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In his graduation speech to City Year’s AmeriCorps volunteers, Luke Hostetter reflects on a year of service that impacted over 1,200 ����ӰԺ and forged lifelong skills and connections. Read on to hear more about how he celebrates the power of mentorship, resilience, and showing up—again and again—for ����ӰԺ and each other.

“Good afternoon, everyone. It’s my honor to welcome you to this moment of celebration. Today, we proudly recognize the 30th corps of AmeriCorps members to serve with City Year San José/Silicon Valley. Upon your graduation, you join a remarkable legacy — a community of thousands of alumni across the country who, like you, answered the call to serve, to show up, and to make a difference in the lives of young people.

This day is also meaningful for me personally. It marks the end of my first full year as Executive Director here in San José. But, like many of you, my City Year journey started much earlier — as a Team Leader in Philadelphia. That year of service changed my life. It shaped how I lead, how I build relationships, and how I move through the world. It brought me from the classroom, to the principal’s office, and now back home to this role — right here, with all of you.

Looking at you today, I’m in awe.

Together, you gave more than 42,000 hours of service to over 1,200 ����ӰԺ across Ravenswood and Alum Rock. At Costaño, Belle Haven, Silvia Cassell, and Horace Cureton, you showed up for your ����ӰԺ — not just as tutors or classroom assistants, but as steady, caring adults who helped them feel seen, supported, and capable.

What you’ve done this year is hard to define — because your role is so much more than one thing. You’ve been part friend, part teacher, part cheerleader. For so many ����ӰԺ, you were the first person they looked for in the morning. You were the one who helped them reset after a tough moment. You were the one who celebrated their wins — the big ones and the quiet ones. You showed up, again and again.

That’s the power of a mentor. Someone who believes in a young person before they believe in themselves. Someone who helps them imagine a different future — and take a step toward it.

And while you were showing up for your ����ӰԺ, you were growing, too. You’ve built resilience, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and leadership. You’ve learned how to lead with empathy, how to build community across lines of difference, how to stay rooted in your values even when things got tough. You’ve grown in ways that will stay with you long after this year.

I want you to know that even when I’m not with you on site, I see you. I see your purpose, your persistence, your impact — and I carry your stories and your work into every room I walk into.

To those of you returning for a second year: thank you. Your decision to come back deepens your impact and strengthens our whole community. I can’t wait to see how you lead.

To all of you — thank you. The seeds you’ve planted in your ����ӰԺ, your teams, and yourselves will continue to grow. You’ve changed lives this year. You’ve made our community stronger. And I know you’ll carry this experience with you, wherever you go next.

Congratulations, City Year class of 2025. You did it. You made it. You mattered. Now let’s celebrate.”