, we've been doing this for 18 years already. in that span of time, we had been able to sponsor 421 students, and this coming june 22, we're gonna give out 35 more. so, we just keep on going up. damian: do you think, yanet, that the foundation is developing future leaders like yourself? yanet: of course, not only future leaders, but we are building up that strength that our community needs when we are

facing anything. pandemic, like, in the sense that we are giving parents the opportunity to learn, so they can start helping the younger kids, you know, when they--for them when it's time to go to school. i think it's a collective effort that are we helping, like, leaders. who knows, maybe within the awardees, we have a future governor or senator. you never know, right? and that's what is the foundation about, to support those who want to make it good in our community. damian: well, that's wonderful. and you're doing just that. just once again, just a reminder that you are accepting applications now for the upcoming scholarships for this year. we do have that information we're gonna flash on the screen for you. there it is, there is a website for the catalino tapia scholarship foundation. we'll be back with don catalino and yanet when we continue here on "comunidad del valle," stay with us. ♪♪♪

damian: and we're back with yanet gutierrez and don catalino tapia of the catalino tapia scholarship foundation. i'm gonna start the story for you, don catalino, because this all started when you were a gardener in the bay area. you wanted to start a scholarship, so you asked the people whose lawns you used to mow, whose trees you used to trim, your customers, you used to ask them to donate to your scholarship foundation, and they did, a lot of money. catalino: yes, well, i had that idea, and i put it in practice, and thank god, up to this moment, it's working. really happily, my ex-clients, they are still supporting me with donations, and that's great, because no--not very many people can do that.

so, humbled, grateful to god. damian: yeah, and yanet, you know more than anybody the money is one thing, money helps a lot. it alleviates some of the anguish, but it--i think what the rewarding part is the feeling, knowing that somebody believed in you, that somebody wanted to invest money in you and your education. yanet: yeah, that's exactly what the foundation is about, giving the chance to those who have been overlooked for other programs, because one of the things that other foundation has, we don't have a restriction, we don't have citizen status restriction. any applicant can apply from any majors, whether it is sociology, whether it is social sciences, stem, anything. and one of the greatest things is that we have had applicants, the oldest applicant is 68 years old, and i think they deserve the chance to have--to reach those dreams.

and that's why i'm really proud of working for the foundation, because the students have said this--having awarded this scholarship, not only believe-- "is helping me to continue with my studies, but also allow me to believe in myself again, because my story, it does matter. my dreams also can come true because you believed in me." and i think that when i hear that kind of thing, i feel great, because i said, "i think we're doing a great job." damian: i think you are too. and though, catalino, if i remember your history, you came to this country from michoacan with $5 in your pocket and you became a gardener. you raised a lot of money. did you ever think that you'd be now giving money away or investing, i should say, investing your money in these students? catalino: to tell you the truth, no. because when i arrived through redwood city, i went, like, right on the middle of the ocean, but i don't know how

to swim. and throughout the years and hard work, you know, i get better jobs, and then this idea came up because my son graduated from berkeley law school. and that was the key point for me to think about doing something to help the other kids who need the most. damian: and the--another important thing, don catalino, that you did is you learned the english language, and you've mastered it. not a lot of people have the courage to do that, and you have done that. anything else you want to say, don catalino, before we let you go? catalino: no, i don't know english that well, but i can say a few things. and so, please, students, don't wait too long until the last minute. get the application and send it in right away, because you might

be late, and you're gonna be sorry. damian: yeah, absolutely. we have about 20 seconds, yanet, anything else you want to say? yanet: just please visit ctsf.org under the tab scholarships, and you can also request or schedule an appointment in case that you have any questions, and we can assist you with the application, and anybody is welcome to apply. don't exclude yourself just because you think you cannot apply. so, call us or send us an email if you have further questions, and thank you so much and good luck to everybody. damian: all right, thank you so much, and thank you for inspiring the next generation. gracias. all right, thank you. they are accepting applications once again for their next round of scholarships, the catalino tapia scholarship foundation, there's a website for more information. up next on "comunidad del valle," la copita, stay with us.

damian: and we're back here on "comunidad del valle." just a reminder you will see that qr code for the rest of the shows on your screen. that is so that you can register to vote on "comunidad del valle." that site takes you directly to the secretary of state's office in sacramento where you can now register to vote. no more excuses. latinos are not voting. we're gonna change that. well, this is called la copita. it's a mini soccer tournament in the alum rock school district in honor of the world cup. with us is jose cortez, the principal at adelante ii school at the alum rock school district. mr. principal, welcome to the show. jose cortez: thank you. thank you, damian, and thank you for having me here. i appreciate the opportunity. damian: thank you for being here. well, this is a big deal. i mean, we're--as we approach the world cup tournament, you're having your own mini world cup in alum rock. jose: yeah, correct. this is our third annual, and each year it gets better, and it grows. we have more teams participating, and we have

an elementary division and a middle school division. and it's formatted similarly to the world cup soccer tournament as well. damian: i mean, i would imagine that every child in every school would want to participate in the tournament. i don't know if there's cuts that you make, but i would imagine that not every child is able to play, because there's just simply not enough time, space, and whatnot. jose: unfortunately, we do have to limit the number of teams. this year, many schools have two elementary teams, which just speaks to the large interest that has grown in each school. students are wanting to participate, but unfortunately, not everyone gets that opportunity. however, they have several grade spans for each team. for example, elementary through fifth, so we encourage them to continue to participate in the sport and play, and they'll have

other opportunities as they move through the grades. damian: and this is a big deal. this is a three day tournament, and they're playing where the big boys and the big girls play. this is--you're playing at the james lick high school. jose: yes, that's absolutely correct. and i think that adds a level of excitement and enthusiasm, because they're on a surface that they know where older kids play high school and the competitive level of the sport that they can witness if they were to go to one of those sites and watch a high school game. but definitely, being inside a stadium, even though it's a high school stadium, it's a level of excitement that is very valuable to our families. damian: and we're watching some video from last year's tournament. we saw some of the players who won first place last year running on the field, or running all over the field. talk about the smiles that you see, from not only probably the children, but also their parents and everybody else that's there.

jose: absolutely, this is a great joy for many of our kids. they have the opportunity to go out and represent their school, and that's something that brings them pride. and when they're able to make it to that final game and win after that final whistle blows, it's just a level of elation and joy that, you know, they can't contain. and in some cases, some of these students don't have the opportunity or haven't had the opportunity to be in an outside league and play at a competitive level, so this may be the first time that they have experienced this type of competition. so, you can imagine how excited they would be if their team or their school were to win. damian: well, and we're looking at the, again, some of the video, and you have danza there. it's a full on party. you have the san jose earthquakes participating. this, again, this isn't just a soccer match here and there. this is a full-on celebration. jose: yeah, this is a celebration of alum rock, and we are very proud of our schools and the hard work that we put

in, and so this partnership with telemundo and some of our other community partners, because there is a resource fair that's at james lick where people can see the different resources available to the community, we also will highlight some of our own programs at times too. we have dancers and musicians that can come so that people can see the quality of education that they can receive, being in our alum rock schools. damian: all right, well, if you want more information on the events happening in the alum rock school district, la copita, the annual--now annual soccer tournament for the children of vista, san jose, there is information. april 25 through 28 at james lick high school. this is copita at alum rock school district. we'll be back and talk more about this great tournament when we continue here on "comunidad del valle," stay with us. ♪♪♪

damian: we're back with jose cortez, who's the principal at adelante ii in the alum rock school district of san jose. and again, there is a qr code so you can register to vote here on "comunidad del valle." we're talking about the la copita, and, you know, i don't need to explain it to you, jose, you're a product of alum rock, and now you're back. my kids attended alum rock, and, you know, let's be honest, it's the--one of the poorest school districts in california. the children there have less, the teachers there have less to work with just because of the financial circumstances of the area. yet these kids thrive. these kids hit the books, and they try to make themselves proud, their parents proud, and their teachers proud. talk about the pride of alum rock, if you will. jose: absolutely, i think what you're saying, it resonates with me and with many people in this community. we look beyond what any limitation there might be, and there's a spirit here with our families and in our community

and in a drive that pushes us forward and brings us together as well. i think that that bond that we have in this community, because many of the people that are in this community, you know, blue collar working families, and they work hard, and they want the best for their kids, and anytime we look to them for any type of assistance, they want to be there with us and be a part of the team that can make up for any type of limitations that we might have. and so, that's a resource available to anyone, regardless of where they live. damian: yeah, and those limitations are many, we don't need to talk about the financial status of the schools and the district there. and again, the children there have to work with less. how does it feel to be able to give them this, to give them the copita, to give them something to celebrate, to enjoy, to give them pride of being alum rock students?

jose: i think it's very satisfying, and i can speak on behalf of the people that i'm working with. mr. guendulain, the principal at adelante i, jesus araujo from the district student services, emily mcchristian, who's our vapa coordinator. we are very satisfied, and it's very at the same time humbling to be able to bring this type of event working with telemundo and all of our other partners and provide this level of excitement, this level of enthusiasm and pride in an event such as this that brings so many people together, because soccer is a sport that is celebrated in our community, and we are very passionate about it. and it's great to be able to be a part of a team effort that brings these types of activities that enhance our educational experience in alum rock. damian: and you see it all the time, you drive through the alum rock schools, they're playing soccer before school, they're playing soccer during recess, they're playing soccer during

lunch, they're playing soccer after school. soccer is a way of life. jose: yeah, absolutely, they love soccer. and as i had mentioned earlier, it's not something that everyone gets to experience in the same way in perhaps other parts of the city, but it's definitely enjoyed at our schools on a daily basis. the kids love it, and i think, you know, the guidance that we give them, it brings them together, even though they're not out on--playing on a competitive club, they--the experience of being with their classmates and, you know, partaking in the sport that they love is just something that helps build a very welcoming environment in our schools. damian: all right, and there we are, we're looking at the smiles, the big trophies. it is a big deal. any final thoughts, jose, about the copita before we let you go here on "comunidad del valle"? jose: i just want to invite everyone who is--even if you're

not from the alum rock school district--to come and enjoy youth soccer. i think there's an aspect to this that is missing, i think, in other types of competitions, and i would go so far as to say, you know, the club and competitive levels. there's just pure joy, and for the--it's for the joy of playing and being with your classmates, representing your school, being in your community, playing in front of all of your family members, and just having a good time. it's a great event, and you will see what exactly is--what exactly our community is about. so, anyone who would like to come out and enjoy a great event, i encourage them to come out. damian: all right, the pride of alum rock, jose cortez, who's a former student in the alum rock schools and now the principal at adelante ii. thank you and good luck with copita. jose: thank you very much. damian: all right, thank you very much. again, copita is happening, it's a big tournament happening the

weekend of april 25 through 28 at james lick high school in san jose. and it's gonna be a good time out. well, if you want to get a hold of us on "comunidad del valle," you can follow me on instagram. my handle is @newsdamiantrujillo, and my email address is also there on screen. and don't forget that qr code also on the screen. that's where you can now register to vote on "comunidad del valle." that takes you directly to the office of the secretary of state. well, we're gonna leave you now with a little bit of danza to celebrate the copita, and we'll see you back here again next week. buenos dias. ♪♪♪ [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] speaker: we salute the directions of the sun, stars, the air, the giver of life, light. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

[speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] speaker: our thanks to mother earth. that mother who takes care of us, that mother one day we will return to. to return back to nature, to the earth-- ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

[speaking in foreign language] ♪♪♪ speaker: --of the east, of the west, of the north, of the south, the four directions-- the four elements, the four stances, the four seasons. to give thanks for creation-- ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

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