lyanne: he came back alone, living with an aunt and uncle.high school, he found a mentor who suggested he repeat his junior year. >> all of the grades you have are all a's, english proficiency isn't as good. >> when he came here, he left no opportunity unturned. his answer was always, yes, absolutely. lyanne: gilberto is the first to arrive at school in the morning and among the last to leave. >> reading is a space where i can do my homework and things like that. the school opens at 7:00. i will be here at 7:00. lyanne: his counselor helped him to apply for colleges and financial aid. finding our voice to help newcomers learn english. >> here is another thing. if you don't speak english and you are an american, you basically don't have a voice. ♪ lyanne: two years of hard work paid off. gilberto was recently invited to attend stanford university. he is on the waiting list for harvard. >> hard work is always going to pay off. stanford is my dream school right now. i feel like there are more things to be achieved. i feel like you can do it, too

lyanne: he came back alone, living with an aunt and uncle.chool, he found someone who suggested he repeat his junior year. >> all the grades you have is all "a's." 4.0 gpa, but your english proficiency is not so good. >> when he came here, he left no opportunity unturned. there's a program here, a program there. his answer was always yes. lyanne: he's the first to arrive at school in the morning and among the last to leave. >> really a space where i can do my homework, things like that. so, the school opens at 7:00, i will be here at 7:00. lyanne: his counselor helped him apply for college is that financial aid. >> there is always financial aid and scholarships. i don't know, that gave me a sense of hope. he was the main reason why. lyanne: gilberto also found a group called finding our voice to help newcomers learn english. >> you are here to speak english in america. ♪ paid off. he was recently invited to attend stanford university. and is on the waiting list for harvard. >> hard work is always going to pay off and i got into stanford. i fe

lyanne: in san francisco, lien melendez, abc 7 news. -- lyanne melendez, abc 7 news. dan: we want to bring in abc 7 news insider phil matier. ama: 77% say the city is going in the wrong direction. last year, it was 76%. how in san francisco turn this trend around? what can be done? phil: it's going to be tough. 73% said the quality of life has gone down. concerns about public safety have more than doubled in that same time period. what can be done? it depends on who you are listening to. aaron peskin, who sits on the board of supervisors, said that his time, rather than going for aspirational solutions, to get down to the nitty-gritty and do simple things like safe streets, clean streets, let's get it going. dan: to that end, one of the measures was a plan to arrest people doing drugs. again, not the aspirational think of just the practical. phil: and there you have a trip word, "plan to arrest," which triggers the idea of the war on drugs, the idea of putting people in jail for possession of narcotics or drugs, something that the state of california has gone the oppo

lyanne: wow. dan: you could buy a whole block of a neighborhood. a new document or, "california dreaming: moving to texas" follows eight former californians for a year. you will find the surprising things we learned about the supposedly california exodus to the lone star state. it is streaming on demand on the abc 7 bay area app. ama: the weekend is upon us. a little breezy. dan: but you don't want to move to texas or anywhere else in this kind of weather, sandhya? sandhya: it is so nice outside, no doubt about appeared we have a mild mediterranean climate, dan and ama. let's take a look at the temperature change. good evening, everyone. we are running a little cooler today almost everywhere compared to yesterday. onshore winds playing a role, gusting right now at 30 miles an hour sfo, 25 outward rio vista, 29 sustained in san francisco, and that wind is transporting deepening marine layer. it is now 1700 feet deep, which means it is going to get over the east bay hills and into the valley. 20 miles an hour winds tonight, going into 10:00 p.m., if

lyanne: armon still carries his freshman id with him. for him, returning to in person learning his junior year was difficult after being isolated for nearly a year and a half. armon: everyone had to kind of bring themselves out to talk in front of the teacher or answer a question. at the start of it, everybody was really quiet. principal moy: just the ability to communicate was a challenge and this year with the strike this group is so resilient and , amazing. selina: it finally feels like my hard work has paid off and i can't wait to really get out there and exit this chapter of my life. lyanne: selina is going to major in psychology at san francisco state. others learn there are benefits to being grateful, especially during hard times. adil: a shout out to all the teachers who made me who i am, you know, and just god bless everyone, so thank you. yeah. lyanne: today as they filled the paramount theater, their lesson in perseverance ended with a well-deserved celebration. [applause] in oakland, leanne melendez, --lyanne melendez, abc 7

reporter lyanne melendez is in the newsroom to explain. year's budget was set aside for this specific program called heart program. the city describes it as the missing piece of the puzzle because many of them have been in the same situation of drug addiction, a few even previously incarcerated. what i am saying is that they have worked in those shoes before and they know what it takes to reach out to those on the streets who are experiencing a crisis. think of an urban alchemist as a school ho how a school holder monitor. there are about 350 of them. now the most experienced ones, about 25 people, will be part of a one-year pilot program called heart, homeless engagement assistance response team. people like louise hammonds trained for nonemergency situations. when you approach somebody who is not all there, what do you know, what kind of training do you have that i don't have, the average individual does not have? >> we do well in uncomfortable situations. i am comfortable being comfortable because i don't see an angry person, i see a hu

lyanne melendez abc 7 news. >> thank. >> president biden and house speaker kevin mccarthy reached a bipartisan deal over the weekend. it comes nearly a week before the june 5 deadline to avoid a government default to avoid the 90 page piece of legislation including the suspension of the u.s. debt limit until 2025 to get the government time to pay its bills. it increases age and work requirements for food aid programs. a topic both leaders struggled to agree upon. congress will no vote on the bill which is expected to happen on wednesday. quick the last day of michael sunscreens don't offer enough protection. abc 7 alex! mateo, hey how's business? great. you know that loan has really worked wonders. that's what u.s. bank is for. and you're growing in california? -yup, socal, norcal... -monterey? -all day. -a branch in ventura? that's for sure-ah. atms in fresno? fres-yes. encinitas? yes, indeed-us. anaheim? big time. more guacamole? i'm on a roll-ay. how about you? i'm just visiting. u.s. bank. ranked #1 in customer satisfaction with retail banking in california by j.d. power. >> new details ab

lyanne: it will take a series of policies and approaches, but in this neighborhood in particular, he says having an increased police presence will help deter crime. >> we deploy our walking officers, and i'm having overtime officers on call between tell them -- telegraph and piedmont avenue. district attorney's office for an update on the nine children and are waiting to hear back. councilmember cobb says those committing these crimes need some form of punishment, which he says could include time in juvenile hall. >> whatever we can do to move them away from the world of crime in the future, we need to do. for some, that might involve incarceration. for others, it might evolve probation with programs they are required to attend. ryan: in oakland, ryan curry, abc 7 news. ama: a different group in oakland is calling for city leaders to invest in things like housing, art, youth programs, and violent preventions. it supports a people's budget aimed at eliminating police ways. abc 7 news reporter lena howland has the latest. lena: with a little more than a month left to finalize the budge

reporter lyanne melendez is in the newsroom to explain.ic program called heart program. the city describes it as the missing piece of the puzzle because many of them have been in the same situation of drug addiction, a few even previously incarcerated. what i am saying is that they have worked in those shoes before and they know what it takes to reach out to those on the streets who are experiencing a

lyanne melendez was that their first person showcase of the pandemic. reporter: special education students communicate their feelings and emotions. like any other professional artist their work was highlighted on stage and enjoyed by family and friends at the american conservatory theater in san francisco. >> they get to perform on our stages. we provide technical support. it is about giving them the f experience from creating something to presenting it. reporter: them about teamwork and growing socially while derek to try new challenges. >> it a program designed specifically for 18-22-year-olds with disabilities. it was founded in 2012. heidy started it. >> we help students gain important life skills, but also the things that will make them happy in life. for me, it is my hobbies. reporter: off stage, different art mediums were also on display . all the proceeds go directly to the artists and to help purchase their materials. francesca smith calls herself a digital artist. >> i have been doing art for a long time. i wanted to push to the boundaries of

in the newsroom, lyanne melendez. >> the last time oakland teachers went on strike was in 2019. it lasted a week. we will stay on top of it takes. follow the latest on the abc7 bay area app on your smartphone or wherever you stream. uc berkeley professor apologizing for falsely claiming an indigenous heritage for years. the environmental policy professor said she's actually white. in a statement, she grew up believing she was native american. hoover conducted genealogical research after rising concerns about her heritage. results showed she had no trace of native american lineage. protected bike lanes will be installed along boulevard following the death of a champion cyclist. they control one stretch whether presidio trust controls the other. it calls for not only protected lanes, but speed cushions. there were calls for improvements to be made after ethan boys died in a crash. the incident is under investigation. the suspect arrested in a string of stabbings in davis has plead not guilty. he appeared in a yolo county courtroom yesterday. he's accused of stabbing three people,